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…
The Chateaubriand beef tenderloin roast is considered to be the most tender cut of beef for a roast. This cut of beef comes from the loin area of the cow, which is right below the backbone, behind the rib section and in front of the sirloin section.
Information. Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is burgundy or purplish in color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red. After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown.
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.
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.
The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.
A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.
Myoglobin breaks down during cooking and causes meat to be brownish in color when cooked to well done (170+ F). Meat at lower degrees of doneness such as rare (140 F) and medium rare (145 F) has not fully denatured and still provides some red or pinkish red color to the cooked meat.
When exposed to air, myoglobin forms the pigment, oxymyoglobin, which gives meat a pleasingly cherry-red color. The use of a plastic wrap that allows oxygen to pass through it helps ensure that the cut meats will retain this bright red color.
These same nitrates can bind to proteins in meat, preventing them from releasing oxygen molecules as they normally would during the cooking process. As a result, the proteins remain oxygenized and maintain a red or pink color even when the meat is fully cooked.
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.
To give your meat a flavourful crispy exterior, cook uncovered on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan. Don't add water! Invest in a digital thermometer that lets you monitor the temperature of your roast – or even alert you when it's done – without opening the oven door.
Do you cover roast beef when cooking? You should cover a beef roast with kitchen foil for at least part of the cooking time. This stops the roast beef from drying out too much during cooking.
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.
If you're out in the grocery store, look for cuts with "Chuck," "Shoulder," "Rump," or "Round" in the name. Next, notice the quantity of white fat. Remember, fat = tenderness and moisture. Lean roasts with less fat will shine in recipes with extra moisture/liquid added, especially in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.
Use a moist cooking environment: Add broth to the pot roast to create and cover with a lid or foil to trap in steam and moisture to prevent the meat from drying out. Cook long enough: If your chuck roast isn't as tender as you like, cook until tender!
While both are large, tough cuts of budget-friendly beef, the main difference that sets these two roasts apart is where on the animal they're cut from. Top round roast is cut from the rear leg and is more lean than chuck roast, which is cut from the shoulder and contains more fat.
Bottom Round Roast: Roasts from the bottom round. A bit tough and best suited as corned beef or pot roast. This is called beef silverside in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Eye Round Roast/Steak or Eye of the Round: A boneless roast that looks like tenderloin, but it is much tougher.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.