When I asked our oldest child what she wanted for Thanksgiving dinner, she said, “Roast Beef” 😲. What you say?? Well, I honestly can’t blame her one bit. You see, a few weeks ago I made my “Perfect Roast Beef Recipe” and she has been begging me to make it again, ever since. She is a huge meat lover, and loves all meat, but this really takes the “roast”. Maybe you’ll understand better once you take a look at how good the roast beef looks…
{Don’t miss several more recipes at the end of this post that would pair perfectly with roast beef, or turkey!}
I am not a roast beef expert, but for some reason my roast beef really comes out like I am a roast beef expert. I guess that does make me a roast beef expert 🤔.
Not only is my roast beef savory, and juicy, it’s also very easy to make. You can even go do your Christmas shopping while you wait for it to cook. I am not joking with you. Let me explain.
The Secret to Cooking the Roast Beef
The secret to this “Perfect Roast Beef Recipe”, is the cooking method. Not to worry though, there are no special kitchen appliances to buy or figure out. Nope, all you need is a roast beef (I explain what “cut” below), a few spices, and a baking dish. Oh, and an oven of course.
The secret is that I cook it at a very high temperature for 5 minutes per pound, and then I turn the oven OFF. BOOM. LIGHTS OUT. OVEN GOES OFF. You heard that right. You turn the oven off, and you go relax, or do whatever you want, just don’t open that oven sister, until I tell you to below in the recipe.
I know, I know it sounds impossible that this would work. I mean how does the roast beef cook if you turn the oven off? Trust me, as long as you do not open that oven to peek 👀, it will cook, and it will cook perfectly. Just look at how gorgeous it turns out…
I should also mention that this is a savory recipe. The coating on the roast is a tad salty, so if you prefer different seasoning, go for it. I will tell you that we all think the salt, pepper, and garlic even each other out and pairs beautifully with lower sodium sides. This roast beef is perfect for roast beef sandwiches, too.
I’m posting this recipe 2 weeks before Thanksgiving because I think many folks actually do not enjoy turkey. It’s okay, we don’t have to all like turkey. Heck, I can’t get my son to eat turkey or roast beef. Trust me though, if you add on a roast beef to your traditional Thanksgiving turkey feast, don’t you think a few of the carnivores in your family will hug you???
What Cut of Roast Beef Should I Use?
I use “Beef Round Eye Round Roast” from Costco. They sell them with 2 roasts in one package (I freeze them separated). One of these roasts would feed a family of 6 easily, with probably leftovers. $11 is a great price for a roast beef in my opinion. There are more expensive, fattier cuts out there, but I started with this one, and I love how juicy and lean it is. When you slice this roast beef you need to cut it thin. This is not a thick slicing roast beef.
Perfect Roast Beef Recipe
Savory, juicy and tender roast beef every single time without much effort.
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Place roast beef in baking dish fat side up. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and form a paste to spread all over roast with clean hands. Put roast in oven for 5 minutes for every pound, and then turn off your oven (so a 3 pound roast needs 15 minutes before you turn oven off). Do not check on the roast, and do not open the oven. I repeat, DO NOT OPEN OVEN. Allow the roast to cook and remain in the oven for 1.5 more hours after you have turned off the oven. After 1.5 hours take roast out of oven and using a meat thermometer make sure internal temperature has reached 145 degrees (if not put back in oven until it does). Allow to sit for 20 more minutes before slicing it very thin with a serrated knife.
Notes
TIP: If you don't know the weight of your roast beef, weigh yourself with and without the roast beef in your hand, and that should give you a rough idea.
Perfect Roast Beef Recipe
Before you go, my friend Jane from Cottage at the Crossroads is also here to share one of favorite traditional Thanksgiving side dishes using sweet potatoes! This would pair lovely with my roast beef…
Remember to reduce the temperature after 20 minutes and deduct the 20 minutes from the total cooking time - leave the oven door open for a couple of minutes to help it cool down. There's no need to cover your beef while it cooks; you want to get a good crust on the outside and foil won't help with this.
When roasting meat and poultry, set the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) or higher. Explore the charts below to learn how to get great results every time you cook.
Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price.
When cooking a roast in the oven, keep it uncovered until roasted to the desired doneness. After removing from the oven, tent with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, preventing them from draining out during carving—and preventing dry, disappointing meat.
With the oven at around 325 degrees, it's best to cook a roast for about one hour per pound. The above recipe is written for a 3-pound chuck roast and cooks for about three hours, or until fork tender.
"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."
If you're up for some light math, here's a rule of thumb: For every pound of meat you're roasting at 350°F, it will take approximately 18 minutes for rare, 20 minutes for medium, and 25 minutes for well-done. But your cook time can vary widely based on the cut used.
At regular intervals two or three times during the cooking time take your meat out of the oven. Make sure to close the oven door so that you do not lose any heat. Use a baster, spoon, or ladle to gather the juices in the roasting tray and pour this over the meat.
Drying it out with overcooking will make it tough. If it's a really tough cut, eg, brisket, braise it and don't overcook it. If it's tough and fatty, like ribs or brisket, you can BBQ it low and slow to melt the connecting tissue without drying the meat out. Some cuts are tender and need to be roasted, dry.
For roasts, the best cuts include rib (on the bone or boned and rolled), sirloin, top rump and fillet. For quick cooking, try fillet, entrecôte, rib eye, sirloin or rump steaks.
Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.
It's not really necessary to sear your roast before cooking, but caramelizing the surface gives the cut an incredible depth of flavor, enhanced with the complex layers of nutty caramel and coffee-like bitterness that meat-lovers find delicious.
Roast It. Place roast, fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat.
If your cut of beef weighs over 8 pounds, you should partially cover the meat in the oven at the midpoint of roasting. This will ensure that your roast beef will be as soft and moist as possible to deliver flavorful, juicy bites.
If the meat is left uncovered, removed from its roasting pan, or a hot steak is placed on a cold surface, more heat will transfer into the room and less heat will reach the center of the meat. If too much heat escapes, the meat may grow cold before serving.
Roast without a lid for best browning. Use a thermometer to know when your Oven Roast is done the way you like it. Let roast stand at least 15 minutes after cooking to let juices settle. Carve Oven Roasts into thin slices across the grain.
Roasting involves cooking food in an uncovered pan in the oven. It is a dry cooking technique, as opposed to wet techniques like braising, stewing, or steaming. Dry, hot air surrounds the food, cooking it evenly on all sides.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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