Eye of the Round treatment

[alanjesq]

I have never been a fan of "eye of the round". Tasteless, lean to dry, flavorless. Yet, I was wondering how eye of the round would fare SV. After a two day cook at 131f, I can tell you it will be fed to our three dogs. Makes paste taste good. I seasoned with salt and pepper with light Rosemerry. I wasn't expecting much from this 3 pound cheap cut of meat, but I received less. Any comments. Result: lean, mush, paste like texture. Surprisingly, it was not dry, thanks, I guess to the SV bag.

Would like to know if anyone had success with this product???

alanjesq

[KennethT]

I wonder if 2 days at 131 is too long... I don't have much experience with it but isn't eye of round relatively tender? I think that's what is typically used raw in pho bo, sliced thin... called tai. That would account for the mushy, pasty texture. I would probably try cooking at 131 just to temp and trying it then. If it's tough, you can give it more time, but I definitely wouldn't go more than 24 hours. There's not nearly enough connective tissue in it for that.

[SylviaLovegren]

Cooked one today. Put onions and green peppers and garlic on the bottom of a large roasting pan, some red pepper and some thyme. Put the meat on top, poured some bbq sauce mixed with a bit of tabasco over the top, some salt, covered and roasted at 300 for about 4 hours, turned the meat half way through. Shredded the meat, mixed with some pan juices and some additional bbq sauce and enjoyed it very much. Without the pan juices and salt, too dry, but with, a very pleasant if not earth shattering dinner. Had a bunch of young men who'd been helping us move and they were very enthusiastic, although it was probably helped by beer and chips.

[heidih]

I see a lot of this stuff sold in the butcher cases at the Chinese, Vietnamese and the Korean markets. In paper thin slices it works dropped raw into a hot bowl of soup. I am interested in the options.

[OliverB]

I've never made it, but googling it I found quite some recipes that sound pretty good. All are roasts, mostly on high heat with lots of flavoring added. One inserts garlic and a mustard/spice mix into slits they make in the meat. They all sound pretty good to me.

Since this is very lean and seems to have little connective tissue, a two day SV is definitely overkill. You go long low and slow with tough cuts that have lots of connective tissue and fat, brisket, short ribs, things like that. I think this is not a cut for SV, but for roasting with lots of flavorful additions it should make something tasty for little money. I'm intrigued now, maybe this will be my first beef roast to cook in my big green egg, some whole onions and garlic around it, some mushrooms, maybe even some bacon on top? Hmmm~

It's a lean and heavily used muscle from the hind leg and is supposedly not very flavorful, but a nice long roast with veggies around, a nice pan sauce and then sliced thinly against the grain, I'd think it might be just fine.

[Pierogi]

I've used it in grillades, cut thin and pounded out a bit. The meat remains a bit chewy, but the flavor's OK, and it works with the dish. I might try jacquarding it next time I make them.

I've never done it, but it seems to me there was a thread here a while back (like a couple of years) where several members had used the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen low and slow oven roast beef method with an eye of round, and proclaimed it a great success. I think CI/ATK may have even recommended that cut....

[thirtyoneknots]

Not bad when cured and dried into bresaola, I must say. If roasted very rare it is acceptable with some old-school French sauce on it, or cold on a sandwich, sliced very thin indeed.

[DTBarton]

With all the better cuts available for roasting, braising, etc. at comparable prices, I find eye of round to be not worth the trouble. Only way I've had it and liked it was thin sliced raw to drop in pho.

[AAQuesada]

It is a great cut for roast beef sandies if you roast it rare/mid rare. lean, cheap, uniform in shape; you can freeze it cooked or par freeze and slice verrry thin. If you get choice or prime. It's a good tartar cut with a flavorful dressing

[KaffeeKlatsch]

This is one of my husband's favorite roast dinners. I liberally coat the outside with seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes (for med-rare) to 7 minutes (for med-well) per pound at 500. Turn oven off, and let sit for one hour in oven. Do Not open oven door. Perfect every time. I actually like it better the next day sliced thinly for roast beef sandwiches.