Eye Of Round Roast Recipe – More Momma! (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook eye of the round so it is not tough? ›

This cut of beef is tougher than others, so following a steak recipe and using cooking methods that allow for long, slow cooking times work best for eye of round steak. Slow-cooking, braising, and cooking sous vide are some of the best cooking methods for eye of round steak.

Eye of round is a lean muscle that is part of the primal beef round—the upper hind leg of the beef. Being a leg, most of the round is very tough, which makes it great for stewing, but the eye of round is relatively tender. It often comes with a fat cap, but may come trimmed bare.

Because the leg meat has been toughened by exercise, it is full of connective tissue, and is less tender than other cuts of beef. Marinating the meat for 30 minutes prior to cooking helps to break down this tissue; not overcooking the meat is also key, so keeping to a doneness of medium-rare is ideal.

Test the eye of round roast for doneness with a meat thermometer, and remove when the internal temperature reaches 130°F to 135°F. If overcooked it becomes tough and dry. Tent the roast pan in foil to keep warm (with beef drippings), and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Preheat oven to 450°F232°C. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 325°F163°C. Cook approximately 70 minutes, until roast reaches medium rare (125-130°F52-55°C).

Bake, tightly covered, at 325 degrees for 3 hours and 30 minutes or until tender.

Eye of round, a simple boneless beef roast, is what's called a “whole muscle” cut of beef. It's one of the best cuts for sandwiches with gravy or for making Beef Wellington….and leftovers, too. Whether you're cooking eye of round with a slow cooker, InstaPot (Instant Pot), or your oven, this roast is delicious.

Shank. Shank is arguably the toughest, cheapest cut of beef. Located in front of the brisket at the cow's forearm, this beef cut is notable for its sinewy dryness. Due to its lack of popularity, shank is not typically found in retail stores.

Essential Tips for a Tender Top Round Roast

More specifically, we mean to cook it using low heat and over a long period, both of which work together to break down fat and tenderize the meat. If you cook it too fast, the natural tenderization process won't have time to work its magic.

This extremely lean cut is shaped similar to a Tenderloin, but is much less tender. It's often packaged as a roast or steaks, but can be fabricated into Stew Meat or Cubed Steak. An elongated muscle located in the center of the Round, thus the name “Eye.”

How to tenderize a round roast? ›

Pound it out.

Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. One of the easiest — and cleanest — ways to do this is to sandwich the meat between a couple pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it before cooking.

If not cooked correctly, real lean beef steak can be tough eating, for sure. But even steaks cut from the Eye of Round Roast can be real tender and juicy.

When roasting meat and poultry, set the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) or higher. Explore the charts below to learn how to get great results every time you cook.

5. Place roast fat side up / bone side down on the rack. Placing your roast fat side up lets the fat melt and flow down, moistening the meat as it cooks. There are debates on whether the fat would be enough to baste the lean meat as it melts down, but it makes the surface crispier.

Because round roast is cut from the hind legs of the animal where muscles are worked a great deal, the meat is very lean and tough. This means that it needs to be slow-cooked so that the beef is enjoyable and not too chewy. A round roast is popularly used for serving deli roast beef; cut into very thin slices.

Brining is the secret to a tender and juicy eye of round roast. The overnight soak infuses flavor and keeps moisture in while roasting.

This extremely lean cut is shaped similar to a Tenderloin, but is much less tender. It's often packaged as a roast or steaks, but can be fabricated into Stew Meat or Cubed Steak.