Herb-Crusted London Broil With Mushroom-Shallot Sauce Over Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place London broil in a glass dish. Season both sides with salt and pepper, pressing in coarsely ground pepper to ensure it sticks.

In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic and chopped fresh herbs. Add a sprinkling of coarsely ground pepper. Pour half of oil mixture on one side of steak and rub in well. Turn steak over and pour remaining oil mixture, rubbing in. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 90 minutes.

To prepare vegetables, place potatoes, carrots and onions in a lightly buttered large, shallow roasting pan. Pour olive oil over them and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; add rosemary, sage and tarragon. Pour on melted butter and toss well. Place in oven and bake for an hour, mixing once or twice.

After the vegetables have cooked, remove pan from oven. Take steak out of refrigerator. Place the steak on top of vegetables, adding any juices from the marinade. Bake steak and vegetables together for 20 minutes. Then turn the broiler on and broil steak, still atop vegetables, 5 minutes on each side for medium rare, cooking 2 minutes longer on each side if you prefer it more well done.

Remove from oven and transfer steak to a cutting board. Remove vegetables to a serving platter, reserving pan juices. Allow steak to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add mushrooms and shallot and saute 2 minutes. Add Merlot, thyme and any pan juices from steak. Bring to a boil and boil until wine mixture is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until each is incorporated.

Slice steak and place over vegetables. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the steak and garnish with any remaining fresh herbs. Serve remaining sauce in a pretty bowl or gravy boat.