What is Top Round Roast?

Top round roast is a lean tough cut of beef that comes from the cow’s rear leg. It is also sometimes sold as London Broil at supermarkets. However, London Broil, is not an actual section of beef but a method of cutting the beef. London Broil does come from top round roast, but it’s not a whole roast. Although a whole top round roast can look similar to a beef tenderloin, these two cuts of meat are very different. Both are flavor-packed cuts of beef, however tenderloin, as it suggest, is extremely soft and tender… And expensive! Whereas top round roast is a much leaner and more budget-friendly cut. Therefore it is quite tough and must be sliced thin to enjoy. The best top round roast recipe includes simple unfussy steps: Season it well, cook it low to a perfect medium-rare, and slice it very thin. Pro Tip: Make sure to use a serrated knife when cutting the beef to get the slices as thin as possible, against the grain. When cooked well and sliced thin, top round roast is a lovely beef option when you’re trying to pinch pennies.

Recipe Ingredients

Beef top round roast – whole, sometimes known as London broil roast Olive oil – to coat the meat before seasoning Whole peppercorn – freshly crushed black pepper for the most flavor Kosher salt – a course salt that crusts the meat Other spices – ground mustard, dried thyme, and garlic powder

How to Make the Best Top Round Roast Recipe

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Place the top round roast on the baking sheet. Drizzle oil over the top and rub the roast completely on all sides to coat. Place the peppercorns in a zip freezer bag. Use a meat mallet to gently hammer them, crushing into coarse pieces. In a small bowl, combine the crushed peppercorns, kosher salt, ground mustard, dried thyme, and garlic powder. Mix well. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the top round roast, turning to coat on all sides Once the oven is hot, roast the beef for 15 minutes to create a bark. Then lower the oven temperature to 300°F. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. Place the roast back in the oven for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130°F. Pro Tip: The top round should be between 130-135°F for medium-rare. But the temperature will rise a few degrees even after you take it out of the oven, so we like to pull it at exactly 130. For medium, roast until it reaches 135-140°F. Allow the top meat to rest on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes. Then use a serrated knife to slice the roast very thin, against the grain. The thinner the pieces, the less tough the roast will seem.

Serving Suggestions

The slices can be served as a main dish with all sorts of comfort food sides or fancy side dishes. Or the thin slices can be used on roast beef sandwiches and salads. We love our classic steak salad and this version with A1 vinaigrette. For dinners, there’s no better pairing than meat and potatoes! Thick slices of top round roast are delicious with roasted potatoes, without or with carrots. Our basically famous mashed potatoes are great to make in a big batch for feeding a crowd. Or try classic (microwave) baked potatoes for smaller dinner gatherings. I like to let the beef really shine and serve alongside simple but satisfying vegetables. Try any one of my favorite veggies that are easy to make on the stovetop, like sauteed mushrooms or steamed broccoli.

Looking for More Crowd-Pleasing Dishes? Be Sure to Try:

Beef Pot Roast Recipe Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib) Crock Pot Chuck Roast Retro Crock Pot Roast Beef Smoked Prime Rib Au Jus

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