Cooking roast beef at 180°C (350°F) depends on weight and desired doneness, but a good rule is 20-30 minutes per 450g (1lb), adding extra time for medium or well-done; use a meat thermometer for accuracy, aiming for rare (52-60°C/125-140°F), medium (60-63°C/140-145°F), or well-done (71°C/160°F+), and always rest the meat for 10-20 minutes before slicing.
Method
For a 2kg roast beef, expect roughly 1 hour 10 minutes for rare, 1 hour 20-30 minutes for medium, and up to 2 hours 20 minutes for well done, cooked at around 190°C (170°C fan) or 200°C (180°C fan) depending on the cut and method, always allowing for significant resting time (20-30 mins) after cooking. Use a meat thermometer for best results, aiming for ~55°C (130°F) for rare and ~60-65°C (140-150°F) for medium, then let it rest.
Cooking time generally is about 25-30 minutes per 500 g for medium-rare (internal temperature of about 55-60°C). For a 1.5 kg roast, this would be approximately 75-90 minutes.
What to do while cooking a beef roast. You should cover your beef with foil for at least part of the cooking time. This stops it from drying out too much during cooking. While it's cooking you can start to make your side dishes, for example, traditional Yorkshire puddings.
How to Make Tender Roast Beef: Go Low and Slow. She starts the roast at a high temperature to get browning for flavor, and then lowers the oven temp and cooks the beef "slow and low" for a couple hours.
The foil in this ridiculously simple way to cook your meat seals in heat, tenderizing the beef faster than if it were unwrapped. However, before you start wrapping everything you love in foil, make sure to stick with a few basic rules: If you're cooking fast and hot, you don't need to wrap anything in foil.
The best way to get that coveted crispy, brown exterior for larger cuts, such as prime rib, is to oven-sear the meat, uncovered, at 450ºF (230ºC) for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 275ºF (140ºC) and cook to desired doneness.
For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.
While you're waiting, preheat your oven to the recommended temperature. You'll notice our chart selects low to moderate heat, in the range of 325 or 350 degrees, for larger roasts and higher heat, above 400 degrees, for smaller, tender roasts to produce the best results.
Another misstep is overcooking the roast, resulting in dry, tough meat that lacks the desired juiciness. Achieving the ideal level of doneness requires careful monitoring of cooking times and temperatures, as well as allowing the meat to rest properly after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute.
Covering the roast would result in more steaming than roasting in the oven so we cook a beef roast uncovered. Test Kitchen Tip: A roasting pan is a shallow pan specifically designed for roasting. It has a rack, which keeps the meat above the juices and allows the heat to circulate around the meat.
Position your roasting tray on the middle shelf of your oven to cook. NOTE: Cooking time is 32 minutes per kg.
Roast for 12 mins per 450g/1lb (about 55 mins for a 2kg/4lb 8oz joint) for medium-rare, or 15 mins per 450g/1lb (about 1 hr 10 mins) for medium-well.
It's best to calculate your cooking time at 40 minutes per kg or 20 minutes per lb to get the most accurate time.
Rare (125–130°F)
Rare steak is for the true carnivores—those who appreciate the primal pleasure of a warm-but-barely-cooked center. The rare steak temp hovers between 125–130°F, yielding a cool, red middle with a super-soft texture that's tender to the point of buttery.
Calculate your cooking time for medium-rare with 20 minutes per 500g or for medium use 25 minutes per 500g. For beef on or off the bone, cook it at 240C/220C fan/gas 9 for 20 minutes, then turn down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 (not forgetting to take this 20 minutes off the timing you have just calculated).
Refrigerate perishable food (meat, seafood, dairy, cut fruit, some vegetables, and cooked leftovers) within 2 hours. If the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like a hot car or picnic, refrigerate it within 1 hour.
If you are making this roast on the weekend, when you're likely to be around, feel free to cook it on high for about four to five hours. If you need it to cook all day while you're at work, set your slow cooker or Crockpot to low, and let it braise until you get home – about eight to 10 hours.
Roast beef cooking tips
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes – 1 hour before cooking. Keep the fat for flavour and moisture. No need to cover either – it helps form a good, outer crust! Use a tin just larger than the joint to keep juices from evaporating.
Place in an oven proof dish, cover with stock, add seasonal vegetables and cover with foil before cooking in the oven. Medium - 45 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes. Well done - 45 minutes per 500g, plus 45 minutes.
How long to cook roast beef. Roast beef cooking time: 50 minutes to 1 hour 20, depending on how well done you like it. Roast beef temperature: Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9 for the first 20 minutes of cooking, then lower it to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 for the remainder.
It's important to avoid using aluminum foil with acidic foods like tomato-or vinegar-based dishes, citrus fruits, or marinades containing citrus juices. Acidic ingredients can corrode the foil, causing aluminum to leach into the food, which may result in a metallic taste.
Comparing the Wrapping Materials
Moisture Retention: Aluminum foil is the best at trapping moisture, making it an excellent choice for cuts of meat that tend to dry out, such as brisket. Butcher paper, on the other hand, allows for a bit more moisture loss, which can be beneficial for achieving that coveted bark.