In the world of beef roasts, marbling is king. The internal automatic basting power of tiny fat pockets melting into the meat is amazing.
In the world of beef roasts, marbling is king. The internal automatic basting power of tiny fat pockets melting into the meat is amazing.
So what are the options for roasting healthier, leaner cuts of meat? There’s the pork tenderloin, which is the leanest choice. But it is so mild in flavor that it sometimes doesn’t quite scratch the roast beefy itch. There’s beef tenderloin, which also is super lean and a mighty tasty roast. But I can only imagine a world where I could justify spending over $100 on my family’s dinner on a regular basis.
So for our usual Sunday supper, I turn to the top round or bottom round roasts, which are inexpensive and lean. But they do require a little extra care in order to compete with the flavor and texture of fattier cuts closer to the center of the cow.
After years of practice, I have a few tips:
— If you can dry age the roast for a couple of days in the refrigerator, the taste will be intensified and mimic higher quality cuts. Just pat the meat dry, sprinkle on some seasoning salt (or salt and pepper) and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
— Let the roast sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking.
— Use a three-phase cooking method. First, brown the roast on all sides in a large Dutch oven to create a tasty crust. Second, slow-roast at a low temp (250 F) until the internal temperature is about 10 degrees below your final liking (120 F for a final temp of 130 F, about medium-rare). Remove the roast, and raise the oven temperature to 475 F and finish the roast with a blast of heat for 10 minutes.