Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce
on Feb 28, 2019, Updated Jan 18, 2025
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There's a reason why roast beef is such a Sunday night classic. Economical, homey, and simple to prepare...the mustard-garlic crust on this roast makes it extra delicious.
One of the easiest and most satisfying dinners possible involves a roast of some kind, and roast beef is the classic. The preparation is usually quite simple, and while it’s in the oven, it requires no attention from you.
The only other real factor is measuring the cooking time so that it is cooked to your liking. You can always put a roast back in the oven, but you can’t un-cook the roast, so err on the side of rarer. This is especially relevant to the less expensive “roast” cuts, which are not as tender as the pricier tenderloins but make for a perfectly satisfying and economical dinner.
This roast goes so well with potatoes. Try roasted potatoes, a baked potato, Mashed Potato Pancakes, or some creamy mashed potatoes. Then maybe some roasted carrots, Chili Crunch Brussels Sprouts, or roasted butternut squash to round out the meal. Or Butternut Squash Casserole for a holiday. Pass the Horseradish Sauce on the side, and let everyone take some or not as they please.
Table of Contents
- Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce Ingredients
- How to Make Roast Beef with Mustard Crust and Horseradish Sauce
- FAQs
- Internal Temperature of Roast Beef
- Leftover Roast Beef
- What to Serve With Roast Beef
- More Roast Meat Recipes
- Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce Recipe
There’s a reason why roast beef is such a Sunday night classic. Economical, homey, and simple to prepare. The crust on this roast makes it extra delicious.
Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for the Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce recipe include several kitchen staples, along with the star roast:
For the Roast Beef
- Boneless beef eye round roast – Slice the cooked roast as thinly as possible. This will help it be more tender.
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
- Olive oil – The roast gets sautéed in olive oil to get a nice sear on the outside before roasting.
- Minced garlic – Mince the garlic finely so that it forms a paste.
- Dijon mustard – Coarse or whole-grain mustard is great here because it gives the crust extra texture, but smooth mustard is okay, too.
- Balsamic vinegar – Adds sweetness and acidity.
For the Horseradish Sauce
- Sour cream – Gives the sauce a nice creamy base.
- Jarred horseradish – In the grocery store, it is often labeled “prepared horseradish.” Don’t use anything labeled “horseradish sauce” — it may look the same, but it is a completely different product.
- Lemon juice – Makes the sauce tangy and fresh.
- Salt – To taste.
How to Make Roast Beef with Mustard Crust and Horseradish Sauce
- Sear: While the oven preheats, season the beef with salt and pepper. Then sear the roast in oil on all sides until browned. Set aside the beef to rest.
- Make the crust: Combine olive oil, garlic, mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to form a paste. This paste will crisp up in the oven, forming a crust.
- Roast: Rub the mixture all over the meat and try to cover the entire surface. Place it in the skillet and roast in the oven for between 25 and 35 minutes, depending on how you like it cooked. Make sure the internal temperature is over 125 degrees for it to be fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Make the sauce: While the roast is resting, make the sauce. It’s super quick — all you have to do is stir together the sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, and salt.
- Serve: Slice the rested meat super thinly and spoon the sauce over the meat. Serve with mashed potatoes or your favorite side!
FAQs
The best way to make sure your roast beef will be perfectly cooked every time is to use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of a medium rare roast beef is between 125 and 130 degrees. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, it should be pretty reliable to cook the roast at 475 degrees for 25 minutes.
Searing a roast before putting it in the oven is not necessary, but it helps improve the flavor and texture. The beef will get a beautiful browned crust in a short amount of time without cooking the interior of the beef. This means that the inside won’t overcook in the oven while you wait for the outside to get brown. Additionally, some believe that searing the roast will lock in its natural juices so that they don’t escape during roasting. This claim is disputed, but it’s a nice added benefit if true!
Internal Temperature of Roast Beef
Also, let your roast sit for about 15 to 20 minutes once out of the oven to reclaim its juices, and during that time, it will continue to cook a little more. So, for rare, you want to take it out with an internal temperature of 120 degrees or 125 degrees; medium-rare is 125 to 130 degrees. Then, as it sits, the internal temperature will continue to climb a bit so that when it’s ready to carve, it will be just the way you want it.
I went for a very well-priced boneless beef eye of round roast to explore the notion of an economical roast beef. This simple roast has a 4-ingredient rub (not counting the salt and pepper) that creates a crusty glaze with hearty flavors that permeate the meat and also fill your kitchen with the smell of a fabulous meal in the making.
Leftover Roast Beef
Leftovers from this recipe are sandwiches waiting to be born. And don’t forget the sauce! I like slicing a good sandwich loaf thickly and layering horseradish sauce right onto the bread. Then I add a few slices of the beef and some flavorful greens like arugula. The leftover beef would also be great in steak and cheese quesadillas or even a traditional beef stroganoff recipe.
What to Serve With Roast Beef
More Roast Meat Recipes
- Standing Rib Roast
- Roast Eye Round Beef with Thyme and Rosemary
- Slow-Cooked Moroccan Leg of Lamb
- Fall Apart Roasted Pork Shoulder with Rosemary, Mustard, and Garlic
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Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust and Horseradish Sauce
Ingredients
For the Roast Beef with Mustard Garlic Crust
- 1 2 ½- to 3-pound boneless beef eye round roast
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (preferably coarse grain)
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
For the Horseradish Sauce
- ½ cups sour cream
- 2 tablespoons jarred horseradish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 F.
- Season the roast well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned, about 8 minutes in total. Transfer the beef to a plate for a few minutes, and pour off most of the remaining fat in the pan.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the minced garlic, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste.
- Brush or smear the mixture all over the roast, and return the beef to the skillet fat side down. Roast in the oven until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 F for medium-rare (25 to 30 minutes) or 130 F for medium (30 to 35 minutes). The temperature will continue to climb for a bit after it is removed from the oven.
- Let the roast rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes for it to finish cooking and for the juices to reabsorb into the meat.
- While the beef is cooking, make the Horseradish Sauce: in a small bowl, blend together the sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, and salt. Thinly slice the meat and serve with the sauce and the starch of your choice (ideally mashed potatoes!)
We are going to try this one tonight – with an eye of round from Costco I picked up Saturday! an’t wait!
I don’t have balsamic vinegar, can I still
Do this without it?
yes, use any vinegar you have!
I had a 4lb. Sirloin Tip beef roast, I cooked it exactly as the recipe said and it came out beautifully juicy and delicious. The instructions were easy to follow and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Sometimes I see roasts started at 425 degrees then turned down to slow cook the meat. Have you tried that and do you recommend it?
there are definitely two schools of thought on cooking meat – 1) at a consistent temp 2) starting high and then lowering the heat and sometimes even 3) starting low and slow, then blasting it with heat at the end. and as long as you follow the directions, watching the cooking times, and checking with an internal thermometer until you get to your desired temp, all can work very well!
This roast is Downton Abbey worthy, indeed. I half expected to see the Crowleys coming up the front when I took this out of the oven the first time. This is a huge fan favorite for Sunday dinner.