Eye Round Roast, Cooked Low So It Stays Tender

An eye round roast rewards a gentle hand. Salt it the night before, roast it low at 250 degrees until the center is just short of your target, sear it quickly, rest it, and slice it as thin as you can. Cooked that way, this lean roast is tender and evenly cooked from edge to edge, with only a thin brown crust.

The eye of round is a long, narrow muscle from the round, the back leg. It is about the shape of a tenderloin but much leaner and harder working. It has very little marbling and not much fat on the outside, so it does not forgive high heat or long cooking. What it does have is clean, mild beef flavor and an even shape that roasts very evenly when the oven is low.

At a glance: serves 8. Prep 10 minutes, salt at least 8 hours, roast about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, sear 8 minutes, rest 15 minutes.

Gray Shipley, who runs the farm, was describing what he hopes to see more of when he said this:

“learning to cook again, learning to cook at home again, learning what to do with a, with a roast”

Gray Shipley

An eye round is a good roast to learn on. It needs a low oven, a thermometer and a sharp knife more than it needs skill, and it has one clear rule: take it out on time.

Ingredients

• 1 eye round roast, about 3 pounds
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon per pound
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish or horseradish sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. The night before, pat the roast dry and season it all over with the salt. Set it on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 8 hours and up to 24.
2. Take the roast out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 250 degrees with a rack in the center.
3. Mix the pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Rub the roast with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then press the seasoning onto every side.
4. Set the roast on a rack in a roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan and push an oven-safe probe thermometer into the center of the thickest part. Roast until the center reads 120 to 125 degrees F for a finish of about 130 to 135, or 135 to 140 degrees F for a finish at the FSIS minimum of 145 degrees F. For a 3-pound roast this usually takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the roast on all sides, turning it every minute or so, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes in all. If you like, add the butter for the last minute and spoon it over the roast.
6. Move the roast to a board, cover it loosely with foil and rest it for 15 minutes. Check the center again before slicing. If it is short of your target, return it to the oven for a few minutes.
7. Slice the roast across the grain as thin as you can, about 1/8 inch. Serve it warm with horseradish, or chill it whole for sandwiches.

Add 1 eye round roast to cart

Why eye round needs a low oven

In a hot oven, the outside of a roast cooks much faster than the center. A well-marbled cut can take that, because melting fat keeps the outer layers moist. Eye round has almost no fat to help, so by the time the middle reaches medium rare in an oven at 400 degrees, the outer inch is gray and dry. At 250 degrees the heat moves in slowly and evenly, the band of overcooked meat under the crust stays thin, and the roast loses less juice.

Salting the night before helps too. The salt draws out a little moisture, dissolves in it, and is drawn back into the meat, seasoning it below the surface. Leaving the roast uncovered in the fridge dries the outside, so the sear browns quickly instead of steaming.

What temperature to cook eye round to

Eye round is a cut to cook to a number. It does not get more tender with extra time the way a chuck roast does, because it has little of the connective tissue that softens in a long braise. It only gets drier. Many cooks take it to 130 to 135 degrees F for medium rare. That is below the FSIS figure of 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest, and the choice is yours. At 145 it is cooked to medium and still tender when sliced thin. Past about 150 it turns tight and dry.

How long to cook an eye round roast

Because an eye round is a long, even cylinder, its thickness matters more than its weight. A roast about 3 inches across, at 250 degrees, usually reaches 125 degrees F in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. A heavier roast is mostly longer rather than thicker, so it takes only a little more time. Start checking 30 minutes before you expect it to be done, and leave slack in your timing. A finished roast waits happily under foil for half an hour; an underdone one will not hurry.

Slicing it thin, and roast beef sandwiches

Thin slices are what make eye round tender on the plate, so use your longest, sharpest knife. For the thinnest slices of all, chill the cooked roast whole overnight and slice it cold. Firm, cold meat cuts far more cleanly than warm. Cold eye round piled on rye with horseradish and a little mustard is one of the best things this roast does, and the same roast scales up well for a crowd.

If you want the slices warm the next day, heat them briefly in simmering beef broth rather than reheating the whole roast, which only cooks it further. FSIS lists 165 degrees F for reheated leftovers.

Food safety

USDA FSIS lists 145 degrees F, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes, as the safe minimum internal temperature for beef roasts. Check it with an instant-read thermometer in the center of the thickest part. Keep raw meat away from food that will not be cooked, refrigerate leftovers promptly, and reheat cooked leftovers to 165 degrees F. See the FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.