Spiced Lime-Marinated Eye of Round Steaks

This recipe is a wonderfully flavored steak dish with a hint of Cuban flavors that is marinated in lime juice and spices for 30 minutes before grilling, broiling, or pan-frying.

Eye of round is a lean cut of beef from the hind leg of the animal that runs from the rump to the ankle. Because the leg meat has been toughened by exercise, it is full of connective tissue and is less tender than other cuts of beef. The round is divided into six sections in order of tenderness—the rump, top round, sirloin tip, bottom round, eye, and the heel.

As you can see from its placement in order of tenderness, the eye can be tough and chewy if not cooked low and slow by braising. But, in this case, marinating the meat for 30 minutes prior to cooking helps to break down the connective tissue for a tender end result. Not overcooking the meat also is key. Medium-rare is highly recommended when cooking eye of round steaks in this manner.

Make it a meal and serve the grilled steaks with grilled potatoes, French fries, potato salad, rice pilaf, or another starch. Grilled asparagus or sweet corn also would go well with this cook-out-friendly food. For dessert, a simple dish of fresh mixed berries or other fruit would be ideal. Or, simply slice the meat and serve it in a fresh green salad.