How do I cook eye round?


 

Dave L.

TVWBB Pro
My wife just dug out a eye round from the freezer for the weekend. How do I cook it? Should I go low and slow or high heat indirect on the weber kettle? Should I put rub on it or marinade it or keep it simple? I could use your help.
 
Since it is not a very fatty piece of meat, I don't think it is a good candidate for low and slow. I would do it at 275-300 or so, maybe a little higher. I would also only cook it to a rare or medium/rare temp. It may be a good idea to sear it on the outside first to retain as much moisture as possible. As for rubs/marinades, it would be personal preference. I would lean towards a combination.


James
 
Dave,

James is correct, the eye of round is a very lean cut of beef, so you wouldn't benefit by going low and slow. I'd do just the opposite; high - 450 - and quick on your kettle. Maybe rub the meat with a little oil and then add thyme, kosher salt and cracked pepper. Sear over high heat and then move to indirect heat till beef is med-rare. Slice thin.
 
Can it be seared with a rub on it? Will it burn the rub?
It certainly can be seared and as far as the rub burning, it depends on what's in the rub and how long you leave it over the direct heat. Avoid sugars. A basic rub with no sugar should hold up fine during the sear.
 
I think Paul has it right on here. I personally think rub benefits from the high heat. I might caution you though, that 450 may be a little high if you like your meat more cooked than rare. If you try to cook it at 450 to a medium temp, I would think the outside would end up pretty charred in the process, but I may be wrong. However, I bet it would be real good at that temp for rare.
 
James, I like my meat medium-rare to medium. I was just looking at some past posts for ideas and I found a couple of marinades. Do you think a marinade would tenderize it a little? If not I'm probably going to use Bone Suckin Rub that my wife bought or just salt and pepper and maybe garlic powder. I'll do what you guys said and sear it first then go indirect until done.
 
James,

It will depend on whether you want the internal finish to be about the same edge-to-edge or if you want a range of doneness. Cooking at a higher temp will give you a progressively more done interior moving from center out; cooking at low temps will give you more even doneness from center out, as one finds with roast beef.

Though low/slow is not at all required for lean beef, cooking at lower temps has merit. First, as just mentioned, it can give you more even doneness from the center of the roast to the exterior; second, a slow come-up in internal temp allows for an enzyme push as the increasing heat increases the activity of natural enzymes in the meat (the same ones that cause tenderness in dry or wet aging). This activity stops as the meat gets warmer (105 for one type of enzyme; around 120 for the other).

The issue with cooking lean cuts, especially, is not to overcook. Cooking lower/slower is an option, not a requirement, but the meat should still not be taken to such an internal that the result will likely be dry.

High heat or low, you can sear first or sear at the finish. You can pan sear, then rub and cook slowly (deglazing the pan and using the result as a base for jus or sauce), or you can rub and cook low (~250), then do a finishing sear over coals, direct, or bump the cooktemp up tp 450+ instead. (I'd suggest not going much past 110/115 internal if doing a finishing sear. Then sear, remembering that you'll get some residual cooking during the rest. Sear just long enough to get good color and to bring the internal up 5-10 degrees depending on your finish internal target.)

If cooking at high heat I'd suggest not going above ~10-12 degrees less than your target as cooking will continue during resting as well.
 
So Kevin, what your saying is I can either sear it first or after the meat is almost done internally. What about a marinade, would that do anything for tenderness. I'm not worried about drying it out because I will take it off the grill long before it's well-done. Could I cook it indirect the whole time without searing it first.
 
Cokk's Illustrated had an interesting article in January on slow-roasting an eye-round that you might find interesting and might work in to the WSM. I've been wanting to try it myself:

IMPROVING CHEAP ROAST BEEF
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, Jan 2008

The best cut for out roast is the eye-round, which has good flavor and tenderness and a uniform shape that assures even cooking. When choosing between the two classic methods for roasting meat—high and fast or low and slow, we found that low temperature was the best and that it was necessary to keep the meat's internal temperature below 122 degrees for as long a time as possible to allow the meat's enzymes to act as natural tenderizers, breaking down its tough connective tissue (this action stops at 122 degrees). Since most ovens' lowest temperature is 200 degrees, and in order to lengthen this tenderizing period, the meat was roasted at 225 degrees (after searing it to give the meat a crusty exterior) and turned off the oven when the roast reached 115 degrees. Thus, the meat stayed below 122 degrees for 30 minutes longer, allowing the enzymes to continue their work before the temperature reached 130 degrees for medium-rare. Salting the meat 24 hours before roasting made it even more tender and seasoned the roast throughout.

SLOW-ROASTED EYE-ROUND BEEF

We don't recommend cooking this roast past medium. Open the oven door as little as possible and remove the roast from the oven while taking its temperature. If the roast has not reached the desired temperature in the time specified in step 3, heat the oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, shut it off, and continue to cook the roast to the desired temperature. For a smaller (2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pound) roast, reduce the amount of kosher salt to 3 teaspoons (1 1/2 teaspoons table salt) and black pepper to 1 1/2 teaspoons. For a 4 1/2- to 6-pound roast, cut in half crosswise before cooking to create 2 smaller roasts. Slice the roast as thinly as possible and serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce (see related recipe), if desired.

Serves 6 to 8

1 boneless eye-round roast (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds) (see note)
4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons ground black pepper


1. Salt the complete roast evenly.. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 18 to 24 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle roast with pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 115 degrees for medium-rare, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, or 125 degrees for medium, 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.

3. Shut down oven; leave roast in oven, without opening door, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for medium, 30 to 50 minutes more. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest 15 minutes. Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve.

STEP BY STEP: The Transformation From Tough to Tender
Along with salting and searing, the key to our eye round's success for a tender, juicy roast is keeping its internal temperature below 122 degrees for as long as possible. Below 122 degrees, the meat's enzymes act as natural tenderizers, breaking down its tough connective tissues.

1. SALT: Salt the roast and allow it to rest for 18 to 24 hours. Salt breaks down proteins to improve texture.
2. SEAR: Sear the meat in a hot pan before roasting. While this won't affect tenderness, it will boost flavor.
3. OVEN ON: Cook the meat in an oven set to 225 degrees and open the door as infrequently as possible.
4. OVEN OFF: When the roast reaches 115 degrees, turn off oven and continue to cook the roast as the oven cools.

HORSERADISH SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk cream until thickened but not yet at the soft-peak stage, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold in horseradish, salt, and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.
 
The CI article makes sense (though I'd want more than salt and pepper!) but it is often easier when cooking outside to milk the come-up time, drawing it out, rather than to drop the temp of a kettle or smoker (shutting the vents doesn't always allow for a quick enough drop in temp but it can work).

One can cook even lower. Temps of 200-250 are common in restaurant kitchens (200 is used a lot for prime rib). 250--lid temp--outside, works for me.

Salting early, as shown, works as a dry brine (the meat exudes moisture due to the salt then re-absorbs much of the moisture along with the salt, seasoning the meat; protein breakdown isn't always all that substantial as it varies based on meat type). It can be worth doing if there is time. It is not worth trying if time isn't available as a shorter duration (imo, shorter than 18 hours for thinner roasts, 24 for thicker) can actually make the roast less moist.

I have seared in oil before moving outside and I have cooked slowly and done a finishing sear. Both work although one can milk a slower rise in the meat's temp by doing a finishing sear. I do whatever seems to be most convenient for that dinner or the roast's size (it's easier to pan-sear a large roast at the beginning). Yes, Dave, you can cook the whole time without searing first, then sear at finish (I sometimes spritz with oil and apply a little more rub if it looks necessary, before the finishing sear). Oil before cooking, regardless, as Paul notes.

Marinades can work if the acid balance is right. Too much or too much time and the exterior of the meat gets mushy; too little or too little time and there is little penetration of flavor. I think of them much more as flavoring techniques, not as tenderizers. Whether to marinate, to me, is based on the flavor result I'm looking for.
 
That's interesting Rita. They say to salt the meat for 24hrs. If that's the case, why can't I brine it with herbs and spices? To me that is the same thing. Now I really don't know what to do.
 
You can. You can mix the herbs and spices with the salt, rub, wrap and fridge as noted.

If you make a wet brine (a salted water mix) the meat will often turn gray in color.
 
Is the taste affected because the meat is gray? I think my wife would have a heart attack if she saw gray meat
icon_eek.gif
. Maybe I should stick with a dry rub.
 
Ya, gray eye round isn't a pleasant thought. I do an eye round simply by throwing some spices on it and grilling indirect at 350-400. No brine, no marinade. I tend to sear at the end. Pull at no later than rare, because otherwise it can be chewy if not down right tough. If rare, IMO, it's a tasty piece of meat.
 
About what temperature is rare? I actually like my meat rare to medium-rare. I know if I take it off rare it will continue to cook a little more while resting so what temperature should I take it off?
 
Well, the USDA gives temp ranges that are utter nonsense (10-15 degrees higher than any others you'll find). You could use those...

or, dealing in reality, you could go a different route. It should be noted that meat designations (rare, med-rare, etc.) aren't in actuality temp designations--they are designations based on internal appearance. The temps (or temp ranges) that are attached to them are temps that usually correlate with the appearance. These temps can vary based on thickness of the meat and, sometimes, based on the type of meat or the method of cooking.

With that in mind:

~120 (range: 120-125) - rare

~130 (range: 126-134) - medium-rare*

~140 (range: 135-145) - medium*

~155 (range: 150-155) - medium-well

* the ends of the range are designated by some diners, e.g., 'the rare side of medium-rare' or 'I want my steak medium-rare/medium'

It should be noted that the above corresponds to what probably most of us who have cooked for a long time think. In more recent years there has been a trend toward more done finishes without a corresponding change of designation. In other words, what many think of as, say, medium-rare is what I (and many others I know) consider more like medium-rare/medium.

So, while I can kind of sort of answer your question with the above, I don't know specifically what you consider rare to medium-rare. In my book it would be around 127 to perhaps as high as 130. You do get residual cooking once the meat is removed but less of it if you've cooked at a low temp, more if cooked higher (or if you did a finishing sear).

If planning on a high heat cook or if planning on a finishing sear, I'd suggest cooking to ~115 then doing the sear, then resting. I would cook to the same temp if doing a high heat cook. If doing a sear-first then low/slow I'd likely cook to 120-122 before removing to rest.
 
I just saw this post, even though it's old. As it happens I made the CI recipe 2 days ago for the first time. It was outstanding, one of the best roasts i have eaten. The only thing I will change next time is a quick sear on a super hot grill and into the smoker over some oak until it reaches 115 deg. Into the oven that has been preheated to 225 and turned off until reaching 130 deg.
 

 

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