How to Make a Roast Beef; Temperature, Time and More

HOW TO MAKE A ROAST BEEF

It is not necessary to sear a roast at a high temperature to achieve an attractive brown crust. This can be accomplished just as easily by maintaining a constant moderate temperature throughout the cooking period. It requires less time and energy and requires less attention to the spattering of fat from the browning.

COOKING TIME FOR BEEF

You need to know the cooking time for beef when learning how to make a roast beef. This means knowing the length of time necessary to cook a roast of a given weight of meat and a given temperature of the oven. Figures given in a time weight chart can be used only as a guide since the length of time necessary to cook a roast depends on several factors.

Heat penetrates more slowly to the center of a square chunky roast than to the center of an oblong roast of the same weight and cut. Boned and rolled roasts require more minutes per pound of cooking time than do standing roasts with the bones left in. Small roasts require more minutes per pound than do the larger ones. Heat penetrates more slowly into roasts containing a good amount of fat than into leaner roasts. With so many variables to be taken into account, no time roasting chart can be taken exactly literally. When learning how to make a roast beef take these many variables into consideration. They do, however, offer a good guide to follow to allow for a good estimate of time.

When learning how to make a roast beef, also learning to use a meat thermometer offers a much better way of determining when your roast is ready to be removed from the heat. When the thermometer registers the internal temperature of the roast, the temperature indicates the exact stage of roasting that you are trying to achieve. Time charts with temperature readings will assure you that when the roast is removed from the oven you have reached the correct stage of doneness.

The procedure of testing for doneness when you know how to make a roast beef is much the same for all meats but different meats must be cooked to different degrees of doneness. Beef is often preferred to be cooked to rare or medium rare whereas pork, lamb and veal are always medium to well done.

Rare roast beef is uniformly rosy red in color with just a narrow edge or border of gray. It should be attractively browned on the surface. Medium rare roast beef will have less juice and the juice will be lighter in color. The cut slice will be light pink in color throughout with a little water edge of gray. Well done roast beef will have still less juice and the juice will be slightly yellowish in color. The cut slice will be grayish brown throughout. The roast will be less full and plump than those cooked to the rare or medium rare stage. Temperature is important when learning how to make a roast beef.

COOKING TIME FOR BEEF

A Standing rib roast (6 to 8 pounds) with oven temperature of 300F degrees must be cooked the following minutes per pound to achieve the following internal meat temperatures:

• 140F degrees
  18 to 20 minutes per lb
• 160F degrees
  22 to 25 minutes per lb
• 170F degrees
  27 to 30 minutes per lb

A boned and rolled roast (6 to 8 pounds) with oven temperature of 300F degrees must be cooked the following minutes per pound to achieve the following internal meat temperatures:

• 140F degrees /rare
  32 minutes per lb
• 160F degrees/med rare
  38 minutes per lb
• 170F degrees/well done
  48 minutes per lb

A chuck ribs roast of good quality only (5 to 8 pounds) cooked in an oven temperature of 300F degrees must be cooked the following minutes per pound to achieve the following internal meat temperatures:

• 150F to 170F for 25 to 30 minutes per lb

Beef tenderloin in an oven temperature at 300F degrees must be cooked the following minutes per pound to achieve the following internal meat temperature:

• 140F degrees/rare
  20 to 22 minutes per lb
• 160F degrees/med rare
  25 minutes per lb

A top round roast of good quality only in an oven temperature of 300F degrees must be cooked the following minutes per pound to achieve the following internal meat temperature:

• 160F degrees /med rare
  20 to 25 minutes per lb
• 170F degrees/well done
  30 to 35 minutes per lb

HOW TO MAKE A ROAST (basic instructions)

• Use a moderately low oven temperature; 300F degrees to 350F degrees.
• Use a shallow uncovered roasting pan; sometimes you will cover to make a pot roast recipe but follow directions.


• Place the fat side up in the pan, preferably on the rack in the pan; if the roast does not have a natural layer of fat, have the butcher supply one. The fat melting down the sides will replace the necessity of basting the roast.


• Add salt before roasting.


• Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Making sure the thermometer does not touch bone or fat; insert it into the center of the largest muscle of the roast.


• Unless recipe instructs you to do otherwise, do not sear the roast, add water to it, cover or baste the roast.

BROWN GRAVY RECIPE

• Skim off the fat from the roast retaining 2 tablespoons of fat for each cup of gravy required.


• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour for each 2 tablespoons fat.


• Blend the fat and flour over low heat until it is a rich brown color.


• Stir frequently being careful not to scorch.


• When brown remove from heat and gradually stir in cold liquid (water, stock, milk or vegetable juice); one cup for each 2 tablespoons fat and flour.


• Season with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder or onion powder.
• Return mixture to heat and cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.

More Delicious Recipes for Beef

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