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If you want to make the perfect oven-roasted beef roast, but have never tried, then now is the time to try. Making roast beef is easy once you know the best roast to buy and the basics on how to season and cook it.
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Roast Beef Tips
- Dry roasting does not involve any water.
- Not all roasts are good for dry roasting.
- Rubs are a good way to season your roast before cooking.
- Round roasts are cooked at a lower temperature than other roasts.
- Cooking times vary based on the cut of meat and desired doneness.
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Step 1: How to Choose a Roast
- If you have never gone to the store to purchase a roast, then you may be surprised and confused at the how many kinds there are.
Chuck
- The chuck section includes part of the neck, shoulder blades, and upper rib area of a steer. This area has a lot of connective tissue. Most chuck and round cuts can be used interchangeably in pot roast recipes, but require some adjustment in cooking times. However, chuck cuts have more fat (which means more flavor).Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts The only chuck roast that is good for dry roasting is the shoulder petite tender roast.
Loin
- The loin is located directly behind the ribs. Because the muscles in this area are used less, the meat tends to be more tender than other areas.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Short Loin
- Tenderloin roast is a more expensive roast that is good for holidays, entertaining and special occasions.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts Roasted, the tenderloin becomes the most tender cut of beef.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Short Loin Unpeeled tenderloins are covered with a thick layer of fat and will cost more than peeled tenderloins.Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts It is also known as the whole filet, filet mignon roast, and tenderloin tip roast.
- Tri-tip roast is a triangle-shaped, moderately priced roast that is good for casual gatherings.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts These roasts have a spongy texture and mild flavor.Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts
Round
- The round is the back section of the steer and is located behind the loin. Round roasts cook longer at a lower temperature (325°F) than other types of roasts.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Roasting Times
- Top round roast is more tender than bottom round roasts but not as tender as rib roasts. It has a rich beefy flavor.Rocky Mountain News: Bone Up on Beef for Perfect Roasts (December 12, 2007) It is a very common choice in supermarkets.Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts
- Bottom round roast is tougher and drier than top round roast.Rocky Mountain News: Bone Up on Beef for Perfect Roasts (December 12, 2007) It can have very little flavor and a rubbery, chewy texture.Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts
- Eye round roast is boneless and can be tough, especially if not moist roasted.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Round It is a moderately priced roast that is good for casual gatherings.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts
- Round tip roast is a moderately priced roast that is good for casual gatherings.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts It is more tender than other round cuts.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Round
- Rump roast is a moderately priced roast that is good for casual gatherings.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts It should be moist-roasted. It may also be called "bottom round rump roast," or "round roast" but should not be confused with "bottom round roast."Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts Standing rump roast still contains the bone.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Round Boneless rump roast may be rolled and tied.RecipeTips.com: Cuts of Beef - Round
Rib
- The rib section only includes ribs 6 through 12. Rib roast is a more expensive roast that is good for holidays, entertaining and special occasions.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Types of Beef Cuts It can be boned or boneless. When choosing, look for a fatty exterior, which usually indicates a well-marbled interior.Rocky Mountain News: Bone Up on Beef for Perfect Roasts (December 12, 2007)
- For information on how to cook rib roasts, check out Mahalo's How to Cook Prime Rib.
Step 2: How to Season the Roast
- Seasoning is optional, but can add additional flavor to your roast. There are two main ways you can season your roast: marinades and rubs. Marinating should be considered for chuck and round roasts.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Beef Marinades and Rubs Otherwise, most roasts can get by with a good rub.
Roast Beef Rubs
- A rub is a mixture of seasonings that is spread over the surface of the roast before cooking.About.com:Rub Recipes It can be dry or wet. Seasonings that you can use include black pepper, basil, thyme, garlic powder, marjoram, lemon pepper and rosemary.Iowa Beef Industry Council: Beef Roast Basics
- Some examples of different roast rubs are listed below:
- FabulousFoods.com: Rosemary Garlic Beef Rib Roast | Italian Roast Beef Dinner | Ribeye Roast | Rosemary Rib Roast
- Beef It's What's For Dinner: Ancho Chili-Rubbed Beef Roast | BBQ-Rubbed Beef Roast | Beef Roast
- Publix: Beef Tri-Tip with Rosemary-Garlic Vegetables
- Cooks.com: Seasoned Roast Beef or Steak
Roast Beef Marinades
- Marinating is done by soaking the meat in a solution that contains an acid, such as citrus juice or vinegar. If you decide you want to marinate your meat, be aware that marinades do not work well on dense meat like roasts.Science of Meat: What Gives Meat its Flavor? However, there are marinade solutions available for pot roast. Some examples include:
- Cooks.com: Barbecued Beef Roast & Marinade | Marinade For Beef Roast
- About.com: Roast Eye of Round Recipe
- Allrecipes: Beef Marinade I
- Recipezaar: Prize Winning Marinade for Beef Recipe
- YouTube Video: Beef Marinades (Time: 3:09)
Step 3: How to Cook the Roast
- Once you have seasoned your roast, you are ready to cook.
- Preheat oven to the proper temperature.
- Place roast, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer so it is in the thickest part of your roast, but not resting in fat or touching bone.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Savor the Flavor of an Oven Roast
- Do not add water or cover.Beef It's What's For Dinner: Savor the Flavor of an Oven Roast
- Cook to your desired doneness level. See the next section for cooking time.
- Remove roast from oven and transfer to a carving board.
- Tent the roast loosely with aluminum foil and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.Iowa Beef Industry Council: Beef Roast Basics
Cooking Times
- Your cooking time and temperature will depend on the cut and size of your roast as well as your desired doneness. For the best results, you will need to use a meat thermometer.
- For rare, cook 9 minutes per pound.RoastingTimes.com: Roasting Times for Meat Warning, it can be risky to consume meat that is not fully cooked.RecipeTips.com: Beef Doneness - Degree of Doneness
- For medium rare, take the roast out when the meat thermometer reads 140°F for a final internal temperature of 145°F after sitting time.The Michigan Beef Industry Commission: Cooking Beef Roasts
- For medium, cook 14 minutes per pound.RoastingTimes.com: Roasting Times for Meat Take the roast out of the oven when the thermometer reaches 155°F for a final internal temperature of 160°F after sitting time.The Michigan Beef Industry Commission: Cooking Beef Roasts
- For medium well, take the roast out of the oven when the temperature reaches 165°F for a final temperature after sitting time of 170°F.RecipeTips.com: Beef Doneness - Degree of Doneness
- For well-done, cook 18 minutes per pound.RoastingTimes.com: Roasting Times for Meat Take the roast out of the oven when the temperature reaches 170°F for a final temperature after sitting time of 175°FRecipeTips.com: Beef Doneness - Degree of Doneness
Variations
- Here are a few ways you can vary your beef roast:
- Place vegetables on a rack around roast before cooking.Publix: Beef Tri-Tip with Rosemary-Garlic Vegetables
- Make small incisions in the roast and insert slivers of garlic before roasting.Simply Recipes: Roast Beef Recipe
- Cook at a lower temperature of 325°F for approximately 30 minutes per pound.Cooks.com: Seasoned Roast Beef or Steak
Conclusion
- Cooking roast beef for dinner not only provides you with a great dinner, but leftovers that you can make into sandwiches. Once you have perfected the basic roast beef, you might want to move on to other recipes such as How to Cook Prime Rib, How to Make Gravy or any of the other pages located in the food how to section.
Introduction
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[[Roast Recipes|Roasts]] are defined as thick cuts of meat that are suitable for roasting. There are two types of roasting: dry and moist. Dry roasting is done in the oven in a shallow open pan or in a covered grill using direct heat.
In general, tender cuts are good for dry roasting and tougher cuts are better for moist roasting.Cook's Illustrated: An Illustrated Guide to Beef Roasts Therefore, you should have an idea of what method you plan
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