Sous Vide Eye of Round Roast Beef

Have you started cooking Sous Vide yet? It produces perfectly cooked everything with almost no effort. It’s quickly becoming my favorite method for cooking proteins. You just have to remember to plan ahead because it takes longer than traditional methods. Today I’m revising my slow-roasted eye of round beef, which usually cooks in the oven, to a sous vide version that I know will turn out tender and juicy because there’s no chance of it over cooking. Let me show you how to make it.

The important thing to remember when cooking sous vide is to place the sous vide circulator in a heat-proof container and fill with water to cover the items being cooked, being sure the water level falls between the minimum and maximum indicators.

Oops, I didn’t get a picture of the prepared roast, but all you have to do is sprinkle it all over with kosher salt (amount listed in recipe below), then place the roast in a sous vide bag, vacuum sealer bag or freezer bags (NOT storage bags), being sure to remove as much air as possible so the roast stays submerged. If needed, you can weigh the bag down with a spoon or butter knife.

Some sous vide containers have lids to keep the water from evaporating and racks to keep whatever is cooking from blocking the circulating water. If you use a make-shift container (like my stockpot), use a binder clip to secure the bag to the side of the container and cover to stockpot with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation.

Set the circulator temperature to the doneness you like (we like our beef around 138F), then set the cooking time for 22-24 hours and walk away. Be sure the container is covered around the circulator, but don’t cover the actual circulator. Check the water level every 6-8 hours and top off with warm water as needed.

When 22-24 hours have passed, remove the roast from the plastic bag and dry it well, then sear it on all sides in a hot skillet with a little oil. No resting time requires, serve immediately. Enjoy!

BEEF DONENESS CHART

• 125-130F (52-55C) = Rare

• 130-140F (55-60C) = Medium Rare

• 140-150F (60-65C) = Medium

• 150-155F (65-69C) = Medium Well

Items you may need to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• sous vide circulator https://amzn.to/3ufW8Rs

• sous vide container https://amzn.to/3ITrwJu

• sous vide bags https://amzn.to/3geMtlD

• vacuum sealer bags https://amzn.to/3AU0ij1

• freezer bags https://amzn.to/3ocPzLo

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Sous Vide Eye of Round Roast Beef

makes one 3 to 5-pound roast

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 to 5 pound eye of round beef roast

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half fine table salt)

• freshly ground pepper

• oil for searing

Directions

• (24 hours ahead) Dry roast well with paper towels and sprinkle kosher salt evenly all over; place roast in a gallon-size sous vide bag, vacuum sealer bag, or freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible..

• Place bag in water-filled sous vide container; use a binder clip to anchor the bag so it doesn’t interfere with the circulating water.

• Set sous vide circulator to your desired finished temperature (see chart above) for 22-24 hours (cover container with lid or plastic wrap to keep water from evaporating; adding more water if/when necessary).

• Remove roast from bag and dry well; sear all sides (2-3 minutes per side) in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Slice and serve immediately.

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Cheesy Meatball Casserole

I love the simplicity of this dish. No matter how busy my day is, I can pull a bag of my make ahead freezer meatballs out of the freezer and grab a can of crushed tomatoes from the pantry to put a hot meal on the table in less than an hour. Served with a salad or steamed vegetable on the side, it’s a very satisfying meal.

To make the sauce, sauce a minced clove of garlic in a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds. If you like heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes too. Immediately add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (remember, the better the tomatoes, the better your sauce will taste). Stir to combine.

Cover skillet with splatter shield and simmer sauce over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs (and fresh basil if using) and stir to coat. Cover with splatter shield again and continue simmering for about 10 minutes.

Turn off stovetop and uncover skillet. Sprinkle shredded part-skim mozzarella and crushed dried parsley all over the meatballs and place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and develops a few toasty brown spots.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 12-inch cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/3cztoY6

• splatter shield https://amzn.to/2XdPnxb

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Cheesy Meatball Casserole

makes 6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes

• 1/4 recipe Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

• 1-2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

• garnish: chopped fresh basil or parsley

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375F.

• In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet on medium, heat the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until oil bubbles and garlic is fragrant (should only take a minute or so).

• Immediately add crushed red pepper flakes and reduce heat to medium low; cover with a splatter shield and bring to a gentle boil.

• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add frozen meatballs and toss to coat; cover and heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Uncover skillet and spread cheese evenly over the surface; place skillet in center of preheated oven until cheese melts and browns a bit.

• Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil or parsley.

Note

• I used 1/4 batch of my Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs for to make this recipe (about 1.5 pounds of meatballs).