What is an "eye round steak"?

An eye round steak is a steak cut from a boneless roast from the back leg of a cow. The back leg is referred to as the round. Eye round steaks, also called "eye of round" steaks, are leaner and tougher than steaks that contain more fat.

The reason an eye round steak is tough is because the round is a frequently used muscle, and the meat from this area is very lean. Other cuts from the round include London broil, top round, bottom round and rump roast. Steaks cut from the eye round roast are sometimes cubed for stews or processed into cube steaks.