There
are several methods of cooking beef. The best method depends upon
the particular cut of beef. Tougher cuts should be cooked a long
time with lower heat (roasting) while better cuts, like steaks,
can be cooked quickly over high heat.
E
Coli bacteria is a danger with undercooked ground beef. E Coli
is found in the digestive tract of cows and can be introduced
into ground beef during processing. For this reason, ground beef
should be cooked until it is no longer pink. With whole cuts (like
steaks) the only danger is on the surface of the cuts so as long
as the outside has been seared, it is safe to eat the beef rare.
Roasting
To roast, place the beef, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow
roasting pan. Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of
the beef so that it does not touch bone or fat. Roast in the oven
until it beef is 5 degrees below desired temperature (140 for
rare, 160 for medium). Remove beef and cover it with an aluminum
foil tent. Allow the beef to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
| Cut |
Temperature |
Pounds |
|
Minutes
per lb |
 |
| Eye
round |
325 |
2-3 |
rare |
20-22 |
| Rib |
325 |
4-6 |
rare |
23-25 |
| |
|
|
medium |
27-30 |
| |
|
6-8 |
rare |
26-32 |
| |
|
|
medium |
34-38 |
| Rib
eye |
350 |
4-5 |
rare |
30-35 |
|
|
|
medium |
20-22 |
| Round
tip |
325 |
2-4 |
rare |
30-35 |
| |
|
|
medium |
35-40 |
| |
|
4-6 |
rare |
25-30 |
| |
|
|
medium |
30-35 |
| Tenderloin |
425 |
2-3 |
rare |
15-17 |
|
|
4-6 |
rare |
10-11 |
| Top
loin |
325 |
4-6 |
rare |
17-21 |
| |
|
|
medium |
21-25 |
| |
|
6-8 |
rare |
14-17 |
| |
|
|
medium |
17-21 |
| Top
round |
325 |
4-6 |
rare |
25-30 |
|
|
|
medium |
30-35 |
Grilling
If the beef has a large ring of fat around the outside, slash
the fat diagonally at one inch intervals to keep it from curling
up during cooking. Place the beef 4-5 inches over hot coals. Turn
the beef once, half-way into cooking. The same times apply to
broiling beef in the oven.
| Cut |
thickness
in inches |
minutes
rare |
minutes
medium |
|
| Porterhouse,
t-bone steak |
3/4 |
8 |
12 |
|
1 |
10 |
15 |
| Sirloin
steak |
3/4 |
10 |
15 |
| |
1 |
16 |
21 |
| Tenderloin |
1 |
10 |
15 |
| Top
loin steak |
3/4 |
8 |
12 |
| |
1 |
12 |
17 |
| Chuck
shoulder steak |
3/4 |
11 |
14 |
|
1 |
14 |
18 |
| Top
round steak |
1 |
15 |
18 |
