Week-end roast - two ways

I am a big fan of vegetables, but every now and then I want a lovely, juicy steak. I love steaks with spicy rubs, but my darling husband can’t bear the taste or smell of cumin or coriander. So when I came across a recipe for a very easy ‘week-end roast’, it sounded wonderful except for the cumin and coriander part. What to do but improvise. And improvise I did. Maybe this breaks all the rules of steak rubs (I don't know what they are), but it’s become a favorite here. I made the necessary substitutions, tinkered with the procedure and we were away to the races. It's been a hit with us and it gets great reviews from company.

I like this because it’s really a cross between a steak and a roast. It’s good on the grill (charcoal or gas) in the summer. It’s good in the oven the rest of the year. And it’s very good left over, if there is any, that is. You won’t believe the open-faced sandwiches it makes! Oh well, they were gone before I could take a picture. I hope you’ll take my word for it.

For the rub:

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons mild New Mexican pepper flakes (I suppose you could substitute other red peppers, but tread carefully)

For roast

1 sirloin tip roast, approximately 3 pounds (I hear this is sometimes called a Tri-tip, but not in my part of the world)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or light a charcoal fire on one side of a large kettle grill, using a small pillow’s worth of briquettes or heat up the gas grill. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Place the roast in the bowl and rub the spices all over the meat, pressing down so they adhere.

3. Place the roast on the baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the meat registers an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and let sit, loosely tented under foil, for 15 minutes before slicing. If you are using the charcoal grill when the coals are covered with a fine ash, place the roast on the side of the grill opposite the fire. Cover, cracking the vent open a little, and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the meat has reached an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare. I am too embarrassed to mention that our new digital meat thermometer registered 288degrees and turned black, No doubt something I did wrong. Remove roast from the fire and let sit, loosely tented under foil, for 15 minutes before slicing.) Same procedure for the gas grill. Don’t cook it directly on the heat.

4. After it has tented for 15 minutes, carve in thin slices across the grain.

Serves 4 with leftovers if you're lucky. Or six if you're careful. But you probably won't be.

One of the nice things about this roast is that you could substitute your favorite spices and flavors. Another is that it's very easy and my DH will take over grill duties. So I think it's a great idea for a busy woman like me. And it would even work for my organizer sleuth, Charlotte Adams. It could take her mind off ice cream for a short time anyway. I'll pass on the recipe once she's sorted out her latest problem in The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder. Find out more about Charlotte (and me) check out www.maryjanemaffini.com