I came across a recipe on television, of a roast beef made on the barbecue. It asked for a top sirloin roast; it was also supposed to be inexepensive. I went to my local butcher (at Lunardi’s Market, Belmont, CA), and he looked at me askance when I asked for top sirloin roast. My guess is that the confusion is based upon terminology being specific to geographic region. What I had asked for, by the nomenclature of my area, was a Chateaubriand- a $40 piece of meat in the size range I needed. After some consultation, he recommended a sirloin tip roast- a $14 piece of meat, but a different shape entirely. This was the correct piece of meat. I used a 3 pound roast.
The recipe is simple: Prep the barbecue with a hot and cold side:
- Rub the roast with a powerful, salty rub; I used garlic, rosemary, and my friend’s home-made Hawaiian salt;
- Let the roast sit for as long as you can, up to 24 hours
- Sear the roast on the hot side of the grill, on all sides;
- Move the roast to the cool side (maintain about 325°f), cover the barbecue, and let sit for about 40 minutes; rotate once at the 40 minute mark, and watch the temperature over the next 40 minutes.
- 125° for med rare; 140° for med-med well.
I actually overcooked it the first time (I did an hour before the turn, and another hour before I checked the temp); it was still damn good, and the next day, I ground it up and made a fantastic tomato sauce with it as the ground beef portion of the recipe (the recipe is here, on the site).
Slow Down and Cook 