Q&A for How to Cook a Top Round Roast

The longer you roast per pound, the greater the degree of doneness. A 20 minute per pound roast will be on the rare side; 30 minutes will probably be well done. Two caveats: Unlike, say, a stew meat with high collagen, which will become more tender with longer cooking times, a roast such as this will become dried out and chewier. Also, just because you set your oven to 325°, for example, it doesn't mean your actual oven temperature is that. Get an oven thermometer, set the oven at the desired temperature, and see what the "real" temperature is. Then, adjust the setting on the dial until the interior oven temperature is exactly the one you want. Remember that setting and use it.

It should. The longer you cook it, the drier and chewier (or tougher) it will be. When the interior of the roast is 120°, remove it from the oven and let it rest covered. This will cause about a 5° internal temperature rise and redistribute the interior juices. This will give you about a medium-rare result, depending on the thickness of the meat.

You can substitute tarragon or thyme for rosemary. You can use equal amounts of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg to substitute for the allspice.

You can always cook a roast at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes a pound and get very close to perfect.

Yes, top round roasts work well for pot roast. Coat the beef with olive oil and brown it in a pan first. Then let it simmer in beef broth by roasting it in the oven or crock pot.

Whenever possible, but you may have to adjust the amounts. Dried herbs and spices are more concentrated, but fresh ones are "brighter." I like to use fresh. You may have to experiment to get everything to your liking.

You shouldn't notice much of a difference. You can add these in the pan with the roast and it should finish cooking around the same time. Still, check the roast with a thermometer to make sure. You may need to give it an extra 5 or 10 minutes to ensure it reaches the temperature you desire.

Yes, this is fine! Wrap the meat up in a double layer of foil, then put it on a pan in the center of the oven. The foil should cause your roast to cook faster than normal. Expect the total cooking time to be about 6 minutes per pound. Check the meat with a thermometer before you're done to make sure it cooks to the temperature you want.

First, find out how much each roast weighs. Then, add the weights together. You are basically treating the meat like 1 big roast. Expect the cooking time to be about 21 minutes per pound of meat in your pan. To make sure, take the meat out about 30 minutes before the time is up and test both roasts with a thermometer.

Typically, you'd add them with about 30 minutes of cooking time left, but it depends on your cooking temperature, and the size and amount of vegetables.