Roast beef like Arby's

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salsaguy

Assistant Cook
Joined
Mar 11, 2004
Messages
4
Location
United States
Hi Im new here,

I have been looking for a way to make roast beef that I can slice like Arby's. What kind of roast would I use? Pot roast? And how would I cook it?

Thanks,

Salsaguy
 
Roast beef is what you are looking for.

Let me tell you up front, though, that without an expensive meat slicing machine, you'll never match exactly what you get at Arby's but you might come close.

Making good roast beef is not something you'll master overnight but if you put the time in and make a few, with a little trial and error you should be able to create something very Arbylike :)

First of all, get yourself a $25 (or less) digital probe thermometer from somewhere like target, walmart or kmart. The kind you are looking for has the long wire so the probe can stay in the meat during cooking. Then get yourself a rump roast - look for a cut with the most white flecks in it (fattiest). After you've mastered a rump roast you might want to try an eye of round (more traditional). Because it's such a leaner cut, it's quite a bit more difficult to get a moist and flavorful roast.

Prep

Depending on the store where I get if from, sometimes I rinse off my roast with water to clean it. Other times I just blot it with a paper towel. Whichever you do, make sure it's dry going into the oven. Insert the probe thermometer sideways into the meat so the point is in the thickest part (middle). If you have a rack for your roasting pan, use it, if not, it's not the end of the world. Put the roast in a preheated oven.

Roasting

What temp for the oven? The traditional method is to roast at 325 degrees until your thermometer reads your desired temp (140 degrees for medium rare). That will give you a okay roast beef. Some people will tell you to sear the meat first to 'seal' in the juices. That is a myth. Seared meat, as it turns out, loses more moisture than unseared meat.

If you , like me, are striving for the ultimate roast beef, I'd recommend a slightly different tack. I've been seeing more and recipes from chefs instructing an initial heat of 375 (for browning and food safety) but then going down to 250 for a very slow roasting. This method will give you a moister, more delicious roast. I've never done it with beef but I have done it with pork and the results have been amazing. How long at 375? Well, I have to admit I've been doing mine by eye. The next time I roast I'll pay closer attention to the thermometer but if I had to make a good guess, I'd say roast at 375 until the probe thermometer hits 90 then lower to 250 until you hit a 135 degree internal temp. As far as the final temp is concerned that's really a matter of taste. When you take the roast out of the oven it will continue to cook another 5 to 10 degrees depending on the size. 140 is supposed to be medium rare but everyone you talk to seems to have a different opinion on internal roasting temperatures. 140 is way too pink for me personally. If it is too pink/red, remember you will be rewarming it after you cool it/cut it. Arbies probably takes theirs to 150 or maybe even higher. You'll probably need to make roast beef a couple of times until you hit the exact color you want.

One important thing to keep in mind during roasting is to keep an eye on your pan juices. If you see them starting to burn/get black add a few tablespoons of water. Generally you don't need to inspect for burning until about 1/3 through the cooking time. Once out of the oven, pour the pan juices into a separate cup and chill. If you don't want to monitor your pan juices you can substitute them later with water, but your sandwich won't be as good.

Cutting

Getting really thin slices from a straight from the oven roast beef is impossible. Let the roast cool for about 30 minutes or so and then refrigerate overnight. After fully chilling the roast will be a lot easier to slice. Some people tie up their roasts with butcher twine so it's easier to cut and other people partially freeze their roast beef. I just use a very sharp 8" chef's knife. Cut thin slices against the grain. If you have a friend who's a butcher, access to a meat slicer would be ideal.

Rewarming

Rewarming is probably the most difficult part for me. I've tried warming in some hot water (bad idea) then in a microwave (worse idea) and finally came upon the oven technique which works well as long as you watch it carefully. First get your bun ready/split on a piece of foil and near the oven. Preheat oven to 275. Microwave your chilled roasting juices a few seconds so they are fully liquid. Line a cookie sheet with foil and then coat the sheet lightly with some of the juices (or a spritzing of water). Arrange your slices in a single layer and then lightly coat the tops with the same juice (or water). If you were able to achieve paper thin slices, a single layer isn't necessary, I just clump them in a thin layer. Now here's the tricky part, depending on the thickness of slice you were able to achieve, you want to bake them at 275 degrees just long enough to warm them. If by chance they were a little too pink for your taste to begin with, you can bake them a little longer, but pay very close attention as they turn grey/tough in a heartbeat. Once they are warm enough, immediate transfer them to your open bun and wrap with foil. In about 15 minutes you'll have a wonderful fast food style roast beef sandwich.
 
Yum I cuold just eat that now! I agree with Scott123, and would add that I never sear my beef before putting it in the oven, i agree that it loses too much moisture doing that. The only time I sear a joint of beef is if I am going to make beef wellington (beef in pastry) as you don't want too many juices making the pastry soggy.

Not knowing Arby's beef (wrong country) I would consider basting your meat ever so slightly with olive oil before roasting, to encourage a crisp crust and juicy insides. I would rub garlic on it as well, and perhaps some pounded anchovies.

Keep an eye out for a second hand meat slicer, or consider purchasing a new one, if it's something you are going to be doing often. Domestic models are getting cheaper all the time (at elat they are in this country)
 
Roast beef

Thanks for the tips. I do have a meat slicer and it can slice it as thin as I want. I will try the recipe next weekend and let you know how it turned out.

Thanks,

salsaguy :D
 
Deciding to take my own advice I went and bought a rump roast of my own. Well, my roasting technique gave me a good roast but I'm not entirely pleased, yet.

Add that to the fact that I've been reading different threads on roasting in forums all over the web, I'm going to have to recommend, for the time being, ignoring my previous instructions for a high-then low heat roast.

My opinion may change again tomorrow :) but I think you'll get your best results by roasting the meat at 275 until an internal temperature of 135.

I think the most crucial aspect of great roast beef is the extent of the fat marbling. A decent layer of fat on the outside helps, but the small dots of fat on the inside are really where it counts. Rubbing with oil is a good idea although olive might give you a flavor different from Arby's, as will garlic and anchovies, although they certainly sound delicious.
 
This is the problem with being an Aussie in England and having never been to America there aer lots of things I am not familiar with, like Arby's!

I don't know whether you had the same problem in America, however for a few years the food police captured the beef market, and all we got was super lean tasteless meat. Happily the foodies are fighting back, and we are starting to get decent meat again!
 
Except for those in the position to pay big bucks for it at butchers, the rest of us supermarket shoppers have had very lean tasteless beef and pork for quite some time here. Hopefully with the popularity of low carb fat-friendly diets, the demand for fattier meat will result in better meat being made available to the public. Hopefully :)
 
Arbys roast beef

Just to clear things up with our fellow cooks outside of the US, Arbys roast beef is beef sliced very thin and has a very fine texture like deli meat.

Thanks for your comments,

salsaguy
 
I dont like Arbys...... too salty.... too expensive for a tiny sandwich :? And they need better bread. Im a fan of Subway personally.
Is anyone else with me on this???? :?:
 
Further info on Arby's. Arby's does NOT use a "Roast Beef". Instead they use a chopped and formed product that is the beefy equivalent of Spam.
It loooks similar to the stuff Greek restaraunts use to make Gyros, but it isn't nearly as good.

According to my source (a former Arby's manager) this meat-sicle is flavored with onion powder, garlic powder and loots of salt. So, while you will not get the exact results at home, you will actually get a superior product.
 
Bubba, thanks for that enlightening information. I have to admit that it's been a decade since I've had Arby's roast beef. For some reason I thought it was similar to Roy Rogers, but now I know that's not the case.

Salsaguy, unless you want Roy Roger's roast beef, my recipe is not what you're looking for. How about trying a meatloaf with onion powder, garlic powder and salt?

Bubba, does your source know if any fillers have been added? I've always thought Gyro meat had some sort of cereal extender in it.
 
Bubba you got connections!! :D
I just KNEW that stuff wasnt 100% beef. I think they should change their name to Spammy's. I mean Spam is just like hot dog meat RIGHT? So they are serving giant hot dog sandwiches with flavored processed meat right? :P
 
Arby's no longer roasts 'a joint' [as Kyles calls it and a better term as well]. The product seems to be like that boiled ham stuff you see in plastic at some super markets. Meaning that its bits of beef pressed to make a loaf.

As fast food goes My vote is 1st eat at home , if not, ok then Subway.
 
subway

forget subway...unless you want a salal sandwich Yuck.....if you can get to a cousins sub shop or any # of ma and pa shops you will do better than subway........

just my opinion
 
Due to their advancing age, I had to move my parents to where I live. The most difficult adjustment for them has been that there is no Arby's here. I'm going to see how close I can come to duplicating as soon as the weather gets too cold to go fishing. Regarding price, they would typically use a "2 sandwiches for $3 coupon," which is inexpensive in my book.
 
Arby's uses inside round that has been brined in a solution of water, sodium chloride, and salt-peter. The salt-peter is a salt known to cause the meat to keep its pink color, and retard teh growth of the organizm that causes botulism. It's also the salt used in curing many sausages, and ham.

Also, the meat is slow-roasted to help tenderize the meat, and sliced very thin against the grain.

This is why the Arby's meat has a deli quality. It's made virtually the same way.

For me, slow-cooking a good roast over a divided bed of charcoal, with some good hardwood thrown in, and regular salt and coarse grind pepper produce a far superior flavor. I have an inexpesive rotary meat slicer that cuts pretty thin. But I can do as well, though more slowly with my chef's knife.

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
"just KNEW that stuff wasnt 100% beef. I think they should change their name to Spammy's. I mean Spam is just like hot dog meat RIGHT? So they are serving giant hot dog sandwiches with flavored processed meat right?"

Spam is also pork shoulder and hams chipped, pressed, and sealed into the can. It is then cooked inside the can so it is not like hot dogs. It has a long shelf life because of this and was used in WWII because of the longevity of the meat. It also give it that "unique" texture that leads many to believe that it is something else.

Though hot dogs can be anything from byproducts to actuall good cuts of meat. So can balogna. It all depends on who makes it, and obviously the better peices of meat cost more also.

And, lastly, I can't see how someone could hate Arbys and really like Subway - neither really has the lock on high quality meats (though I eat quite a bit of both and like them). Nixons uses better meat and steams theirs, but I do not know how national that chain is. Best is a real deli that gets good, fresh, meats.
 
I mistakenly said that Arby's used an inside round. Sorry about that folks. (hang my head in shame for not doing my homework before responding).

I do know that my family has me purchase inside rounds every so often so that they can be barbecued with some birch and maple smoke unti they about 135 degrees. Then we slice up the meat paper thin and put it in freezer bags for our own sandwich meat. We like it better than deli meat. The flavor is far superior, IMHO.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
If you want to make a sandwich taste like Arby's then you have to get
some of their Horsey Sauce. That is the best part of their sandwiches.
 
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