The most visited recipe on this blog, by a long shot, is my old Perfect Eye of Round Roast recipe. It’s been read over 1.7 million times, which is pretty crazy. The recipe is unique because you basically blast the roast with a high heat for a while, then shut the oven off completely for a couple hours while you watch Netflix, build a snowman, fume at Twitter, or whatever else people do with their free time.
Last week, the old post celebrated its sixth birthday, so I figured it’s time for a bit of an update. In place of shutting the oven off completely, we’ll just reduce the heat to 170F, which will give you the freedom to check the roast’s temperature periodically with an instant-read thermometer to make sure you pull it out of the oven right when it’s ready. I also like to pair my roast with a wine sauce reduction, so I’ve included that as well.
This recipe is adapted from the one I used in my first cookbook, The Ancestral Table, which in turn was an updated version of my old blog post (we’re almost getting into Inception levels of cross-reference here). Fun fact: the photos from this post are actually from that original photo session from The Ancestral Table, back in March of 2013. They still hold up pretty well!
Eye of Round Roast with Wine Sauce (Gluten-free, Paleo, Primal, Perfect Health Diet, Whole30-friendly)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3-4 lbs eye of round, bottom round, or rump roast
2 tbsp red wine (see note below for Whole30)
1/4 cup chicken or beef stock
1. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl. Pat the roast dry with paper towels; rub the seasoning mixture all over the roast, then let it sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Place the roast on a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet, fatty side up, and roast for 7 minutes per pound. Reduce the heat to 170F and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135-140°F, about 1 hour. This process will create a roast that is dark brown and crusty on the outside and pink in the middle. Start checking the roast’s internal temperature with a quick-read thermometer at the 30-minute mark, and every 15 minutes after that. Use these temperatures to gauge the roast’s doneness (for best results, cook no longer than medium):
• 125F = rare
• 130F = medium-rare
• 135F = medium
3. Remove the roast and set on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into thin slices. If you used an ovenproof skillet, place the skillet and the roast drippings on the stovetop; otherwise, transfer the drippings to a saucepan. Heat the pan on medium for 1 minute, then add the red wine and stock, deglazing the pan and whisking to break up any chunks. Deglaze for 2 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and pour over the sliced roast. Leftovers are best eaten cold, as reheating toughens the meat.
** For Whole30, replace the red wine with 1 tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar.
** To roast vegetables at the same time as the beef, toss a variety of sliced root vegetables, quartered onions, and whole cloves of garlic in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet, and add to the oven when you add the roast (if your baking sheet or skillet is large enough, you can roast the vegetables and beef in the same dish); turn the vegetables when you reduce the oven heat, and crisp them up as needed at 400F while the roast rests.
