Rosy Roast Beef

ROSY ROAST BEEF

One of my favorite things to eat is Roast Beef but it has to be Rosy Pink!!! So often people or deli's improperly prepare what should be a delicious scrumptious piece of meat. The mistake they make is simply misunderstanding convective heat. Convection is simply the transfer of heat from one place to another by movement of fluids. I am often asked how to make a perfect rare roast and of course I am always happy to share my opinions and knowledge.

  
There are varying opinions about the perfect temperature to cook a roast beef at and how long. I am here to tell you most of its bunk. My favorite mythical way of cooking is minutes per pound. I.E Rare 11 min per lb , Medium 14 Min per lb etc etc. Meats  come in different sizes and girths for the minutes per pound to be useful or accurate. 

The best way to tell when meat is done is taking the internal temp of the meat. Here is another bad piece of info.  Several website I have been to have claimed that cooking a piece of meat to an internal temp of 140 F is considered rare, Medium 160 F and Well done is at 175 F. This is wrong too. In my opinion an internal temp of  160 F degrees is well done and 120-125 F is rare. If you go to wikipedia this confirms my opinion.  

TO ROUND

First of all chose the right cut. The right cut for perfect roast beef is top round. It's a lean cut of meat and when cooked properly it makes perfect Roast Beef. Roast beef cold cuts should be tender and flavorful, cut paper thin, and rosy pink throughout.  How do you achieve those types of results at home?  Low and slow is the answer. If you want a Roast Beef that is rosy all the way through it has to be cooked very low and I mean low like 200 degrees. If you were to cook it at 325 or higher you could get a rosy roast beef but only 1/3 or less  would be pink in the center. In addition,  cooking at higher temps increases Carry over cooking which we do not want and will destroy your roast.   

This is what you do. Coat your meat with a very thin layer of oil. Smother it with your favorite spices. That was simple, right? Place your roast on a rack in a roasting pan in a preheated oven and cook at 200 degrees until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 116 degrees. Once the temp is reached take roast out of oven and set aside and turn oven up to 500 degrees and preheat for about 30 minutes or so. I know 116 F is ultra rare but we are not done yet. OK, once the oven preheats return your roast to the oven for about 10 minutes to caramelize the outside.  Note: I prefer a Dry-Brine. If you choose a Dry-Brine technique you should it should sit in the refrigerator for about 3 days covered in your favorite stuff.

 After your meat has rested the internal temp will raise slightly. The hope is not to go over 125 F. An internal temp of 125 F is a very rosy pink Roast Beef.  A technique I use to confront the rising temp is to place roast in a deep freeze ASAP just long enough to stop the rising temp.

If you have a pro-slicing machine you must use it!!!