Garlic & Herb Smoked Roast Beef with Red Wine Au Jus

Instructions

1. Roast the garlic: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off both heads of 2 fresh garlic heads, whole (for roasting) to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little of the 3 tablespoons olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and roast for 40–45 minutes until the cloves are completely soft, golden, and caramelized. Allow to cool slightly, then squeeze all the roasted garlic out of both heads into a small bowl. Mash into a smooth paste with a fork.
2. Make the herb paste: Combine the roasted garlic paste with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves stripped, 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, 1 tablespoons kosher salt, 1.5 teaspoons coarse black pepper, and 1 teaspoons onion powder. Mix well into a thick, fragrant paste. This is your rub and binder combined — it goes on generously.
3. Rest and prep the roast: Remove the roast from the refrigerator at the same time you put the garlic in the oven — both take about 40 minutes, so they run simultaneously. Pat completely dry with paper towels when ready. Pat completely dry with paper towels — a dry surface is essential for the herb paste to adhere and for proper crust formation.
4. Apply the herb paste: Coat the entire roast generously with the garlic herb paste, pressing firmly into all sides so it adheres well. Every inch of the surface should be covered. The paste will form a beautiful fragrant crust on the smoker.
5. Set up the smoker: Load 1 cups cherry or applewood chips into your Weston smoker — no soaking needed. Press the Slow Cook/Smoke button until the Smoke light illuminates, then select Combo mode using the arrow buttons. Set the timer to 120 minutes as your baseline. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the roast and place it on the rack. The Weston will cold smoke first then automatically transition to heat.
6. Smoke the roast: Begin checking internal temperature around the 90-minute mark. Pull the roast when it reaches 125°F–128°F — it will carry over cook during resting. The delicate herb crust means you want to pull it slightly earlier than the mustard-crusted version to protect those beautiful fresh herb flavors. Total cook time is typically 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on your roast.
7. Rest the roast: Remove from the smoker and tent loosely with foil. Rest for at least 25–30 minutes — it will carry over cook to around 130°F–135°F for perfect medium-rare. Do not skip this resting step.
8. Chill overnight: For true deli-style slicing, wrap the fully rested roast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours — overnight is ideal. Cold meat slices dramatically thinner and cleaner than warm meat.
9. Slice and serve: Using your sharpest knife or deli slicer, slice against the grain as thin as possible. Pile generously onto a toasted crusty whole grain roll and serve immediately with the hot red wine au jus in a small bowl alongside for dipping. Store slices refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.