The Best Type Of Sugar For Perfectly Caramelized Roast Beef

The beauty of good roast beef, whether it's a bottom round rump roast or a more expensive standing rib roast, is that the roasting does most of the work. For a flavorful roast, you really need very few seasonings, but the ones you do need are essential. While there are mistakes everyone makes with roast beef, not seasoning the meat correctly is a big one, and surprisingly, not using sugar could be one of your biggest regrets when cooking a roast. But what's the best type of sugar to use in a roast beef recipe? You want to use unrefined brown sugar for a couple of reasons.

Brown sugar may be what's missing in your roast beef recipe because, like its counterpart salt, it acts as a tenderizer. But most importantly, brown sugar is the component that allows the roast beef to obtain that coveted caramelization that we seek in a slow-cooked roast. Meat caramelization is a thing of beauty, and when using unrefined brown sugar, you'll achieve that lovely brown crust on the outside of the roast through a process called the Maillard reaction. Without getting too scientific, it's the coming together of amino acids and sugars to create the browning in meat that is sweet, savory, rich, and buttery in flavor, and dark in color.

When used as a rub for roast beef, brown sugar (both light and dark) draws the moisture from the meat and permeates the fibers, breaking down and tenderizing the meat. When roasted, the outside of the meat will sear and create a barrier that allows the interior to stay juicy. Unrefined brown sugar works best for this, as the larger sugar crystals cook more evenly and create more of a crust on the roast. In addition to acting as a browning agent and a natural tenderizer, brown sugar imparts a depth of flavor to savory dishes. It's our go-to secret ingredient for chili and ribs, and it doesn't have to leave your roast beef sweet.

Using a dry rub on roast beef can be as simple as throwing together a 3-ingredient dry rub of salt, paprika, and brown sugar. You can use as little as a tablespoon of brown sugar to as much as 1 cup for a slightly sweeter profile. Adding unrefined brown sugar to a braising liquid for pot roast will yield a rich flavor that works well with other flavors at play, like herbs and spices such as Italian seasoning and cumin. You can also try getting juicy results using the reverse sear method, which allows for slow cooking the roast beef first, then adding a rub with brown sugar and cooking the meat on high heat in the oven for a deliciously crispy exterior with dark caramel coloring.