I don’t often make beef, other than ground, but I decided to make a roast for Christmas dinner this year. I went with an eye of round roast, because I’m cheap. It’s still much more expensive than pork or chicken, which is why I never buy it. In any case, it’s a lean cut that needs slow roasting to be worth eating at all.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds beef eye of round roast
  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup butter

Gravy

  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ounce dried mushrooms, chopped or powdered
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

Yorkshire Puddings

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • sprinkle garlic powder
  • pinch salt
  • pinch granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 170°F.
  2. Trim out all the silver skin from the roast, leaving fat on one side. Rub the roast all over with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
  3. Remove the cloves from the head of garlic, leaving the papery skins on. Smash each clove to slightly crush it.
  4. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear roast in the skillet until browned, fat side down, about 3-4 minutes. Sear all sides except the one opposite the fat cap. Remove from heat, and add butter and garlic cloves to the pan. Place the roast fat side up in the skillet.
  5. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Periodically baste the roast with the melted butter and pan juices.
  6. While the roast is cooking, prepare the Yorkshire puddings. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, milk, garlic powder, salt, and sugar until smooth. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Start the gravy by frying any trimmed bits of beef in butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions once beef begins to brown. When beef is browned and onions show color, sprinkle flour over the drippings and whisk to form a roux. Gradually whisk in beef broth and dried mushrooms, and simmer until thickened. Add Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  8. Remove the roast from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.
  9. For the Yorkshire puddings, place a jumbo muffin tin in the oven to preheat. Once hot, remove the tin and transfer butter from skillet into each cup, about 1 tablespoon each. Quickly pour batter into each cup, filling about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using. Return to oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  10. Slice roast thinly against the grain to serve. Serve with Yorkshire puddings and gravy.