How to Make Roast Beef the Smart Way — A Recipe Anyone Can Handle

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, I suggest you steer clear of this recipe because things are going to get bloody. Salty… tender… bloody, delicious.

As for the rest of you, I think you should stick around because I’m about to teach you a perfect roast beef recipe for smart people, and by smart I mean lazy because they’re often the same thing. If you’re smart, you’ll find the easiest way to do something. See what I mean?

A Bloody Simple Roast Beef Recipe

I’m going to move through this at a good clip, so if there’s anything you’re confused about please save your questions for the end.

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Here’s what you need for this recipe:

  • Roast
  • Cooking vessel, Pyrex works well.
  • Coarse Salt
  • Thermometer

When it comes to the thermometer, you’ve got a few options. We’ll come back to that in a bit here. In the mean time, start by pre-heating the over to 450F.

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Place your roast fat side DOWN and begin covering it in coarse salt. I like absolutely disgusting amounts of salt, but you can and should do this to taste. It may take you a few times to get it right, but believe me it’s worth the effort. It’s like “practicing” sex, there’s really no downside.

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If your roast starts to look like this, you’re on the right track. Unless you don’t like salt of course, in which case you should use a lot less.

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Now, flip the roast over and begin covering the fat side in coarse salt as well. You’re going to cook the roast fat side up. Why? Because it will keep the roast nice and juicy. No one likes a dried out piece of meat, right?

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Now, remember how I mentioned that you would have a few options for thermometers? I’m quite laz… smart, so I prefer to use a digital probe thermometer instead of a traditional one. This means that I can set an internal temperate – in my case about 135F for medium rare – and forget about it until the timer goes off. No guessing!

Speaking of which, you’re probably wondering how to cook this sucker.

By now, your oven should be pre-heated to 450F. Place your roast on the middle rack, and set a timer for 10 minutes!

After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 275F. You’re going to cook the roast on this temperature for the remainder of the cook time, which – if you’re using a traditional thermometer – varies based on the size of the roast. I’ve found the cook time for medium rare to be anywhere from 1.5 to 2+ hours. You’ll just have to take it out after a few hours and check…

Unless you’ve got a handy electronic thermometer like I suggested in which case you just remove it when the alarm sounds.

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If you haven’t screwed up too badly, the roast should look a little something like this by the end.

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Unfortunately you’re not quite finished. If you want the roast to be extra delicious, place it on a cutting board, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before you slice it up and gorge yourself on delicious roast beef.

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Just look at that, delicious!

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Roasts can get a bit expensive, but I’ve found that they make a massive amount of left-overs. Just seal them tightly in a zip-lock back, refrigerate, and enjoy roast beef for the rest of your week. It’s really that simple.

However, sometimes I leave out important details. If there’s anything you find unclear, please ask questions! I’ll do my best to answer them and update the article accordingly.

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Chad

Chad is the co-founder of Unfinished Man, a leading men's lifestyle site. He provides straightforward advice on fashion, tech, and relationships based on his own experiences and product tests. Chad's relaxed flair makes him the site's accessible expert for savvy young professionals seeking trustworthy recommendations on living well.

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