Herbed Roast Beef in Salt Crust

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (4 to 6 pound) beef rib or eye of round roast
1 (3-pound) box Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
1 1/4 cups water

Combine oil, onion, garlic salt, basil, marjoram, thyme and pepper in a heavy plastic bag. Mix well. Add roast; coat well with marinade. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.

Line roasting pan with foil. Combine coarse kosher salt and water to form a thick slush. Pat 1 cup of mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle in pan. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Insert meat thermometer. Place roast on salt layer. Pack remaining salt mixture around meat to seal well.

Place roast in a 425 degree F oven and roast 16 to 18 minutes per pound for rare (140 degrees F), 20 to 22 minutes per pound for medium (160 degrees F) or 25 to 30 minutes for well done (170 degrees F).

Remove roast when thermometer registers 5 degrees F below desired doneness. Let roast stand 5 to 10 minutes in salt crust.

To remove crust, you may need to use a hammer. After removing crust, whisk away any remaining salt crystals on roast with a pastry brush.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

NOTE: Use prime rib, eye of round or any beef roast that is at least 4 pounds. Smaller roasts will overcook before the crust hardens. For larger roasts, cooking time will not be much longer than for smaller roasts. Use a meat thermometer.

Use only coarse kosher salt, not table salt or rock salt.