Sirloin Tip Roast with Caramelized Onion Gravy

I went searching through the freezer this morning to pull something out for dinner, I'm not a plan the night before kinda girl. I grabbed a sirloin roast,with no idea what to do with it, however, I had to let it thaw so I had a few hours to figure it out. Well...surprise, surprise - after I walked away from it I didn't even give it a second thought until late afternoon. A sirloin tip roast is cut from the hindquarters, adjacent to the sirloin. This roast is a lean cut, which means it can it can be tough and is usually recommended for braising or stewing. Apparently I didn't give myself enough time for any of this!

So this is what I did...I finely chopped fresh rosemary, along with a couple cloves of garlic. I added salt, pepper, and butter - these are similar steps I take when making a compound butter for steak or seafood.

I butterflied the roast, then used a mallet to pound it flat. At this point I let it sit covered until it reaches room temperature - NEVER cook meat until it reaches room temperature; this allows for even cooking from edge to center. Spread about three quarters of the butter mixture on inside of the butterflied roast. Roll the roast nice and snug, making sure to tuck in any small pieces of meat or butter that are loose.

Once tied, pat the outside of the roast with paper towel - removing any excess moisture allows the meat to sear properly. Season meat lightly with salt and pepper, heat grape seed oil in cast iron pan over med/high heat then sear all sides of roast. Make sure your pan is HOT before adding the roast, and allow the roast to sear a couple minutes a side without moving it around.

Once seared on all sides remove from pan, allow to cool for a few minutes then rub remainder of the butter mixture on top of the roast. Add onions to pan and place roast on top. Cook in 375° oven for about 45 minutes - or until desired temp.

Remove roast from oven, place on cutting board and tent with foil. Cook the onions on med heat until nice and golden. Add flour, cook a few minutes then add wine and stock. Cook down about half, until nicely thickened. At this point I usually add a little heavy cream (your choice), I always finish a gravy with either a little butter or cream, this adds a little richness to the gravy and a slight sheen. If you prefer an au jus eliminate the flour.

I served this along side some crispy potato cups (recipe coming) and peas, if you're not a fan of peas then add a colourful veg or a mixed green salad.

Let me know what you think, if you have any questions leave a comment below, or send me an email!