Vodka-Marinated Slow-Roasted Beef
This amazingly tender, juicy beef was first served in the small garden courtyard of Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena, the nerve center of California Wine Country. This prime rib special was marinated in vodka and left overnight in a just-turned-off brick pizza oven. We found a lesser grade of beef serves amazingly well. Grass-fed sirloin is our go-to choice, but a longer marinated rump has also worked.
Yield 8 servings
Ingredients
4 pounds of sirloin roast, or prime rib
4 cloves garlic, cut into 16 slivers
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup vodka
| 1 | With the point of a sharp knife, make small incisions all over the roast and insert garlic slivers. Dust all over with salt and pepper. |
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| 2 | Place roast on a piece of plastic wrap that is large enough to entirely encase the roast. Before wrapping, sprinkle vodka all over. Immediately wrap tightly and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. |
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| 3 | One hour before cooking, remove beef from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. |
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| 4 | Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove wrap from beef and place on rack in roasting pan (you can also place directly on oven rack, with a pan to catch drippings on the rack just below it). Roast for 30 minutes. |
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| 5 | Lower heat to 225°F and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Timing will largely depend on the shape and size of your roast - a long, thin roast will cook more quickly than a thick one. At the thickest part of the roast, a meat thermometer should read 120° for rare, 130° for medium-rare. |
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| 6 | Presentation. Remove beef to carving board, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Carve at table. |
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