14 September 2009

Sunday Roast

This recipe started with my mom, but we have differing opinions on whether or not to brown the outside of the roast before cooking. She does, I don't. I really don't think it is necessary and I think that the roast is more tender and juicy without browning first. (Sorry, Mom!) The meat comes out of the oven so tender you can practically cut it with a fork.

You will need:

eye of round roast (no substitutions)
salt
pepper
paprika
onion powder
celery salt
garlic salt





The eye of round roast is the most tender of the round roasts or steaks. It's on the opposite side of the tender spectrum from the London Broil. It's also a bit pricier. But supermarkets put it on sale all the time, so keep an eye out for the weekly ads. It's still less than $10 to feed a family of four and have leftovers.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Typically the eye of round comes with a relatively thick layer of fat on the bottom. You can have your butcher trim it for you (and they will, no problem) or do it yourself with a sharp carving knife.



I do it myself. It's not always pretty, but once it is baked you can't tell. :)



No measuring for this part. I just sprinkle on the salt, pepper, paprika, celery salt, and garlic salt.



Now pat or rub the seasonings into the roast. Repeat for all the sides and ends.



And place on a foil-lined cookie sheet with sides or in a roasting pan (although you may have to bake it a bit longer if your roasting pan has deep sides). It makes clean-up so much easier. I use recycled foil.



Place in the oven and turn it down to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 minutes to and hour. I pull my roast out at 45 minutes and stick a digital thermometer in the top. 120°F to 125°F is rare, 130°F to 140°F is medium rare, 145°F to 150°F is medium, and 155°F to 165°F is well done. We like it at about 140.



See how there is barely any juice running from the roast? That's because it is all still inside!

You need to let it rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. If you cut into it right away all the juices will run out and your meat will be very dry. (Remember that it will continue to cook just a bit after taking out of the oven.)



I like to put a few paper towels under the cutting board to catch any run-off. Then I just spear the roast with a large fork and start slicing. Slice as thick or thin as you like! (I use this exact recipe when I make French Dip and just slice the meat very, very thin.)





Absolutely delicious! And did I mention tender? Because it really is--you hardly need a knife at all.



Enjoy!!

1 comment:

MrsLavendula said...

wow! that looks so mouthwatering!!