These Asparagus Beef Roll Ups with Basil Aioli are an explosion of flavor; a slam-dunk in both taste and presentation, all wrapped up like the little gifts that they are. While these “asparagus beef roll ups with basil aoili” may sound (and look) deceptively high-maintenance, they are anything but. In reality, they end up becoming a huge ‘return-on-investment’, considering how few ingredients they require, and how little of your attention they demand in the kitchen. They only need your help with ‘rolling themselves up’-  the other steps are so simple, they practically do the work for you.

Asparagus Beef Roll Ups with Basil Aioli

This recipe came about by accident, courtesy of my local grocery store. Often, in a last-ditch effort to still turn some sort of profit, they will dramatically mark down the meats that are about to expire, slap a bright orange “Manager’s Special” sticker on it, and wait for bargain-thirsty shoppers like myself to come scoop up their “special” meats… their unwanted, least popular ‘red-headed stepchild’ meats. While the manager may feel like he has “won” by managing to eek out a tiny profit right at the buzzer, the fact is it is bargain-shoppers like myself who have ACTUALLY won. Because let’s face it we practically stole this meat… plus we know damn well that we paid 3x less today than everyone did just one day prior.

So when they are kind enough to mark down their prices, I can’t just say NO to the generous gift they are bestowing me. And frequently that means I purchase no matter WHAT it is, even if I have no clue what that particular cut of meat it is, or what it tastes like, or how on earth to prepare it. THAT part is Google’s job, right? Recently I happened across a nice big hunk of beef labeled  “Eye of Round Roast.” Whatever that is… but the name sounded cool, it was almost 3 pounds of beefy goodness, and the whole thing cost less than $5, so it was coming home with me.

As I mentioned, Mr Google has a job to do. When I got home, I politely asked him how to make “Eye of Round”, and the first result to pop up was good enough for me. Mind you, the first result that popped up was totally contrary to any form of cooking logic I have ever abided by. You basically roast the meat at a super high temperature for a very short amount of time, then turn the oven OFF, and let the whole thing continue to “cook”…. in an oven that, let me repeat, is OFF. Not a typo; it’s O-F-F, not O-N.

But I figured ok, sure, #YOLO. I also reasoned with myself, that all these people on AllRecipes who were reviewing the recipe, could not possibly have done so if they were dead from food poisoning. So that was a very comforting thought. Now, I was still not sure how this cut of meat was supposed to taste. But I only had $5 invested, and if it tasted like shoe leather I could always order a pizza with the money I had saved. It was worth the experiment.

Luckily the end result= DELICIOUS, thin-sliced, roast beef! But I still wanted to jazz it up and make a whole meal out of it. Typically, (I believe) that roast beef is mostly used in sandwiches, but I’m not a huge proponent of bread. So I wanted to think of something else to serve it with. I had asparagus in the fridge, and went rummaging through my pantry for ideas. I found a jar of Basil Aioli in the pantry, and the light bulb went off!

My quest for a complete meal turned into what you see here: Asparagus Beef Roll Ups with Basil Aioli. My man and I loved EVERY bite- plus, these could not have been any easier to make. These would be great for a party, but they are also an excellent way to add some variety to your dinner routine as well. Hope you enjoy!!!

ASPARAGUS BEEF ROLL UPS – INGREDIENTS

• (1) 2-3 lb Beef Eye of Round Roast
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• Sea salt & freshly-cracked pepper to taste
• Onion Powder and Garlic Powder to taste
• 1 jar Basil Aioli (NOTE: I had found this particular jar of Basil Aioli in the Condiment Aisle at our local grocery store. The brand we used was Private Selection, and most likely you will not even the full jar. If you can not find the jarred version, you can easily make your own Basil Aioli using fresh basil, mayo, lemon juice, and garlic! Super easy recipe is linked)
• Chives, green onions, or toothpicks (to secure your asparagus beef roll ups)

ASPARAGUS BEEF ROLL UPS – PREPARATION

• 1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Season both sides of Eye of Round roast with sea salt, fresh-cracked pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Place roast (fat side UP) on rack in shallow roasting pan.
• 2) Place roast in pre-heated oven, then reduce temperature to 475 degrees. Roast for 7 minutes per pound, then turn oven OFF. Let roast sit for 2.5 hours; it will continue to cook from the residual heat from the oven. Do not open the oven door at any point!!!
• 3) Remove roast from oven, ensure that it has reached 145 degrees internally, let cool. Carve into thin slices. (*NOTE: the ‘eye of round’ portion of this recipe has been adapted from Allrecipes.com).

• 4) Steam your trimmed asparagus (using microwave or on stovetop) until crisp-tender, and set aside.
• 5) Assemble your steamed asparagus, basil aioli, sliced eye of round, and chives (or toothpicks, if using) on your counter.

• 6) For each slice of meat, spoon a bit of Basil Aioli over top side. Next, add 2-3 asparagus to the meat/aioli combo. (Pro tip: Starting from the left side of the sliced meat, not the center, makes it roll up easier. The asparagus is in the center for this photo, BUT try placing the asparagus on the left side if you are having trouble rolling them up.)

• 7) Roll meat slices slowly around asparagus bundles (taco-style). Secure your asparagus beef rolls with mini-toothpicks, chives, or green onions. (Heads up– the chives make for a prettier picture, but they don’t hold the rollups together nearly as well as toothpicks).

• 8) Admire your handiwork before digging in. Enjoy!

NOTE: In place of the Basil Aioli, you can also use a combination of Horseradish/Whipped Cream Cheese! You could also sub deli roast beef if you are feeling extremely lazy- although this recipe is already hands-off enough!!

Would also taste great served cold! Enjoy folks!

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