Answers To Frequently Asked Questions About Preparing Holiday Beef Roasts.
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• For a classic holiday dinner, choose a rib roast, ribeye roast or tenderloin roast. (Tip: order rib or ribeye roasts from the small end.)
• For a health-conscious feast, a round tip roast or eye round roast are lean choices.
• For small gatherings, a center-cut tenderloin roast, tri-tip roast or eye round roast will be just
• For the easiest to carve, choose boneless roasts such as ribeye, tenderloin, tri-tip, round tip or

• Plan about 6 ounces of cooked beef per serving for "holiday helpings" rather than the traditional 3-ounce cooked, trimmed portion.
• Generally, a boneless beef roast will yield 1-1/2 to 2 six-ounce cooked, trimmed servings per pound. A bone-in roast will yield about 1 to 1-1/2 six-ounce cooked, trimmed servings per pound.
• During the holidays, it's a good idea to call your meat retailer in advance and order the type and size roast you need.

• Fresh beef roasts should be a bright cherry red color. The original package should be intact and there should not be excess juices in the package.
• If vacuum packaged, the beef will appear darker, more purplish red; when exposed to air, it will "bloom" to the familiar cherry red color.
• Choose the best "grade" possible for overall tenderness and flavor - Prime, Choice, or Select. Prime is regarded as the highest grade with Choice and Select following respectively. Most Prime beef is sold to restaurants, but can sometimes be found in specialty markets. Most supermarkets offer Choice or Select beef. Select is the leanest grade, however, it is often not as tender, juicy or flavorful as Choice or Prime. Do not overcook a Select grade roast.

• As purchased, roasts may be stored unopened in the coldest part of the refrigerator up to 3 to 4 days before cooking. Ideal refrigerator temperatures range from 35°F to 38°F. For longer storage, roasts should be frozen.
• Freeze roasts up to 2 weeks in their retail package. For longer storage, rewrap roasts in aluminum foil, heavy-duty plastic wrap or place in freezer-safe bags; press out as much air as possible before sealing. Label and freeze up to 12 months.
• Allow sufficient time for defrosting. The recommended way to defrost a frozen roast is in the refrigerator in its wrapping. Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound for a large roast; 3 to 5 hours per pound for a small roast.

• Roasts can be cooked without any seasonings or they can be "dressed up" with seasoning rubs. Combine favorite herbs and seasonings (either dried or fresh) and rub over the surface of the roast prior to cooking.
• Some classic seasoning combinations include: black pepper, crushed garlic, basil and thyme or garlic powder, marjoram and parsley. If desired, a small amount of salt can be used in seasoning rubs. There are also many prepared seasoning combinations now available in supermarket spice sections.
• Moist ingredients such as oil, crushed garlic or mustard can be combined with the seasonings to form a paste that can be spread over the surface of the roast before cooking.

How Can You Tell When The Roast Is Done?
With roasts, the internal temperature is a better indicator of doneness than visual inspection. Cooking times provided in roasting charts and recipes are guides to help determine doneness, but the most accurate method is to use a meat thermometer. Two common types are:

• Ovenproof Dial Meat Thermometer – This thermometer features an easy-to-read dial with temperatures ranging from 120 °F to 200 °F. To use, insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the roast, not resting in fat or touching bone, before placing the roast in the oven. This type of thermometer remains in the roast during the entire cooking process.
• Instant Read or Rapid Response Thermometer -- Use this thermometer to check meat temperature periodically during cooking. It is not oven safe, so it cannot be left in the roast while it is in the oven. The temperature range on this type of thermometer is from 0 °F to 220 °F. To use, insert the thermometer into the center of the roast up to the indentation on the metal shaft or until the
  thermometer is inserted at least two inches into the roast. The slim stem permits frequent testing without the loss of meat juices.
• Periodically, check thermometers for accuracy. Hold the thermometer in a pan of boiling water; it should register 212°F at sea level. Or, place the thermometer in a cup of crushed ice and water; it should register close to 32°F.

• A sharp carving knife is absolutely a must.
• Roasts are firmer and easier to carve when allowed to stand 15 to 20 minutes prior to carving.
• Uniform slices are the result of holding the knife at the same angle for each cut. The more tender the roast, the thicker the slices can be. A rib roast can be sliced 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, whereas round tip or top round roasts should be no more than 1/4 inch thick.

• Refrigerate cooked foods promptly after serving (within two hours after cooking).
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into small portions and place in shallow containers for quick chilling.
• Freeze leftovers that won’t be eaten within 3 to 4 days.

1. Heat oven to temperature as specified in the chart that follows.
2. Place roast (straight from refrigerator), fat side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. (No rack is necessary when roasting a bone-in rib roast.) Season roast, as desired. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of roast, not resting in fat or touching bone. Do not add water. Do not cover (unless specified in chart).
3. Roast according to chart. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let roast stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10ºF to reach desired doneness and roast will be easier to carve.)

Note: The USDA recommends serving beef roasts at medium rare (145 °F) to medium (160 °F) doneness. To achieve the desired serving temperature, roasts should be removed from the oven when the thermometer registers 5 °F to 10 °F below the desired doneness (or as indicated on chart). During the 15 to 20-minute standing time, the temperature will continue to rise and reach the desired serving temperature.

Roast Cooking Chart

• Roasting vegetables along side a beef roast is an easy way to complete a holiday meal. Choose vegetables that will complement the flavor profile of the seasoning rub.
• Besides classic vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions, try roasting bell pepper, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus or eggplant.
• Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions take longer to cook than less dense vegetables like summer squash or mushrooms. Approximately 30 to 60 minutes before the end of cooking simply add the vegetables to the roasting pan or place the vegetables on a separate baking sheet.

• Before purchasing very large roasts, make sure there is enough room in the refrigerator for proper storage.
• Check the size of the roasting pan size – is it big enough? There should be at least an inch between the roast and the pan for proper heat circulation. If the correct pan size is not available, consider cutting the roast in half to make 2 smaller roasts. Place each roast on racks in 2 separate roasting pans.
• Is there enough room in the oven? There should be enough space between the roasting pan(s) and the oven walls to allow the heat to circulate properly from side to side, top to bottom and even between pans. It may be necessary to rotate the pans half way through roasting for even heating.
• How long to cook 2 roasts? It will take slightly longer to cook 2 roasts, but it won’t take double the time. Prepare the roasts as indicated above - it is best if both roasts are of similar size and weight. If possible, insert a meat thermometer into each roast so it is easy to monitor the temperature of both roasts at once. Determine a roasting time from the roasting chart. If the roasts vary in size and weight, use the timing for the smallest roast. At the end of the roasting time, check the temperature of each roast. If more time is needed, continue roasting for 15 to 20-minute intervals until the desire internal temperature is reached in each roast. Allow roasts to stand as indicated in the chart.

Roast Nutrition Information

Courtesy Cattlemen’s Beef Board