I'm so glad you said that!
I use paprika. However...
Having tried this many times, here is what I observed.
The first time I tried it, I salted the round and then added a rub of paprika before putting it in the fridge. My thinking was that the paprika would dissolve and also flavor the insides of the roast.
I can't say that this didn't happen, but I wonder if the powdery paprika absorbed some of the beef's liquid and interfered with the osmosis of the salted liquid.
The next time, I waited until just before browning the beef and rubbed the paprika after the roast sat in the fridge for a day. I think this was the better approach from a flavor standpoint. It will still season the edges, which will temper the flavor relative to the rest of the slice.
What I forgot to mention earlier...
The result of the salting will be obvious to the naked eye on the next day. The eye round roast will have reddish color to it when you buy it. After salting it for 18 hours, it will show a deeper, more vivid reddish color. I played with the amount of salt I used until I found the right balance between taste and tenderness.
Regarding "always been told..." my grandmother used to make the eye round with onions that I loved as a child. She used to poke it repeatedly with a fork to tenderize it. People have since told me not to puncture the meat, to let it keep its juices in it while cooking. I agree. That said, once the cooked roast is slice, the color will drain from it and it will look gray, with a serving plate full of red juices.
I'm not sure what to do about that.
-PJ
once the cooked roast is sliced, the color will drain from it and it will look gray, with a serving plate full of red juices.
I'm not sure what to do about that.
Cover it with gravy? ; - )