Tender, juicy beef cross rib roast, cooked low and slow in the oven with roasted vegetables and a delicious thick beef gravy from scratch. This cross rib roast recipe makes for a perfect Sunday roast dinner, so long as you give it enough time in the oven!
Make sure to learn How to Make Crock Pot Bone Broth to use in your cross rib roast. Also, don’t forget to make your own Onion Soup Mix for the gravy!
Cross Rib Roast
These days, more people fry up or smoke their beef, whether they are cut as steaks or as a giant cut of tough, connective tissue-filled shoulder.
However, the long tradition of making a delicious Sunday roast doesn’t have to die just yet – so long as you can get a good quality cut that’s the right size, shape, and texture, you can still make a really delicious Sunday roast that is perfect for feeding the whole family.
What Is The Cross Rib Roast?
Most people are more familiar with those big chunks of beef commonly used for roasts.
However, when most people think of those big beef roasts, they really only think of tough, stringy, and otherwise inedible beef.
The cross rib roast is something a bit different, thankfully.
Despite its name, the cross rib roast is actually a cut from the shoulder area of the cow and is technically a primal cut from the big part of the cow, typically known as the chuck.
This area makes for some tender, rich, and super beefy flavors, as well as the tendency to cook down into a soft, supple texture.
It is known as the cross rib because, while it is technically a part of the chuck cut, it includes the edges of the number 2 through 5 ribs, giving it a little bit of that thick, rib-like flavor.
The only potential downside of the cross rib roast is that it has the tendency to get a bit dry if it is overcooked, so it requires some careful monitoring in the oven!
However, any accidental dryness can be covered up with some super tasty gravy anyway!
How To Stop Your Cross Rib Roast Getting Too Dry
The most common problem with making any kind of beef roast is that the interior meat gets way, way too dry to be enjoyable.
For a lot of people, this is the main thing that stops people from cooking big, delicious roast dinners!
However, there are a few easy tricks you can do to avoid any unnecessary dryness, and it just requires you to pay a little bit of attention.
First, starting the oven really hot, allowing the meat to brown, and then turning the heat down for the remainder of the cooking time. This allows the meat to cook internally a lot slower and more gently, leading to more of the moisture in the meat staying in the meat and not evaporating away.
Secondly, using a delicious flavored compound butter and rubbing it all over the beef! This mixture not only flavors your cross rib roast but also leads to a moister, delicious piece of meat when it’s finished cooking.
Could You Use Pre-Prepared Gravy For This Recipe?
One of the most common cooking cheats that most people might not admit to using is pre-prepared gravy.
Whether it comes in a carton or in those little packets, a lot of people find the instant stuff to be a lot easier to keep around rather than having to make their own.
While it is always tempting to use some ready-made gravy, this is one recipe where you are really going to want to stick to the written recipe and make your own gravy.
Not only does the gravy here have a ton of intense, beefy, and umami flavor, it is super necessary to help give the beef roast its necessary amount of tenderness and juiciness.
As long as you can get a hold of some beef broth and a few spices, it is absolutely worth making your own gravy for this recipe.
Looking for more tasty ways to cook Beef Roasts? Try these out:
• Beef Coca Cola Pot Roast, AKA “Pop” Roast!
• Beer & Mushroom Instant Pot Pot Roast
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Cross Rib Roast
Ingredients
- one 3-4 pound cross rib roast
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Gravy
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons onion soup mix
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Vegetables
- 3 large Russet or white potatoes cubed
- 2-3 large carrots cut into one-inch pieces
- 3-4 stalks celery cut into one-inch pieces
- 1 large white onion peeled then quartered
- 1 pound fresh button mushrooms cleaned
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat the cross rib roast dry then place the roast into a lidded roasting pan or Dutch oven. Make sure that the roaster or Dutch oven is large enough to add a lot of vegetables around the roast later!
- In a bowl, mix the butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper into a paste. Spread the paste over the top and sides of the roast.
- Roast uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, letting the high heat brown the roast all over. Turn down the oven temperature to 325 °F.
- Whisk together the gravy ingredients. Pour around the sides of the beef roast. Place the lid on top and roast for another 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove the roast from the oven and add the vegetables around the meat in the gravy. Place the lid back on and return to the oven. Cook for another 1-2 hours, until the vegetables are soft and the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter and cover to keep warm while you prepare the gravy.
Gravy
- To make the gravy, take 1/4 cup cold water and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and whisk together until combined.
- Remove the drippings from the pan and spoon into a saucepan. Scrape up and dissolve any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the pan into the liquid while removing. If you used a Dutch oven, simply place the Dutch oven full of drippings on the stovetop.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the drippings quickly.
- Heat, over medium-high heat, whisking continuously, until the gravy has thickened. Remove from heat and place in a gravy bowl.
- To serve, slice the roast and serve with the vegetables, pouring the gravy on top.
Lois says
I know I can make this better! What I mean is I messed up, I read 3/4 lb roast, not 3-4 lb roast. My roast was only 2 lbs, so it didn’t need as much time as the recipe called for. I took it out at the 3 hour mark (3 hours at 325 after 1/2 hour at 425) and my liquid was gone! I added more broth and some red wine and scraped up all the bits. Unfortunately the bits were a bit burnt, so I added more broth and got an acceptable gravy. The meat was very tender and flavorfull, a tad dry. I cooked my veggies separately, as the roast was NOT going back into the oven. My fault. I will try again, and the leftovers made a fantastic beef stroganoff, so not a total waste. It’s a great recipe, just need to read better Lol!
Jenn says
I found it to be flavourful, but too much salt, I would use half next time. Also, even though I followed the instructions/recipe to the letter, my roast was overdone and dry.
jack says
here comes the airplane open ur mouth Anyone should appreciate these these tips..
jack says
google you can
hurruhhh
Heidi says
It is impossible to print the recipe without the ads covering the instuructions.
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
You click the print recipe button and it will allow you to print it without ads. The ads make our recipes free for you, so we need them present but I hope they aren’t TOO annoying.
Carol says
Lovin’ this recipe..along with a few more I have tried!! Soooooooo many well explained & well thought out recipes. WOW!!! Even at almost 80..the kitchen is still MY fav room in our home..it may be small..but it works & so do all the recipes I have tried from your vast collection Karlynn.
I still make & bake the tried & true recipes of my Mom..but have to admit.. I enjoy & always have..of trying & making new recipes as well.
Keep up the excellent work!!
ALL THE BEST to you & yours..
Jeneen Hill says
your instructions are confusing- add the gravy at the beginning? please clarify- beginning cook here!
scott says
maybe too many osky we-we’s
scott says
how can someone ask for feedback and not answer?
Nanette says
Can you provide an online equivalent fresh amount of Rosemary and thyme to replace dried for the roasting and for the gravy?
B says
calories?
jack says
yes food contains calories