Eye of Round Roast with Mustard Herb Crust

     Adapted from this Southern online recipe, this one pot dutch oven roasted meal will have you whistling Dixie when it's time to serve dinner.  The mustard topping creates a flavorful crust of tarragon, pepper and garlic.  Try to use fresh tarragon if you can find it, you'll smell the licorice scented herb steaming from your oven when you open the lid.  In my 12 inch dutch oven, the roast cooked for 1 hour with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 18 briquettes placed in a ring around the outside edge of the lid and 10 more spaced evenly in the center.  Be sure to let the roast sit for a good 15 or 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to distribute throughout the meat.  Eye of the Round is a lean cut of meat but cooking it like this in your dutch oven makes it very juicy and tender and the flavors of the herbs and mustard really permeate the beef.  I made a 2.5 pound roast and it was on the well done side after an hour, shorten the cooking time if you like your beef a little more on the rare side. 

Eye of Round Roast with Mustard Herb Crust
1 3-4 pound Eye of Round roast
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tblsp chopped fresh tarragon OR 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into large slices
10 small potatoes, unpeeled
1 Tblsp olive oil

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In small bowl combine mustard, vinegar, garlic, tarragon and pepper.
     Scatter onion wedges in bottom of prepared oven.
     Place roast, fat side up, atop onions in center of dutch oven.
     Slather roast completely with mustard mixture, being sure to spread a thick coating on top.
     Toss carrots and potatoes with olive oil.
     Spread carrots and potatoes around roast.
     Roast at 400 degrees, 1 hour for a 3 pound roast, 1 hr and 15 minutes for a 4 pound roast.
     Allow beef to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Slather beef well with mustard sauce and surround with vegetables

Depending on size of beef, roast at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes

A moist and flavorful roast and the vegetables take
on the flavor as well