Time: About 2 hours
1 silver tip roast, 5 pounds, or rib roast, 7 pounds
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
3 large or 4 medium ripe tomatoes
6 sprigs thyme, woody stems discarded.
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season roast with salt and pepper. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat oil to very hot. Sear roast on all sides until crusty dark brown, at least 3 to 4 minutes a side. Do not move roast around while searing, as this will prevent crust from forming.
2. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes and thyme to pot. Stir and cook vegetables 3 to 4 minutes. Add water to come a third of the way up the roast. Place pot in oven, uncovered.
3. Braise about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on size, until meat thermometer inserted into center registers about 155 degrees (medium rare). Do not overcook. Remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Transfer to carving board or platter and serve with tomatoes, onions and pan juices.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
(Borrowed from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/dining/161srex.html)
