How to Make Deli-Style Roast Beef

Updated: June 22, 2015
Learn how to cook lean, flavorful roast beef with these tips from Mad Delicious author Keith Schroeder.
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Making Your Own Roast Beef

Photo: Randy Mayor
Deli-counter roast beef is often laden with salt, and the flavor of the meat gets lost in briny translation. In the main recipe here, bold ingredients blanket the exterior of a lean but flavorful cut—eye of round. You'll get a spice-rubbed, almost charred flavor that highlights rather than overwhelms the sandwich. The variation is a spruced-up beef tenderloin for ritzy, open-faced presentations—ideal for parties.

A high-temperature start forms a good-looking crust, while the lower temperature taper allows an edge-to-edge, rosy eye that will delight fans of a straight-ahead roast beef on rye. Be sure to use a probe thermometer rather than relying on time references alone, which are merely guidelines. The flatter the roast, the quicker it will cook. Find one with a consistent diameter for the most even result.

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Step 1: Give It a Rub

Photo: Randy Mayor
Spread the coffee-spice mixture on the roast, massaging it into the meat.

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Step 2: Be Patient

Photo: Randy Mayor
Wrap the cooked, cooled roast, and chill it overnight for a big flavor payoff.
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Step 3: Think Shavings

Photo: Randy Mayor
Slice the lean roast as thinly as you can for the most tender bites.

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Recipe Variation: Mustard-Tarragon Beef Tenderloin

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Mustard-Tarragon Beef Tenderloin

Chilling the meat overnight and slicing it thinly the next day gives the rub more time to flavor the meat. This is a great make-ahead dish for parties; serve on toasted baguette with horseradish sauce and arugula. Not only is this a surefire way to impress your guests, it's a simple appetizer that everyone will love.

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