Beef Roasts

Updated on January 17, 2011
E.G. asks from Canton, GA
19 answers

I envy those pictures of beef roasts that are so silky-soft when the cook prepares them. It looks like she can run an electric knife through it and the slices come out so beautifully. It looks like you can make sandwiches or gyros or all sorts of other things with it.

Problem is, each time I try to prepare a beef roast, it comes out with the consistency of a hockey puck. Anyone out there have that problem?

What cuts are the best for these sorts of uses? What marinades? What oven temperature?

HELP!

Thanks Mamas!

E.

1 mom found this helpful

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T.C.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Go here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/01/2008_the_year_...
and do exactly what she says. Perfect every single time! And, use chuck roasts. They are the best!

Updated

Go here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/01/2008_the_year_...
and do exactly what she says. Perfect every single time! And, use chuck roasts. They are the best!

1 mom found this helpful
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B.

answers from Augusta on

cook it in a crock pot really slowly.
I usually put in lipton soup mix, potatoes , carrots, pearl onions .
Just throw it all in and let it cook either over night or all day and over night on low it will fall apart before you get it out of the pot.

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A.B.

answers from Atlanta on

buy a Sirloin Tip Roast

season on all sides with Lowrey's Seasoning Salt
coat in flour on all sides
pour a little oil into a skillet and fry both sides on medium high temperature until browned (about 5-7 minutes)
put it in a deep pot with lid and add
one packet Lipton onion soup mix
two cans of Campbell's golden mushroom soup, plus 3 cans of water

Cook on 350 degrees with the lid on for 4 hours. Take it out of the oven and add choopped Vidalia or sweet onions, baby carrots, and new potatos with the skin on.

Put it back in the oven on 350 for one and a half more hours.

It will be "fall apart" tender and have a lot of delicious gravy for slurping.

We had this for dinner tonight and there's not a bit left over. Everyone tells me that my pot roasts are the best, but I can't take credit. This was my Nana's recipe.

4 moms found this helpful
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L.M.

answers from New York on

A lot has to do with the quality/cut of meat you buy. Those pictures you see are probably tenderlion or rib roasts.

We never use a marinade. Just season it up very well on all sides, add some water to the bottom of the roasting pan, place the roast fatty side up. Bake/roast at 325.

One big mistake that many people make is cooking the roast until it is done until the wellness level they prefer. Roast will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. We like ours medium rare, so we take it out when it's very rare and let it sit. You may want to invest in a meat thermometer.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

hi,
I always buy a Rump Roast and they have these roasting bags that have the seasoning with them you can find them where you find the seasonings for taco's and stuff like that. just follow the directions i let mine sit for as long as in can at least 30min then cook at 375 for 2 hours. try it you'll love it. good luck :)

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

s.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Tender cuts that can be roasted in the oven without water come from parts of the animal that they don't use as much. Tender cuts come from the ribs for example. Anything labeled chuck is the most tough. Rump roast is tough. Roasts that are made from the round is in the middle but still needs moist heat. You can always ask the butcher.

And most basic cook books have diagrams.

Your roasts are probably hard and difficult to slice because you've cooked them for too long and with a more tough cut, not used moisture.

It's the acid in marinades that can somewhat tenderize cuts of meat. The cut does have to be in the marinade for an extended period of time. The amount of time depends on how thick the cut is. I doubt that a whole roast would benefit from marinade as a tenderizer but the marinade would add flavor.

The temperature varies. I rely on a cookbook for temperature because I rarely cook a roast. Some say a low temperature such as 275 for a longer period of time helps with tenderness. I don't know. You need a meat thermometer no matter what temperature you use.
Luvmywonderfullife gave you a couple of great recipes.

Later: I think J.L. is talking about roasting a tender cut of meat in dry heat in the oven without moisture on the meat its self. A wet roast would be one that is meant for a pot roast; a less tender cut that needs the moisture to help tenderize it. The two ways of roasting result in different tastes. However, one cannot dry roast a cut such as chuck and have a tender piece of meat.

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T.N.

answers from Albany on

Tenderloin, cannot go wrong.
Course you still need to slice against the grain
Wait at least 20 minutes to cut into it after it comes out (I wait a half hour or more)
And seer it in a very hot pot to really brown all sides before it goes in the oven
Lots and lots of salt and pepper, rubbed into the meat before seering

:)

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B.B.

answers from Augusta on

The crock pot is the way to go. I stick the roast in with the spices I want, some water, a bunch of burgundy wine, and of course whatever veggies I want. Then I just leave it to perfume the whole house all day (torture, yes, but well-worth it!)

1 mom found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi E.,
I know you're asking for oven roasts but if I can encourage you at all to get out your crock pot and try it, you will never go back to the oven again! Not for roasts anyway!
It is so easy, throw it in the crock pot, add the veggies you want along with the seasonings you like, and some liquid (water or beef stock) and 4 hours later VOILA you have a beautiful tender roast! Enjoy.
There definately are different variations of this, but I've used almost every cut of meat out there (even london broil) in the crock pot and they've all turned out perfectly. You can look up different recipes online for specifics.
Good luck!

Regarding a roast in the crock pot being "wet", it's not. You take it out and let it rest before slicing it just like any other meat. I've never had a "wet" roast out of the crock pot such as what J L. mentioned. I do agree about coffee flavor in a roast, I actually add some coffee in with my beef broth when I put it in the crock pot.

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A.S.

answers from Atlanta on

We use chuck roasts for everything...make sure it has a good marble of fat going through it as this will keep the meat moist while roasting it.
When putting in the roasting pan if you put a layer of onions on the bottom and a little water this will also help with the moisture.
Cook at low temp (325) and cook for approximately an hour per pound.
Remove the meat before it is exactly the doneness you want and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing. It will still be cooking after you remove it from the oven.

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S.E.

answers from La Crosse on

The secret to a tender roast is to buy any roast that has "chuck" in the title, and cook it slowly. They are SUPER easy with a crock pot.

Take a Chuck roast (any size - I sometimes do two for leftovers for soup - add with any leftover veggies from meals, can of tomato paste, and Bear Creek Ministrone soup mix, and 8 cups water - makes a wonderful beef vegetable soup though may need a little salt and pepper)
Sprinkle it liberaly with Lowrey's Season Salt and some fresh ground pepper (a little less pepper)
Add potatoes quartered
Add carrots quartered
Add a few onions quartered
And a few cloves of garlic
Make sure everything is "mostly" covered with water
Put in crockpot on low in the morning...evening you will have an amazingly easy, super tender roast...The key is cooking slow and making sure you use a chuck roast of some sort.

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S.A.

answers from Atlanta on

Hello, I know it's hard finding the perfect recipe, right? I buy a regular beef roast and I have three ways and all come out great. First one, buy the McKormicks seasoning for Beef Roast, it comes with seasoning and a bag to cook it in. Bonus; recipe ideas on the back. Two, season to your liking
and add water and/or beef broth to the the pan, cover and bake 350. Three, use the good ole' crock pot. If you have the day, start on low add seasonings of your own or from McKormicks. Also, instead of water use beef broth. Then, you can turn it on high maybe an hour or so before you're ready to eat. When using the bag cook according to the package. When you take it out and slice it, you'll know if it's done or not. If not, place the slice pieces back in the baking dish and pour the juices over and continue baking for a little bit more. You can prepare your sides. Crock pot, take it out and slice down the middle. Place back if not to your liking. Baking, same as from the bag. On the roasts themselves the baking instructions are on there in terms of baking per pounds. Every oven is different, you may need a little less time or a little more. Hope this helps and happy roasting!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

You gotta go by temperature.... so it does not get over cooked and all dry and hard.
Do you have a meat thermometer?
If not, get one.

1 mom found this helpful

I.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Slow cooker beef comes out best every time!

Pop some onions, mushrooms and carrots in the bottom, beef on top, 1 cup deep red wine (South African is best!) and 1/2 cup beef or veg stock, bay leaf, pepper, rosemary, etc. Low for 10 hrs, melt in your mouth!

1 mom found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Stockton on

are you wanting to make roast sandwiches or pot roast with potatoes and carrots and stuff?

for sandwiches I use an "eye of round" roast - you can get this in the meat department, but sometimes I have to ask the butcher for the roast instead of the steak. Just ask if you don't see one and they can tell you where it is or get one from the back! So you take this meat and you put some butter or oil in a pan and get it hot - coat your roast in garlic salt - a whole bunch of it, and brown it on all sides. Then add a little bit of water, turn it down to 2 put a lid on it and let it cook - check it every once in a while to make sure that the water isn't completely gone if it is, add a little bit more - this takes about 45 minutes to an hour. I use this for my french dip sandwiches - use a packet of au jus - make it in a different pan, and then pour it into the pan that you cooked your roast in and "deglaze" the pan and get all the good little bits out of it - makes killer French Dip Sandwiches that way!!

For Roast and potatoes, get a 7 bone boneless roast and do the same thing to brown it - then stick it in the crock pot on low with a little bit of water - add the potatoes and carrots and let it cook all day in the crock pot - it will fall apart when you eat it!

Good Luck!!

1 mom found this helpful
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H.S.

answers from Savannah on

You are not alone. I have exactly the same issues!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

While I agree that you almost CANNOT mess up any roast in a crock pot, if you do cook in the oven--LOW and SLOW (low heat, many hours) yields the best result.

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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

You've gotten some great advice. My family honestly prefers the roast cooked in the oven to the slow cooker, I don't know why. Perhaps it's because we didn't let it rest, as one poster recommended, first? Do remember that the roast does continue to cook so you don't want it cooked all the way to "well done" before you take it out, because it will be dry jerky on the inside later in the evening, and leftovers have to be fed to the dog. Your better cuts of meat are obviously better (ask the butcher about things like that--I did, and he was very happy to help me, or probably a Better Homes and Gardens book has info on that in the front because it seems that book has everything in it), low and slow, but cutting against the grain is very important too. When first married, I knew little about cooking and my husband had to teach me that by showing me cuts that were sliced with the grain and against. It actually does make a difference! Fat side up helps, and then turn it over before serving for the pretty presentation. (I do this with fish too---start with vein side up and then when I flip it once and take it out of the oven, it's on the "pretty side").

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