# How do I cook a roast? (need answer fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640 "2008-05-09T01:25:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/1 "2008-05-09T01:25:17Z")
Ok not that fast, and I’ll get it out of the way. Roast it! Ha ha ha… OK, I have a just shy of three pound Round eye boneless roast. What should I do with it? I have a stove/oven and a crockpot/slow cooker. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/2 "2008-05-09T01:59:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Ok not that fast, and I’ll get it out of the way. Roast it! Ha ha ha… OK, I have a just shy of three pound Round eye boneless roast. What should I do with it? I have a stove/oven and a crockpot/slow cooker. Suggestions? [/QUOTE] I’ve never done a roast in a slowcooker. My tried and true method for three pounder is, 500 F for 20 minutes uncovered with about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of water in the roast pan. After that, reduce heat to 325, cover and cook for another hour. I’ve never cooked a Round Eye either. I think we call it Eye of Round here, but it’s not really a great cut, is it? You should season with salt pepper and whatever else you like beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/3 "2008-05-09T02:07:45Z")
Slow cooker for 5 hours or more depending on the cooker. Add in carrots, onions, beef soup base, and for about the last hour peeled potato chunks about an inch and a half thick. Pepper, garlic and other spices by your preference. Make gravy with the liquid. Even tough meat becomes tender if you slow cook it longer. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/4 "2008-05-09T02:13:56Z")
I do mine in an over on as low of heat as I can get it (200 degrees roughly). I rub salt (maybe a third of a cup for a full roast) and a bit of oil into the surface to help with the heat and liquid and then let it go. This does not let you do vegetables or gravy with it though since using enough salt to help the surface is too much for anything else in the pan. I use a meat thermometer to check the doneness but with eye of round it works out to around three hours. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/5 "2008-05-09T02:16:40Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] I think we call it Eye of Round here, but it’s not really a great cut, is it? [/QUOTE] Eye of round isn’t a great cut but it happens to be my preferred roast for leanness. It also is solid enough that I use it for things like stir fry. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/6 "2008-05-09T03:19:33Z")
I do mine in a slowcooker all the time, they turn out great and you get that wonderful bonus of coming home at the end of the day to a yummy smelling dinner already cooked. In the morning, I sear the edges with a little oil in a frying pan, just a moment or two per side. Chuck it in the crock pot with a coupla garlic cloves, S&P, red wine and beef broth to cover. I aim for a 2:1 broth to wine ratio, YMMV. Turn it on low and let that puppy sit happily burbling away all day. It’s perfectly edible in about five hours, and just that much more tender when it’s 8 or 9 hours before we get back home to it. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/7 "2008-05-09T04:17:56Z")
I just made a really good roast this past weekend using this recipe: A roast 10 oz Coke 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 envelope dry onion soup mix carrots, potatoes, and onions, Cook in a 325 degree F oven for 1 hour, turn it down to 225 for 4 hours, turning over halfway through in a roasting pan with the lid on. Very tender meat and very delicious gravy. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/8 "2008-05-09T05:48:15Z")
I like it covered and braised in a roasting pan with veg. at a medium temperature (350F) for around two to two and a half hours. That’s with peeled and quartered potatoes, cut carrots, and sometimes halved onions- Add about 3/4 cup water, uncover the last half hour of cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/9 "2008-05-09T13:40:02Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] I just made a really good roast this past weekend using this recipe: A roast 10 oz Coke 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 envelope dry onion soup mix carrots, potatoes, and onions, Cook in a 325 degree F oven for 1 hour, turn it down to 225 for 4 hours, turning over halfway through in a roasting pan with the lid on. Very tender meat and very delicious gravy. [/QUOTE] As in Coca-Cola? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/10 "2008-05-09T14:09:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] As in Coca-Cola? [/QUOTE] Yes- it makes quite a nice meat tenderizer. I also make a good barbeque sauce with it. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/11 "2008-05-09T16:22:45Z")
If you want to roast it “straight up” you have the temperatures above. I dust mine with a mixture of flour and Colman’s dry mustard, liberally seasoned with black pepper, which makes a nice crust on the joint. Having re-read, I would not put any water in it, blast it at high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat for 45 minutes, and leave to rest for another 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/12 "2008-05-09T16:36:27Z")
I would add to any of the above some worcestershire sauce and maybe a bay leaf ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/13 "2008-05-09T16:57:51Z")
It depends on what you want and on what kind of meat you have. Do you want something pot roasty (fall apart fork tender) or something you can slice with a beautifully medium rare middle? Generally, I would not braise anything but beef shoulder or chuck. A sirloin or rib roast I would _only_ roast and never braise. Sirloin-tip, round, and rump roasts can go either way, but I generally prefer a dry roasting if the meat is of good quality and well marbled. Anyhow, there’s a number of ways to do it, but you want to accomplish two things with a dry roast: create a crusty exterior and gently cook the interior to your desired temp (130-140F for medium rare). First, bring your meat up to room temperature. Take it out about an hour or two before roasting. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like (fresh rosemary sprigs always work wonderfully with a roast). The general method is to start with a high heat. You can either sear the roast on a cast iron pan, or start in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. You then want to cook it at a low heat, anywhere from 200-325 degrees (I’m usually around 300) until a meat thermometer poked in the center reaches your desired temperature. (IIRC, Alton Brown also has a method where he starts low, and finishes high. I’m sure that works perfectly fine, as well.) Also, remember that the roast will continue to rise up to an additional five degrees in temp, so if my target is 135, I pull it just as it crosses 130. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, it really is worth getting one if you’re making an expensive roast. It’ll give you piece of mind. The braising methods are great for tougher cuts of meat like shoulder, chuck, brisket, blade roast, etc. The idea behind braising is to cook the meat in a wet environment for a long time, over low heat, until the collagen breaks down in the meat into gelatin, yielding a very moist, falling-apart mass of meat. It is _delicious_ for certain cuts of meat (see: beef short ribs, veal shanks in _osso buco_, not so ideal for others. Using the braise method, you also want to start by searing the roast (to develop flavor). Then finish cooking in a roasting pan or Dutch oven with some wet ingredients (wine/broth) and vegetables (onions and/or garlic) at around 300F. Cook for hours until falling apart tender. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/14 "2008-05-09T17:05:39Z")
Almost forgot, if you’re doing it the roasting (dry) method: _let it rest 10-15 minutes_ (depending on size), before carving. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/15 "2008-05-09T23:17:20Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Slow cooker for 5 hours or more depending on the cooker. Add in carrots, onions, beef soup base, and for about the last hour peeled potato chunks about an inch and a half thick. Pepper, garlic and other spices by your preference. Make gravy with the liquid. Even tough meat becomes tender if you slow cook it longer. [/QUOTE] What he said. Simple, easy, and can’t miss. When you cook this, then you can experiment with all of the other spices and little stuff. I do give the roast a good sear first, however. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-cook-a-roast-need-answer-fast/448640/16 "2008-05-09T23:28:21Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] I do give the roast a good sear first, however. [/QUOTE] I came in to mention that my mom always seared hers in a fry pan before putting it in the oven.