Now, there’s nothing that says “I’m an adult” more than cooking yourself a roast beef. I mean- who does that besides moms and grandmas? Not any young adult I know! While cooking a roast beef can be a bit daunting, it is actually really easy as the oven does most of the work. Just follow these four tricks and you will have a nice, juicy roast- perfect for Sunday suppers!
The first trick is to take the roast beef out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you want to cook it. Allowing the roast to warm up to room temperature ensures that it cooks much more evenly throughout. If the center of the roast is still cold, then it won’t cook evenly, leaving you with an overcooked outside and a rare middle.
The second trick is to sear the roast before baking in the oven. After rubbing the beef with olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper and dried rosemary, and stuffing it with garlic, I use a well-seasoned cast iron pan to sear the roast on all sides. Searing the roast on a high-heat helps the seal in the juices of the roast and adds loads of delicious caramelized flavour as well.
The third trick is to make sure you don’t overcook the roast. There is nothing worse than cutting into the roast and having it be tough and overcooked. Even if you smother it in all the gravy in the world, it will still be bland AF. To ensure you get a nice juicy roast beef, invest in a meat thermometer (you can buy them super cheap on Amazon) so that you now that the meat is cooked perfectly. When a roast is medium-rare, it should reach an internal temperature of 140ºF. But don’t cook it all the way to 140ºF in the oven! Follow the next tip for a nice medium-rare roast.
This final rule applies to all meats that are cooked in the oven: let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. You have done all this work to make sure that you will have a nice and juicy roast, so don’t ruin it now! Letting the roast rest allows the meat to cool down and finish cooking without direct heat from the oven which lets the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, creating a juicier roast when sliced. Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 135ºF. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. The roast will continue to cook and will reach 140ºF on its own.
And there you have it! That wasn’t too hard right? With these simple tips and tricks, you too can make a beautiful roast beef at home!
Try my recipe for Rosemary Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce here!
