How to Make Roast Beef
Do you want to know how to make roast beef? Smart move. A perfect roast beef is a thing of beauty. It's simple, economical, and delicious. Roast beef is great for sandwiches, or throw together some sort of mustardy-horseradishy concoction and serve it to your friends instead of prime rib. One eye round is great for a family of four for one meal plus a couple of days of leftovers for sandwiches. Roast beef should last for about five days in the refrigerator -- the meat will still be delicious and safe to eat, though it won't look as perfect as it did on day one. As much as we're fans of frozen meat, we don't recommend freezing roast beef as it will dry out considerably and look unappetizing. Here's our roast beef recipe from The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat.
1 (3- to 5-pound) eye round cleaned of silver skin, fat, and sinew
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
6 (2-inch) marrow bones
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into thin pats
1/2 cup beef or chicken stock (preferably homemade) or white wine
A crusty baguette
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Tie the eye round with butcher's twine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large roasting pan set over high heat, heat the oil until it's almost smoking. Sear the roast on all sides until it has a good brown crust, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to a plate and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Settle the bones among the onion and garlic, arranging them into a rack. Put the roast on top of the bones and onion, then scatter the butter pats over the top of the meat. Add stock or wine to the bottom of the pan, making sure that the liquid does not cover the bones.
Transfer the basting pan to the oven and cook for 35 minutes, basting every 15 minutes or so with the pan juices and the stock.
The roast is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 120 degrees F for medium-rare. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. The roast can be served hot or at room temperature. Spread the marrow from the bones on bread to accompany the meal.
Serves 4 with leftovers -- which of course you will want.
