How to Butterfly a Roast (and Why You Should!)

Take your holiday roast to the next level with this surprisingly easy technique. It turns out super flavorful meat every time.

Next to the Thanksgiving turkey, the holiday roast might be the most daunting dish home cooks make all year, with good reason. It’s a pricey cut of meat and the centerpiece of the entire meal. Our new favorite preparation? Stuffing a boneless rib eye roast with aromatics and fresh herbs and rolling the whole thing up. It allows you to flavor the roast inside and out, and the spiral you get when carving the meat makes for a beautiful presentation. All you have to do is butterfly the roast, which isn’t as complicated as it sounds. It just means you’re cutting the meat and spreading it open, making it the perfect canvas for all those flavors!

These instructions are specifically for our Rolled Rib-Eye Roast, but you can use the technique for any rolled roast recipe.

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Lay Out the Roast

Arrange roast on a large cutting board, fat-side down, with the short end toward you.

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Position the Knife

Holding a long, sharp knife parallel to (and about 1 inch above) the cutting board, make a shallow cut along the length of the roast, stopping about 1 inch from the edge.

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Cut Open

Slice through the roast to begin opening it to the side.

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Continue Slicing

Continue slicing until about 1 inch from the next edge.

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Open and Slice Again

Open to same side again, and continue slicing until roast is completely flat.

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Season

Season meat all over with salt and pepper.

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Spread Filling

Spread all but 2 tablespoons of garlic-herb mixture over meat.

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Start Rolling Roast

Roll meat up, starting from left side.

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Position Properly

Fat cap should end up on top of roast.

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Rub Exterior

Rub the outside with remaining garlic-herb mixture.

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Secure the Shape

Tie at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine.

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Let Rest

Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate, covered with plastic, overnight; bring to room temperature before cooking). Proceed with the recipe.