This Eye of Round Roast Beef recipe is affordable, so easy and totally foolproof to prepare! It's generously slathered with a delicious herb butter on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, roasted with rich mushrooms and finished with a luscious gravy! This roast has it all and it's perfect for everything from casual Sunday dinners to special holiday meals! Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Bring beef to room temperature: Remove the beef from the refrigerator at least 1 ½ and up to 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature. (Don’t skip this step – it’s the key to tender, evenly cooked beef). IMMEDIATELY go to step 2 and SALT BEEF according to the instructions below.)
Salt beef: Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon kosher salt all over the top of the beef and use your hands to rub the salt into the beef. Flip the beef over and repeat the process of sprinkling with ¾ teaspoon of salt and massaging salt into beef. Set beef aside and let come to room temperature as indicated above.
Make compound butter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Use a fork and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
Preheat oven: Adjust oven rack to the bottom third position. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (standard) or 475 degrees F (convection).
Dry beef & smear with butter: Once beef is at room temperature, gently pat the beef dry with paper towels. Spread 2 tablespoons of the compound butter evenly over one side of the beef. (Tip: If you have a fat cap on your beef, you want to butter the bottom side. You will flip the beef over so it’s roasting with the fat cap facing UP in step 7.)
Prepare roasting pan: Add the onions, carrots and garlic halves to the bottom of a roasting pan to create a bed.
Add beef: Place the beef, butter side DOWN on top of the vegetables. Spread 4 tablespoons of the compound butter evenly on top of the beef.
Brown: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 225 degrees F (standard).
Add herbs and remaining butter: Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme along with the bay leaves to the roasting pan. Carefully spread or dollop the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter evenly on top of the beef. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the beef.
Slow Roast: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Slow roast the beef for 30 minutes.
Season mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Set aside.
Add mushrooms and continue to roast: Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the mushrooms to the pan, arranging them on the sides of the beef. Return pan to oven and continue to roast for an additional 40 to 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 115-118 degrees for medium-rare. (SEE NOTES)
Rest: Remove the beef from the roasting pan and transfer to a serving plate or cutting board. Use a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms to a serving bowl. Cover the beef and mushrooms loosely with aluminum foil. Rest for 20+ minutes (the internal temperature of the beef will continue to rise 8-10 minutes during resting).
Make the gravy:(You should have about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. If you don’t have a lot of fat, add butter to make up for the lack of drippings.) Remove and discard the onion, garlic and carrots. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, Worcestershire and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring the sauce back to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half again. Mix the cornstarch with the water. Slowly drizzle the mixture into the pan while whisking constantly to avoid lumping. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. OPTIONAL: Turn the heat to low and stir in heavy cream to taste. Remove from heat and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat.
Serve: Thinly slice the beef against the grain. Serve with mushrooms and drizzle with gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
For the best sear – use a pan instead of the oven: Drizzle the beef with 1 tablespoon of oil and use your hands to rub the oil onto the beef. Season all sides of the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a dry roasting pan or large oven-proof cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pan and sear on one side until the bottom becomes golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the beef on its side and add 6 tablespoons of the compound butter to the pan. Repeat the process of rotating and searing the beef on all 4 sides, for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes per side, basting the top of the beef with the melted butter from the pan as it sears. Remove the beef from the pan and transfer to a clean work surface. (Skip steps 4-8 of the recipe. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.)
Internal Temperature of roast: Internal temperature will rise by about 8-10 degrees F while it’s resting. Remove the beef from the oven BEFORE it reaches your desired doneness. I DON'T recommend cooking this roast over medium.
Rare: 125 degrees. Remove from oven when it’s 115-118 degrees.
Medium Rare: 135. Remove from oven when it’s 125-128 degrees.
Medium: 145. Remove from oven when it’s 135-138 degrees.
Medium Well: 155. Remove from oven when it’s 145-148 degrees.
Well: 165, Remove from oven when it’s 155-158 degrees.
Resting: Resting the beef is important! If you cut into the roast too soon it will lose its juices and become dry. Rest the beef before slicing!
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.