Round.
The hind leg. Lean and, in FSIS's words, less tender. Roasts and steaks that want moist heat or a thin slice.
Beef round cooks to the doneness you like, at or above the USDA minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. It is not a low-and-slow cut.
Where it comes from
FSIS names round as a major primal that, like chuck, is less tender and generally needs moist heat. Top round and eye of round make roast beef and jerky; bottom round braises. In barbecue the round is a smoked-roast-beef cut sliced paper thin, or a braise. It is not brisket and does not become brisket with time; it has too little fat.
USDA FSIS primal: round. Nine regions, matching the Beef Board retail chart convention where the loin is shown as short loin and sirloin.
- Best methods:
- roast, braise, smoke to medium-rare then slice thin
- Slice:
- Thin, across the grain.
- Rest:
- 15 to 20 minutes for a roast (Beef Board).
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top round roast | roast, smoke | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | FSIS planning: round or rump roast 30 to 35 minutes per pound at 325 F. Slice thin. |
| Eye of round | roast | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Jerky and deli-style roast beef. |
| Bottom round / rump | braise | Your doneness, 145 F + rest USDA floor | Pot roast. |
Safe. Then done.
145 F (62.8 C), then rest at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming
Steaks, chops and roasts (whole muscle). Food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, read before removing from the heat source. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
FSIS planning: 30 to 35 minutes per pound at 325 F for a round roast. Approximate.
beef industry
Steaks and roasts, final temperature after rest. Culinary preference, as published by the industry body cited below.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 145 F, rest at least 3 minutes | At or above the minimum. |
| Medium | 160 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 170 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Roasts rise 5 to 15 F after leaving the heat; allow 15 to 20 minutes standing time.
More on the beef temperature page and the full chart.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Leave-in probe / wireless thermometerFSIS: use two thermometers, one for the pit air and one for the food. Every low-and-slow page.
- Slicing knife (brisket knife)Slice-against-the-grain pages: brisket, tri-tip, flank, leg of lamb.
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Then write down what happened
Pit temp, wood, wrap, final temp, rest, result. The chart says what usually works. Your log says what worked for you.