Ball tip roast is one of the lesser-known cuts of beef, but it is well worth getting to know. The roast comes from the lower part of the loin – the bottom sirloin, in American terms – and is sold under its American name. The meat is lean, slightly fibrous and full of pure beef flavour, and precisely because there is so little fat in it, it needs to be handled properly.
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In the air fryer, the roast gets a hearty crust of coarse salt and black pepper, while the centre stays pink and juicy. Sliced thinly across the grain, it turns out tender, and it is just as good for Sunday dinner as it is on rye bread the next day. Here is what I have learned about getting the doneness exactly right.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love ball tip roast in the air fryer
I am fond of ball tip because it gives you a great-looking roast with few ingredients and very little work: olive oil, coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper are all it takes. The hot air in the air fryer circulates tightly around the meat and browns it evenly all the way round, and you avoid heating up a big oven for a 1 kg roast.
If you want to vary the flavour, you can mix garlic powder and dried rosemary into the seasoning, or brush the roast with a little Dijon mustard before the salt and pepper go on.
The difference between the air fryer and the oven
In the oven, a roast like this often has to be browned in a pan first to get a proper crust. In the air fryer it all happens in the basket: a short, hot start gives colour, and the lower temperature afterwards lets the centre finish cooking at a calmer pace. The result is a hearty crust with only a thin, grey band underneath and as much pink meat as possible in the middle.
My kitchen test of ball tip roast
I cooked the ball tip roast in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has a single basket with heating elements both above and below, so the roast browns from both sides. A roast of about 1 kg got 10 minutes at 200 °C to colour the surface. Then I turned it with tongs, lowered the temperature to 180 °C and let it cook for another 20-25 minutes. Turning it makes sure the crust ends up even all the way round.
The most important tool is the meat thermometer. I check the temperature in the thickest part and take the roast out as soon as the thermometer reads 55 °C. During the 10-minute rest, the temperature rises a couple of degrees, and the result is pink, juicy meat under a crisp crust. With preparation and resting, the whole thing takes about 55 minutes. A larger or thicker roast needs longer at 180 °C, so measure as you go.
It is the thermometer, not the clock, that decides when the roast is done. Take it out at 55 °C – just a couple of minutes too long, and the lean meat turns tough.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is cooking the meat for too long. Ball tip has very little fat to keep the juices in, so it quickly goes from pink and tender to grey and tough. So check the internal temperature at short intervals towards the end, and take the roast out at 55 °C.
The second mistake is a soft crust. It happens if the surface is damp when the seasoning goes on, or if the hot roast is wrapped tightly in foil. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper before seasoning, and let the roast rest uncovered or with the foil laid loosely over it.
The third mistake happens at the cutting board. If you slice along the grain, even a perfectly cooked ball tip is tough to chew. Find the direction of the grain, and cut thin slices across it, so the long fibres become short.
How to serve ball tip roast
Pour the meat juices from the cutting board over the slices, and serve them straight away. Here are my favourites:
- Baked potatoes or crispy fries
- A green salad with a fresh vinaigrette
- Béarnaise sauce, which always goes well with pink beef
- Chimichurri, if you want something fresh with herbs and a little acidity
- Leftovers in thin slices on rye bread or in a sandwich
Storage and reheating
Leftovers of the roast keep covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you want the slices warm again, reheat them in the air fryer at 170 °C for 5-7 minutes, until the meat is heated through. The roast can also be frozen for up to 3 months – let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.
Ball tip roast shows that a lean and somewhat overlooked cut can become a festive roast once you have the heat under control. With a hearty crust, a meat thermometer and a sharp knife, you get tender, pink slices every time.
FAQ
Ball tip roast is a lean beef roast from the lower part of the loin, the bottom sirloin in American terms. The meat is slightly fibrous and has a strong beef flavour, and the cut is sold under its American name.
Take the roast out of the air fryer when the meat thermometer reads 55 °C in the thickest part. During the 10-minute rest, the temperature rises a couple of degrees, and the meat ends up pink and juicy.
It is usually because it has been cooked for too long or sliced along the grain. Cook it only to 55 °C in the centre, and cut it into thin slices across the grain.
Recipe
Ball Tip Roast in the Air Fryer
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- Paper towel
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Meat thermometer
- Aluminum foil
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 1 kg ball tip roast (beef roast from the bottom sirloin)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)
How to make it
Preparation
- Remove any membranes and loose pieces of fat from 1 kg ball tip roast with a sharp knife.
- Pat the roast completely dry with kitchen paper, so it gets a good crust in the air fryer.
- Rub the roast with 1 tbsp olive oil and season it on all sides with 2 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Press the seasoning lightly into the meat.
Cooking in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the roast in the basket and cook it at 200 °C for 10 minutes to give the surface some colour.
- Turn the roast with tongs, lower the temperature to 180 °C and cook it for another 20-25 minutes.
- Measure the internal temperature in the thickest part with a meat thermometer once the roast has been at 180 °C for 15 minutes, and keep cooking a couple of minutes at a time until it reads 55 °C. That gives you a pink roast. Do not cook it for longer than necessary – the lean meat turns tough if it is overcooked.
Serving
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes, either uncovered or with a piece of foil laid loosely over it. The internal temperature rises a couple of degrees in the meantime.
- Find the direction of the grain and cut the roast into thin slices across the grain with a sharp knife.
- Serve the slices straight away and pour the meat juices from the cutting board over them.
Our notes for the recipe
Ball tip is a lean, fibrous cut of beef that should be cooked pink. Trust the meat thermometer rather than the clock: take the roast out at 55 °C in the thickest part, and it will end up at about 57-58 °C after resting. If it is cooked for longer, the meat quickly turns tough and dry. It also helps to take the roast out of the fridge half an hour beforehand, so it cooks more evenly. Resting and slicing:
Let the roast rest uncovered or under a loose piece of foil – do not wrap it tightly, or the crust will go soft. Cut it into thin slices across the grain; that way the long fibres become short and the meat feels tender. About the cut:
Ball Tip Roast comes from the lower part of the loin (bottom sirloin) and is sold under its American name. The timings suit a roast of about 1 kg – a larger or thicker roast needs longer at 180 °C, so measure the internal temperature as you go. Variation:
Mix 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp dried rosemary into the seasoning, or brush the roast with a little Dijon mustard before the salt and pepper go on. Serving:
Serve the slices with baked potatoes or fries, a green salad and béarnaise sauce or chimichurri. Leftovers are good sliced on rye bread or in a sandwich. Portion size:
A roast of about 1 kg fits in most air fryers of 4 litres or more. There needs to be air around the meat so the heat can circulate.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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