Garlic and Herb Crusted New York Strip Roast

Today is my Mom's birthday and true to form when you have a birthday in January and you live in a suburb of Chicago, you can usually count on some wild weather.  Today's menu outside called for snow, sleet, freezing rain and Mother Nature threw in some lightning and thunder for good measure.

The menu inside the house was garlic and herb crusted New York strip roast with mashed potatoes and green beans.

I modified the recipe below because, well it's January in a suburb of Chicago and I don't have a ton of fresh herbs handy.  The way this roast tasted made me forget about a lack of fresh herbs.

I only wish I had take in photo because it was gorgeous as well as delicious!

• 4 garlic cloves
• 8 fresh sage leaves--I used dried
• 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves--I used dried
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1 4- to 5-pound boneless beef loin New York strip roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch

With machine running, drop garlic into processor; blend until finely chopped. Add sage, thyme, oil, salt and pepper; process until paste forms.

Pat meat dry with paper towels. Rub meat all over with herb paste. Cover; chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place meat, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast meat 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast meat until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 130°F for medium-rare, about 35 minutes (or 140°F for medium, about 40 minutes). Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on platter.