What to know how to cook a top round roast to perfection? Read on…
As much as I love to cook a top quality beef rib roast, let’s face it… They aren’t cheap. You can, however get amazing results with cheaper cuts like top round (topside). Here you will learn how to cook a top round roast that will be so good, you won’t want your meal to end.
Top round roast or topside in the UK is a budget friendly cut that is versatile and amazingly delicious. Try it with my Asian chimichurri sauce. You’ll be glad you did.
What cut is top round (topside)?
Top round roast is a cut of beef that comes from the hindquarters of the cow. It is a relatively lean and flavourful cut, but it can be tough if not cooked properly. No worries there as I will explain exactly how to cook a top round roast to perfection in this recipe post.
You do need to keep an eye on the roast as it cooks. As there is very little marbling in top round, this roast is best suited for moist cooking or slow roasting which breaks down the muscle fibres and tenderizes the meat. In this recipe, I roast the top round on my traeger. You could cook your top round roast in your oven at the same temperatures.
I do have a couple of pot roast recipes on the way that would be perfect for this cut of meat.
How do you get the best results when roasting?
As with any large cut of meat, it is a good idea to rub salt into the exterior one or two days before cooking. You can also add spices and herbs for additional flavour.
You will need a meat thermometer so that you don’t overcook the roast. Even if you aren’t a big fan of rare or medium rare meat, you need to cook it to medium rare at the very most. Overcooked top round is a bit like leather.
To do this, cook the top round until you have an internal temperature of 45C/113F for rare or 50C/122F for medium rare.
What temperature should you cook the top round at?
I recommend preheating your oven to 220C/450F and then roasting the meat at that temperature for the first 15 to 20 minutes.
Then reduce the cooking temperature to 180C/350°F and allow to cook until the meat reaches your desired internal temperature for rare or medium rare.
The amount of time it takes to reach that internal temperature will depend on the size of your top round. A 2kg/4lbs roast will need about 45 more minutes in the oven.
You will need to add approximately 15 minutes for each additional pound (450g )but please don’t go on time alone! Use a meat thermometer so you don’t over cook it.
Can you cook the beef at a lower temperature?
One you get a nice crust on the beef cooking at the high temperature, you can reduce the heat much lower than 180C/350F.
In fact, it you cook the meat at a lower temperature, it will be even juicier when cooked. Most people want to get the cooking done and start enjoying their meal, so a cooking temperature of 180C/350F will get that done the quickest.
If time allows, however you can take the heat right down. I had quite a lot of time when I cooked this roast so I cooked it at 120C/248F.
This will increase the cooking time by quite a lot so only do this if you’ve got the time to do so. This is obviously good to know if you want to get cooking and get on with other things when you are not serving until much later.
Why do you need to salt the meat one to two days ahead of cooking?
If you are like me, you might wonder why you would want to salt the meat one to two days before roasting. Doesn’t that dry the meat out?
The first time I did it, I was blown away by how much juicier the meat was.
Without getting too much into the science of it, when you salt the meat, you will notice after about an hour that the surface becomes moister as the salt extracts the moisture from the meat.
Notice the moisture on the meat about an hour after salting it.
What happens next is magic. All that moisture sinks right back into the meat, making it tastier and juicier. It also distributes some of the salty flavour into the meat.
The salt does dry out the exterior a as it rests in the fridge, but that helps achieve a nicer charred exterior that is to die for.
After resting, uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours, the exterior of the meat is dry and the moisture has gone back into the meat.
How much salt do you need to add to the meat?
When cooking in the US, I use about 1 tsp coarse kosher salt per pound (450g) of meat. Kosher salt has no additives or iodine which can add a bitter flavour. In the UK, I use about 1 1/4 tsp of Maldon flaky salt per pound (450g) of meat. Maldon also does not contain additives and has a similar flavour to kosher salt crystals.
I’m afraid I have not tried any other salts for the salting process but you should be able to use any pure salt. Just remember that some salts are much saltier in flavour so you might need to experiment.
Are there variations of this recipe?
This top round recipe is so versatile. In addition to the salt, you can add dried herbs (don’t add fresh herbs or they will burn), spices like paprika, dried garlic, black pepper or even a good steak rub.
All that flavour will sink deep into the meat as it sits in the fridge.
How do you slice a top round roast?
This is not a well marbled cut like a rib roast. As rib roast beef has a lot of fatty marbling, you can slice it into thick slabs and it will still be tender and juicy.
When you slice top round, it is important to slice it into thin slices against the grain.
When you look at the meat, you will see long lines of fibres running through it. Ensure you are slice across those fibres and not with them or your meat will be chewy and tough.
How long can you store the leftovers in your fridge?
You can store the leftovers, covered tightly with clingfilm (plastic wrap) for about 3 days. The leftovers are amazing added to sandwiches, curries, stews and whatever else sounds good.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Yes and the cooked top round freezes really well up to 3 months.
Defrost in your fridge and then use as you like. I do not recommend microwaving the meat, however as it will become tough.
If you want to serve the leftovers hot, try adding them to a stew or curry and continue cooking until tender.
Here are a few nice curries and stews that would suit your top round leftovers very well.
Moroccan beef tagine
Mongolian Beef
Shaking Beef
Lamb (beef) achari
Aloo gosht
Japanese beef curry
If you like curry houses style curries, the beef could be added to any of these popular sauces.
Tikka Masala Sauce
Chasni Sauce
Madras Sauce
Vindaloo Sauce
Chilli Garlic Sauce
Dhansak Sauce
Bhuna Sauce
Phaal Sauce
Step by step photos on how to cook a top round roast.
Measure the salt needed for the size of top round you have. I added an equal amount of black pepper but you could also add other herbs and spices at this stage.
Rub the salt and whatever else you are adding to the meat all over the meat.
Place the meat on a bbq rack or in a roasting pan in your oven and cook for about 20 minutes at the high temperature before reducing the cooking temperature.
Once the meat reaches your desired internal temperature (see above) transfer it to a cutting board and cover with foil to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Do you have to let the meat rest after cooking?
Yes! Don’t just take it out of your oven and start slicing. By resting the meat, the fibres relax after being in the oven.
You will find that you meat is much more tender and juicier if you allow it to rest, covered loosely with foil for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
After letting the meat rest, slice the meat against the grain into this slices.
Have you tried this roast top round (top side) recipe?
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How to Cook a Top Round Roast (Top Side)
This recipe for top round (top side) roast beef will get you amazing results. Try it with my Asian chimichurri sauce or traditional chimichurri sauce. So good!
Ingredients
- 2kg/4 lbs top round roast
- 4 tsp coarse salt like kosher or Maldon salt
- 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 3 red onions, quartered (optional)
Instructions
- For best results, you want to pre-salt the meat 24 to 48 hours before you start cooking. Rub 1 tsp course kosher salt or 1 1/4 tsp flaky Maldon salt per pound (450g) of meat, all over the exterior.
- At this stage, you could also add ground black pepper, garlic granules, onion powder, spices such as paprika and/or dried herbs into the meat to taste. You could also use a good dry rub for this. Don't add fresh herbs or they will burn when cooking.
- About an hour after rubbing the salt onto the meat, you will see that the surface is really moist because of the salt. If you were to cook the meat at this stage, you would not achieve a nice crust on the meat as it's too wet. Place the meat in the fridge, uncovered for 24 to 48 hours.
- After this time, you will see that the exterior of the meat is dry. The moisture will have soaked back into the meat, flavouring it and making the meat more tender.
- Pre-heat your oven or barbecue to 220C.450F. Please see notes for barbecue instructions.
- If using the quartered onions, place them in a roasting tray and then secure the roast on top. The onions will help produce a nice gravy if you choose to make one.
- Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and then place the meat in the oven and roast at this high temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to form a crust on the exterior. Then reduce the heat to 180C/350F.
- Continue cooking the meat for 15 minutes per pound (450g) or until it has reached your preferred doneness, 45C/113F for rare or 50C/122F for medium rare.
- Transfer the cooked roast to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil for at least 20 minutes before you even consider slicing it.
- Cut against the grain into thin slices and serve.
Notes
This top round recipe is all about the meat which can be served with gravy or another delicious sauce. Below you will find my barbecue instructions and a recipe for an easy onion gravy.
Barbecue Instructions
When cooking top round (top side) on a barbecue, you want to cook it at the same temperature you do in an oven. This should be done over indirect heat.
To set up an indirect fire in your barbecue, you will need a BBQ that has a lid. Light a chimney stack of coals and when they turn grey, slide the all over to one side of your barbecue.
Close the lid and completely open both the top and bottom vents. When the temperature reaches 220C/450F, place the meat on the opposite side of the barbecue to the coals. For a smokier flavour, you can place it directly on a clean grate or place it in a roasting tray if you want to make gravy.
After about 15 minutes of cooking, it's time to adjust the cooking temperature. To do this, half close the bottom vent. Then start closing the top vent until the cooking temperature reduces to 180C/350F.
Generally speaking, I tend to leave the bottom vent half open or perhaps a little more closed and then adjust the cooking temperature by closing or opening the top vent more or less.
During the cooking time, you will probably need to add a few more coals to the fire every 30 minutes or so to retain the heat.
The cooking time at 180C/350F is the same as in the oven. So a 2kg (4lb) roast should take about an hour. Plan on a total cooking time of about 20 minutes per pound (450g) of meat for rare or 25 minutes per pound (450g) for medium rare.
Don't just cook by time though. Use a meat thermometer and you will get perfect results every time. You are aiming for 45C/113F for rare or 50C/122F for medium rare.
Easy Onion Gravy
INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) ginger, grated
1 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
500ml (2 cups) Beef stock, stock cube beef stock if you must
70ml (1/4 cup) red wine or more if you like
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste if needed
METHOD
1.) Heat the meat juices and onions over a medium heat in the roasting tray. Add the garlic and ginger and fry it for another minute and then add the flour and stir it in.
2.) Add the beef stock and wine to deglaze the pan and bring to a simmer. Then add the mustard, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Continue simmering to thicken to your preference.
3.) Taste the gravy and add salt and pepper to taste. You probably won’t need to add either.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 886mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 47g
Faith
Thursday 11th of April 2024
I haven't tried this yet because I have a few questions. After cooking for most of my life, I still have yet to make a successful basic roast beef, so I look forward to trying this. I do have a large 10 quart air fryer that I use for big pieces of meat with success: leg of lamb, duck, whole chicken. Should I be able to adapt the temperature and techniques to this recipe for roast beef? We don't use our oven in the summer, and rely on the air fryer. I'd love your input. Thanks!
Dan Toombs
Thursday 18th of April 2024
Yes, I see no reason why you couldn’t adapt this for the air fryer. Just cook according to your air fryer directions but check often to make sure it’s cooked to your liking. Thanks Dan