Help with roast beef

[kwormann]

Ok. I admit it...I am a beef virgin. I only like lean ground beef and deli sliced roast beef. However, as I read I should eat some lean red meat, I wonder about the making the kind I like, roast beef.

Now, my mom used to make pot roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots... one of my biggest nightmares from childhood, so I am not talking about that. What I want to know is what cut to buy to make roast beef, and how to cook it to make it tasty (we like food with LOTS of flavor).

Any thoughts? I searched past posts, but didnt find roast beef. Thanks in advance http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Kim

[Ohioan]

Kim - I always used to use an eye round roast for roast beef. Rub it all over with minced garlic (or even garlic powder, if you don't like mincing), put it on a rack in a roasting pan, and stick it in the oven at 400F until your meat thermometer registers the degree of doneness that you want. After you take the roast out of the oven, let it "rest" for about 5 minutes before you slice it, so the juices will get reabsorbed back into the meat. And there you go -- simple and yummy. You can also add crushed black pepper to the garlic rub, if you like.

I know I've waffled on the roasting time, but I never really timed or thermometered my roasts (hey, I just invented a new word!). I just kind of eyeballed, sniffed, and prodded. Can anyone here help with the correct internal temperatures for the different donenesses? (Hmm, I think I've just invented yet another new word. I'm on a roll.)

Cheers,
Phoebe the Vegetarian who no longer does this stuff. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Beth]

We roast on the grill a lot, but in the oven, I usually preheat to 400 and turn it down to 325 when I put the meat in. Julia Child's Way to Cook has the following temps (measured at the center of the largest end):

120 rosy rare
125-130 medium rare
140 medium/pinky gray

Cooking times will vary by the cut, size and shape of the meat. I think you have a Randall's near you, and their butcher should be able to help. I have used eye of round and others. Get choice or angus if possible. Select grade will be tougher and not have as good a flavor.

I usually use pepper, garlic and other seasoning depending on my mood. Panzey's has some roast beef seasoning, and my mom has alway's used seasoned salt.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 12-17-2000).]

[cookingmonkey]

I make little slits in the eye round, then slice some garlic cloves and put them in the slits. Then I apply a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper and roast until it registers Med.( about 140). This is the way my mom does it and my SO claims that "I make a mean roast" . Hope this helps.

[Dixie Mattocks]

I don't cook lots of roast beef because I have found that to cook a good roast beef, I have to start with a very large piece of meat.
My mother only uses Standing Rib. You can't beat the flavor, but most of us aren't willing to eat that much fat. Sirlon tip is good but you have to start with a piece of meat big enough to roast and lots of the ones you see in the stores aren't going to work.

Preheat oven to 400.
cover meat all over with salt( more than you think you need) and minced garlic(I use the dried kind)
Put in oven. Turn down temp to 325
roast 20-25 mintes per lb

[slknight]

I made the pepper-crusted beef tenderloin from the October issue for our supper club. It was very easy, and really delicious. Beef tenderloin is a great cut of meat to roast. The only problem is that it is VERY expensive. I would definitely recommend trying it for a special occasion though. If you need the recipe, I'll post it.

-Susan

[kwormann]

Thanks Susan..I would love that one also http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Kim

[slknight]

Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce (Oct 2000 CL)

1 (4-pound) beef tenderloin
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
3 tbl dry breadcrumbs
3 tbl minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbl prepared horseradish
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce


1) Preheat oven to 400.
2) Trim fat from tenderloin; fold under 3 inches of small end. Rub the tenderloin with oil. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Rub the tenderloin with crumb mixture; coat with cooking spray. Place tenderloin on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of tenderloin. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Increase oven temp to 425 (do not remove roast from oven). Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the thermometer registers 140 (medium-rare) to 155 (medium). Place the tenderloin on a platter, and cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes for tenderloin to reabsorb juices. (Temperature of roast will increase 5 degrees upon standing).
3) Combine 1/4 tsp salt, the sour cream, and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with the beef.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3 oz beef and 1 tbl horseradish sauce).

Cal: 195 (39% from fat); FAT 8.4 g (sat 3.2 g, mono 3.4 g, poly 0.4 g); PROTEIM 25.3 g; CARB 2.4 g; FIBER 0.2g; CHOL 71 mg; IRON 3.2 mg; SODIUM 193 mg; CALC 12 mg.


I have not tried the horseradish sauce. However, the beef was excellent. You will want to check with your grocery store about getting the beef. The first place (a small local store) told me they would have to order a tenderloin that size and that it would be $12.99 a pound!!! I found it in stock at a local butchery for only 7.99 a pound. Your store may have it in stock, but it's worth checking ahead of time so you don't plan on making it for dinner and then can't find it.

Enjoy.

-Susan

[Cindy Rafferty]

Thank you so much for all of this information. My parents are coming for Christmas, and I am doing a roast, something I don't do just for my family as we aren't big beef eaters.

Once again, I've gotten the information I need to go shopping and cooking!

Happy Holidays to all of you!!!1 Cindy.

[NancyC3]

I also made the tenderloin from the October issue and had a funny story to share. I was browsing the meat section at the local grocery store and couldn't find the beef tenderloin cut I was looking for. Having made pork tenderloin on many occasions I just figured the price range would be relatively similar http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/confused.gif. After not finding what I wanted I asked the butcher for the cut of meat. He quickly and readily cut the meat exactly to my specifications, handed me the package and I was on my way. Only when I got to the checkout did I realize my meat purchase was going to cost me $25.00!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif I was too embarassed to put it back. DH has no idea how much that roast cost. He liked it, but didn't rave as he usually does about some of my other dishes. Might make it again some day, since it was very easy! Oh well. Champagne taste on mac and cheese budget!

[pipely]

Dear SLKnight, and those of you who have done a beef tenderloin. I'm anxious to try the beef tenderloin like you suggest and the recipes sounds wonderful. Did you find that the 4lb. roast actually serves 16 people? There will be thirteen of us, but they will all be adults (and teenage boys love roast beef) I'm always afraid to not have enough. What do you think? Most cookbooks say that a roast without bones will serve 4-5 persons per lb. Thanks

[SandyM]

Pipely, I'm with you. I'm always nervous about having not enough food.

I've done tenderloin many different ways, and the good thing about it, if this knocks you out at all, is that it makes really good cold sandwiches if there is any left over.

[slknight]

Pipely and others interested in how much the tenderloin really serves:

The one I made was just slightly under 4 pounds, I think around 3.8. They say it serves 16 which would be 4 oz a person. Now I know that 4 oz. is what is considered a serving size, but for teenage boys, I'm not so sure. We had 7 people at our supper club and we did have some leftovers, but we also had a lot of other food we were busy trying. I'm not sure we had as much left as we "should" have if we were truly only having 4 oz. servings. SandyM is right; it is really excellent cold. When in doubt, I think I would err on the side of having too much, but that's just my .02. Although with the price of tenderloin, maybe my opinion should be my $2.00!