The most visited recipe on this blog, by a long shot, is my old Perfect Eye of Round Roast recipe. It’s been read over 1.7 million times, which is pretty crazy. The recipe is unique because you basically blast the roast with a high heat for a while, then shut the oven off completely for a couple hours while you watch Netflix, build a snowman, fume at Twitter, or whatever else people do with their free time.
Last week, the old post celebrated its sixth birthday, so I figured it’s time for a bit of an update. In place of shutting the oven off completely, we’ll just reduce the heat to 170F, which will give you the freedom to check the roast’s temperature periodically with an instant-read thermometer to make sure you pull it out of the oven right when it’s ready. I also like to pair my roast with a wine sauce reduction, so I’ve included that as well.
This recipe is adapted from the one I used in my first cookbook, The Ancestral Table, which in turn was an updated version of my old blog post (we’re almost getting into Inception levels of cross-reference here). Fun fact: the photos from this post are actually from that original photo session from The Ancestral Table, back in March of 2013. They still hold up pretty well!
Eye of Round Roast with Wine Sauce (Gluten-free, Paleo, Primal, Perfect Health Diet, Whole30-friendly)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3-4 lbs eye of round, bottom round, or rump roast
2 tbsp red wine (see note below for Whole30)
1/4 cup chicken or beef stock
1. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl. Pat the roast dry with paper towels; rub the seasoning mixture all over the roast, then let it sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Place the roast on a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet, fatty side up, and roast for 7 minutes per pound. Reduce the heat to 170F and roast until the internal temperature reaches 135-140°F, about 1 hour. This process will create a roast that is dark brown and crusty on the outside and pink in the middle. Start checking the roast’s internal temperature with a quick-read thermometer at the 30-minute mark, and every 15 minutes after that. Use these temperatures to gauge the roast’s doneness (for best results, cook no longer than medium):
• 125F = rare
• 130F = medium-rare
• 135F = medium
3. Remove the roast and set on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into thin slices. If you used an ovenproof skillet, place the skillet and the roast drippings on the stovetop; otherwise, transfer the drippings to a saucepan. Heat the pan on medium for 1 minute, then add the red wine and stock, deglazing the pan and whisking to break up any chunks. Deglaze for 2 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and pour over the sliced roast. Leftovers are best eaten cold, as reheating toughens the meat.
** For Whole30, replace the red wine with 1 tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar.
** To roast vegetables at the same time as the beef, toss a variety of sliced root vegetables, quartered onions, and whole cloves of garlic in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet, and add to the oven when you add the roast (if your baking sheet or skillet is large enough, you can roast the vegetables and beef in the same dish); turn the vegetables when you reduce the oven heat, and crisp them up as needed at 400F while the roast rests.
The Domestic Man 
it sounds perfect
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When recipes call for red wine, I never know what type to use. What do you suggest?
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Hi Lora, because it’s such a small amount of wine in the reduction, I would recommend using a wine you’d like to drink with the meal. Full-bodied, dry red wines are generally recommended for pairing with beef, like Bordeaux, Shiraz/Syrah, or Cab Sav – the mineral aftertaste associated with tannins are thought to enhance the flavor and texture of roasted beef. But when used in a reduction sauce, the tannins can become too harsh. So I personally like to use Merlot or a medium-bodied red blend, because they tend to be a bit more aromatic and not as tannic. Even soft reds, like Pinot Noir, will taste great in this sauce. If you like full-bodied wines to drink with, but are worried about the tannins of the reduction, adding 1 tbsp of butter to the sauce as you take it off the heat will balance the harshness. Hope that helps!
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Thank you for such an informative response Russ!
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Does the vinegar have the same taste??
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Lora, I’d love to hear Russ’ take on that too. But in my experience cabernet can often be too overpowering and tannic for a dish, but at 2T, it’s probably not as important in this recipe is my guess. For general meat cooking, I usually find that the safest bets are to use a nice drinkable (i.e., not to young or tannic) Burgundy (Pinot) or soft Rhone varietal because they give depth of flavor to the meat without detracting from it. (Of course there are exceptions for dishes that call for bolder wines — some are designed for cabs, zins, etc.)
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Hi Susan, you’re right on the money – full-bodied wines can become too harsh in a reduction, so something a bit softer works best. But since it’s such a small amount, I recommend just using whatever you plan on enjoying with the meal! :)
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One of my all time favorites! Will try the wine reduction sauce!
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I have made this several times and it always comes out perfectly!! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, they are always amazing!!
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Can you please help me? I made this and even though i cut my carrots and parsnips large and similar to the photo they burned in the the 20 minutes needed to roast the exterior of the beef. The instructions above stated to leave them in the whole time. Did you take them out early??
ALSO the small amount of drippings my round roast produced burned fairly quickly in the 500 degree oven so i had a pretty small amount of sauce made afterward. :(
Any advice guys?
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I made this tonight for dinner and my five year old said this was the best meal he has ever had! Thank you for such a tasty and healthy recipe that works with my Whole 30 endeavor!
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Have made the “old “ recipe many times, and loved it, but keeping the oven on at the low temp may help to keep it warm. Will try it this weekend.
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Thanks for sharing such amazing recipe with wine sauce. It really looks delicious with wine sauce.
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I have made the “old” recipe many times and never have any drippings in the bottom of the baking dish. Everything has evaporated.
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Can I sear it and then slow cook it in the oven in my Dutch oven simmers in wine,shallots, garlic? How long for rare to medium rare? Thoughts?
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Gracefully written information on this blog are going to support me for my coming assignments. Every point was very clear and taught me few new parameters. I would like to use this information in coming future.
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