I’m fairly adventurous when it comes to food and cooking — I love trying new recipes and experimenting with ingredients that are unfamiliar to me.

But there are those moments when I just want a simple, traditional meal. Particularly the kind of thing that works as a casual lunch or supper on a lazy weekend. This easy, flavorful roast beef is a good solution. The sirloin roast is a large, tender cut, and roasting it slowly for an hour or so results in succulent slices of rosy beef. Accompanied by your favorite potato dish and a green salad, you have a comforting, delicious meal.

The pepper-crusted beef works well with a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine. You could go for Bordeaux, certainly. I chose this Napa Cab:

Markham 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($30). Ripe and lush, with silky black cherry and berry fruit layered with vanilla, cedar, and herbal notes that fold into a complex finish that shows a bit of grip. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Recipe: Beef: Pepper Crusted Roast Beef
It’s important to crush the peppercorns yourself here — storebought pepper grounds will not taste as fresh. Serves 4 generously.

2 lb. tied beef sirloin roast, at “room temperature” (out of the fridge for 1-2 hours)
1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375F. Crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Season the beef with the salt, patting it into the beef. Repeat with the crushed peppercorns, forming a coating on all sides of the beef. Drizzle the vegetable oil onto all sides, patting it into the seasonings.

Place the beef on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for 1 hour (rare – recommended!), 1 hour 10 minutes (medium rare), 1 hour 20 minutes (medium), or 1 hour 30 minutes (well done). Baste a few times during cooking with any drippings.

Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Wine Skinny Tip: Leftover roast beef is excellent tossed in a salad. Try whisking together a horseradish Dijon dressing — just mix a bit of white wine vinegar with a bit of Dijon and horseradish, then whisk in olive oil. For a creamy dressing, blend in a dollop of sour cream.