With minimal time and effort to prepare, and little to no tending while it cooks, a roast lets you enjoy more time with friends and family – perfect for entertaining.
It’s so easy. Just season the meat and oven-roast – that’s all there is to it!
Get Ready
Oven-roast these cuts at a low temperature to the doneness you like and carve into thin slices to serve.
SEASON ROAST Place in shallow roasting pan. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into centre of roast avoiding fat or bone.
OVEN-SEAR by placing uncovered roast in preheated 450°F (230°C) oven for 10 minutes.
REDUCE heat to 275°F (140°C); cook uncovered to desired doneness, removing from oven when 5°F (3°C) below finished temperature (145°F/63°C for medium-rare, 160°F/71°C for medium, 170°F/77°C for well-done). Note: Bone-in roast can take 30 to 45 minutes less.
COVER with foil and let stand for at least 15 minutes before carving into thin slices.
*If you are not around to turn it down? Skip Step 2 and roast at a constant 275°F (140°C). This is especially good for less tender cuts and smaller roasts (less than 1 kg/2 lb). Allow approximately 15% longer cook time.
Watch
Common Cuts
Boneless Prime Rib Oven Roast
Top Sirloin Oven Roast
Outside Round Oven Roast
Inside Round Oven Roast
Sirloin Tip Oven Roast
Cross Rib Petite Shoulder Tender
or buy any even-shaped boneless Oven Roast (ideally, a sausage shape)
Myth Buster
MYTH:
The best way to know when your roast will be done is to follow a Minutes per Pound cooking chart.
TRUTH:
The shape of the roast and the type of cut are major factors that determine cooking time (as well as the accuracy of your oven) – these factors make it impossible to develop accurate Minutes per Pound estimates. The best way to know your roast is done the way you like it is to use a meat thermometer.
Tips for the perfect oven roast
Cooks Notes:
A rack in the pan promotes even cooking.
Roast without a lid for best browning.
Use a thermometer to know when your Oven Roast is done the way you like it: (145°F/63°C for medium-rare, 160°F/71°C for medium, 170°F/77°C for well-done).
Let roast stand at least 15 minutes after cooking to let juices settle.
Carve Oven Roasts into thin slices across the grain.
Cooks Notes:
A rack in the pan promotes even cooking.
Roast without a lid for best browning.
Use a thermometer to know when your Oven Roast is done the way you like it.
Let roast stand at least 15 minutes after cooking to let juices settle.
Carve Oven Roasts into thin slices across the grain.
Oven Roast Beef refers to a cut that has a chunky shape – often like a cylinder or cube. Roasts can have a range of sizes cut to suit you, from 1 lb (500g) Quick Roasts to 10 lb (4.5 kg) or more. They come with a range of tenderness. Cook Oven Roasts in the oven with no liquid and no lid.
QUICK ROASTS are small-cut Oven Roasts that cook in less than an hour.
All Canadian roasts are sorted into 3 BASIC COOKING CATEGORIES: so you know what you’re buying and how to cook it: Choose from OVEN ROAST, POT ROAST and ROTISSERIE ROAST.
Size Matters: Butchers recommend you buy enough beef for generous servings or allow for leftovers.
Buy 6 to 8 oz (175 to 250 g) raw beef per person (boneless roast)
Buy 12 oz (375 g) raw beef per person (bone-in-roast)
Rib Roast is ever tender and flavourful. As a premium Oven Roast, this cut is luxury priced and delivers a tender eating experience.
Inside Round Oven Roast
Best oven roasted at low temperatures (275°F/135°C) to at least medium rare (145°F/63°C). Carve across the grain into thin slices to optimize tenderness. Taken from the lean round, Inside Round is more flavourful than Eye of Round and more tender than Outside Round.
Top Sirloin Premium Oven Roast
This premium oven roast has maximized tenderness at an intermediate price. Top Sirloin cuts have good beefy flavour.
Prime Rib Premium Oven Roast
The favourite of the restaurant buffet and Sunday night roast beef dinner, the Prime Rib is ever tender and flavourful. As a premium Oven Roast, this cut is luxury priced and delivers a tender eating experience.
Rib Cap Off Grilling Steak
Rib Steak is ever tender and flavourful and trimming off the Cap means there is less waste, so better value for your money. One of the most flavourful tender steaks. Good for pan-searing, broiling or grilling.
Eye of Round Oven Roast
One of the leanest beef cuts with the mildest flavour, this cut is generally sold at a moderate price. To maximize tenderness, cook to medium doneness at most. let cooked roast rest for 15 minutes and carve across the grain into thin slices to maximize tenderness.
Outside Round Oven Roast
Taken from the lean round, Outside Round is more flavourful than Eye of Round and less tender than Inside Round. Best oven roasted at low temperatures (275°F) to at least medium-rare 145°F (63°C). Carve across the grain into thin slices to optimize tenderness.
Centre Cut Tenderloin Premium Oven Roast
This centre section of the whole tenderloin is also known as the Chateaubriand and is characterized as having a nice even shape that makes it ideal for making Beef Wellington. Tenderloin is a soft textured beef cut with less marbling and a unique mild flavour. As a premium Oven Roast, it delivers an extremely lean and tender eating experience at a higher price point.
Alternate Cuts | Oven Roast
Eye of Round Oven Roast
One of the leanest beef cuts with the mildest flavour, this cut is generally sold at a moderate price. To maximize tenderness, cook to medium doneness at most. Let cooked roast rest for 15 minutes and carve across the grain into thin slices to maximize tenderness.
Rib Eye Premium Oven Roast
This boneless Oven Roast is ever tender and very flavourful. As a premium Oven Roast, this cut is luxury priced and delivers a tender eating experience.
Inside Round Quick Roast
Inside Round Quick roast is an Inside Round Oven Roast that has been cut to be about 1 lb and shaped much like a Tenderloin. This lean cut can be oven roasted in less than an hour. More flavourful than Eye of Round and more tender than Outside Round. Best oven roasted at 275°F (135°C) to at least medium-rare 145°F (63°C). Carve across the grain into thin slices to optimize tenderness.
Butt Tenderloin Premium Oven Roast
This tenderloin section is the larger end of the whole tenderloin and is characterized as soft texturized with less marbling that delivers a unique mild flavour. As a premium Oven Roast, this cut is luxury priced and it delivers an extremely lean and tender eating experience.
Sirloin Tip Oven Roast
Sirloin Tip is a moderately tender Oven Roast sold at an intermediate price with good beefy flavour. To maximize tenderness, cook to medium-rare 145°F (63°C). Let cooked roast rest for 15 minutes (at least). Carve across the grain into thick slices to serve.
Strip Loin Premium Oven Roast
This Oven Roast has a thinner flatter shape than most roasts, so it will cook in less time that many other roasts. Strip Loin is characterized as having an excellent blend of frim texture and fine marbling delivering exceptional flavour and tenderness.
Short Tenderloin Premium Oven Roast
This tenderloin section is the smaller tapered end section of the whole tenderloin and is characterized as having soft texture with less marbling and a unique mild flavour. As a premium Oven Roast, it delivers an extremely lean and tender eating experience at a high price point. With the tapered end, the thinnest portion can be used for excellent stir-fry strips or fondue/grilling kabob cubes.
Classic Gravy
Heat roast drippings in the pan used for roasting the beef, using medium-high heat; stir in 2 cups broth or stock.
Stir up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Thicken by cooking until broth reduces or thicken with cornstarch (see Cook’s Notes). Strain (if desired) and skim off fat; return to pan. Heat and season to taste. Add splash of heavy cream and/or balsamic or wine vinegar if desired.
Cook’s Notes:
To thicken with cornstarch, gradually stir together equal amounts of cornstarch and cold water. (Note: 1 tbsp cornstarch thickens 1 cup liquid.) Whisk into sauce and bring to a boil, cooking just until thickened.
Piercing meat with fork, tilt roast so that bones are vertical.
With carving knife, cut parallel to bone, removing the large chunk of meat.
Set roast cut side down; carve across the grain into slices. Cut between bones to separate them for serving.
Cook’s Notes:
You can set cutting board into rimmed baking sheet to collect juices.
To simplify carving, at time of purchase, ask the butcher to cut meat from the bones and then tie them back on. After roasting, just snip the twine and remove bones.
Use a gentle sawing action and a sharp carving knife to minimize loss of juices while carving.
Cook like a pro
Take the guesswork out of cooking and use a thermometer to cook beef just the way you like it. There are two kinds to consider when cooking roasts: oven-safe or instant/rapid read.
Thermometers
Oven Safe
You leave the thermometer stem inserted into the meat while it cooks so you can monitor the cooking progress. They come with a dial face read or as a digital-read thermometer with cable and monitor.
The digital model lets you monitor cooking without opening the oven door – most models even send out a signal when your meat is cooked to the doneness you select.
Digital Instant/rapid-read
These thermometers are NOT oven-safe so don’t insert before roasting. To use, remove roast from oven near end of cooking and insert thermometer stem to check meat temperature.
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prep time
20 min
cook time
45 min
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prep time
15 min
cook time
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Making Beef Wellington as individual servings is a modern take on the classically elegant meal.
prep time
30 min
cook time
2 hr
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prep time
25 min
cook time
1:30
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Roast Beef with Peppercorn Wine Sauce and Make-ahead Glazed BeetsThis delicious roast is infused with garlic and seasoned simply with a rub made from crushed peppercorns. Use multi-coloured peppercorns for the best look. The simple wine sauce is made from the pan drippings. Simple to prep - this roast is ready for the oven in 5 minutes.
prep time
30 min
Oven Roast Beef with Simple SauceFor busy mums, roast beef has to be the easiest meal to make. Just rub it all over with salt and pepper, pop it in the oven and the job is done! Use a meat thermometer to know when the roast is cooked and let it rest while you make a simple pan-sauce for the adults. To make the meal for baby, just trim off the seasoned outside edges of the cooked roast beef slices before you purée the meat.
prep time
15 min
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prep time
10 min
cook time
3 hr
Garlic Studded Roast BeefIn this recipe, slivers of garlic infuse the beef with rich, garlicky flavour. “Roast was nicely browned and extremely tender and flavourful. Nice pink colour throughout. All in all, an extremely successful test with great results.” —Reader Comment
prep time
5 min
Grab-And-Go TortillasBelieve it or not, roast beef is the perfect start to a speedy 'grab and go' meal like this one! Use a small Beef Oven Roast (try a Quick Roast such as Top Sirloin, Sirloin Tip or Inside Round) or use a Grilling Steak instead if you like.
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prep time
10 min
cook time
2:30
Putting-On-the-Ritz Roast BeefImpress everyone with this elegant roast beef recipe, infused with garlic, coated with herbs, and served with wine gravy. If using a Prime Rib you may need to allow an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
prep time
10 min
cook time
2 hr
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