Recipe(tried): Beef roast recipe for Sheryl - Eye of Round Roast, Beef Basting Sauce and Marinade

Hi Sheryl - thanks for your reply. You certainly have your work cut out for you, with 200 guests!!!! I totally agree with you - make everything a day or two ahead of time so you aren't cooking during the party - you want to enjoy yourself, too!!

For that many guests, I'd highly recommend that you have a small assortment of cold cuts for sandwiches. Turkey, ham and roast beef should cover all tastes, though a turkey or tuna salad served with the cold cuts might also be welcome. Cheese slices would also be a good item. You'll need 25 pounds of meat (2 ounces per person/sandwich for 200 people). Consider baking a ham and a turkey breast along with your roast beef for the crowd.

I really like using the eye of round for roast beef sandwiches. It is very lean, has no waste, and slices beautifully in just the right size slices for a sandwich. Definitely use your white roasting pan (without the cover) to roast the meat, and, if it has a rack insert, use it too. Roast at 375F until the internal temperature reaches 135F, and allow to rest at least 30 minutes then chill it completely before slicing. It is much easier to get very thin slices from chilled meat. I prefer to use a wet marinade on eye of round so that it tenderizes the meat. Here is one that my mother always uses - it looks like a lot of ingredients, but they are all things that are usually on hand at home. Marinate the meat overnight, then pat dry with paper towels before roasting. You'll probably want to double this recipe.

Beef Basting Sauce and Marinade

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth or consumme (canned is fine)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dry rosemary, crumbled
1/2 tsp. dry marjoram
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tsp. dijon mustard (or you can use dry mustard)
1/4 cup ketchup or bottled cili sauce (like Heinz or Bennets)
1 TBL brown sugar
2 tsp. Kosher salt (or 1 tsp. regular table salt)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 TBL Worcestershire
1/2 cup oil

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Allow to cool completely then chill before placing over meat.

Best of luck with your party!