One-pan teres major mini-roast with fondant potatoes

Cut a flat base on the potato, stand it up and peel it, smoothing it toward an even cylinder; cut into three tall rounds.

Get a well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel pan screaming hot.

Oil, salt and pepper the beef all over and sear it very quickly.

Add oil and sear the potato rounds on their flat sides at the same time; season them.

When the roast has decent color but is still rare inside, take it out to rest.

Move the potatoes onto the beef fond to keep it from burning; lower the heat if needed. Flip when golden, season more, brown the bottoms a little.

Soak up the excess oil, lower the heat, add butter, a crushed garlic clove and thyme sprigs; turn the potatoes in the butter or baste them with a spoon.

When the butter turns golden brown, add chicken stock a third of the way up the potatoes.

Roast at 400F / 200C; do not check for a half hour. A knife in the side should meet a little resistance.

Remove the garlic clove and the thyme sprigs.

Add the frozen pearl onions, toss them in the sauce and return to the oven for five minutes.

Pull everything to one side to make a bed for the roast, toss the roast in the butter and stock, set it on the bed, insert a probe thermometer in the deepest part and roast about five minutes more, to rare.

Take the meat out to rest.

Turn the heat back on under the pan to further reduce the sauce; add a splash or two of balsamic vinegar; taste and add pepper.

Slice the roast against the grain; return it to the hot pan if it has gone cold.

Throw on the reserved fresh thyme and serve in the pan.