A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 favourite cut of beef

I was just wondering what everyone's favourite cut of beef is for Pot Roast. I roasted a cross rib roast for dinner tonight (it was on special) and it just wasn't as nice as the rump. What do you guys like and how do you cook yours? Temp? Dutch Oven? Cover, uncovered? Seasoning? Etc..
Thanks!
Christina

I usually use rump roast, though have been known to use a huge london broil...whatever is cheaper at the time!

I aslo do it in a crockpot, so it's ready when I am, instead of the other way around.

A little water, a packet of onion soup mix, a little worcheshire...and lots of garlic! MMMMmmmmmm....I can almost smell it now. If I'm home, about halfway through the day I'll toss in some potatoes and carrots.

Ditto me with Barleychown. That's just about exactly what I do.

I've done mine in the crockpot the same way as you Barleychown.....sometimes it turns out wonderful, other times, it's not as good. Perhaps it depends on the cow????
I still think I like it in the oven better...but I'm open to new ideas!!
Christina

Oh, no, don't get me started again!
I was talking about food a bunch last night online. And I do it all the time offline, too!
I'm not sure what a cross rib roast is...some cuts of meat are called different things in different locations.
I mentioned in a post last night that chuck is an excellent roast, but it is best slow-roasted with minimal liquid, rather than as a true "pot roast,"
which is usually cooked stove-top emersed in liquid.
A rib roast can refer to standing rib roast or prime rib, two of the finest cuts of beef, largely because they include the rib-eye, which is also one of the most highly prized steaks! These roasts are often just seasoned, then put in the oven in a covered pan, little or no added moisture. The oven is brought to 450 farenheit or even 500, just until the temp light goes out, then lowered to 325. 325 is critical because this slow cooking tenderizes the meat beyond belief. I cook by intuition, smell, etc, so I can't give you specifics on time, but 11/2 to 2 hours should work for a 2 pound roast. This goes for chuck as well, but with chuck, you can add 'taters, carrots, onions some bell pepper, and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
I'll let some of the others respond, but I'll try to get back here and post some of the ways I cook roasts. One question: was there rib bone in the roast? Or anyone else, are you familiar with this roast, and what do you call it?

While I was jabbering, I see some others posted. It can be critical, as I was attempting to say, what method you use for what cut. Some take boiling, rather simmering, in water better than others. I bake more, so that's what I can talk about more, but I have made great pot roasts from sirloin, pikes peak, rump.

There was no bone in this roast Peppereater. This is what I found on the internet...cross rib roast = cross rib pot roast = Boston cut = English cut roast = English roast = thick rib roast = bread and butter cut = beef chuck cross rib pot roast Notes: If boneless, this is sometimes called an English roll. This makes a fine pot roast, but it's too tough to roast with dry heat. Substitutes: arm roast OR blade pot roast OR 7-bone roast"
What part of the cow does the chuck come from?

Rump roast-crock pot with potatoes, carrots, onions is hubby's favorite way.
I like roast in the oven with onion slices, black pepper, and paprika on top and beef broth as liquid. Must have mashed potatoes on the side.
Left over roast from a crockpot makes excellent BBQ sandwiches the next day.
Nancy

I'm here, Christina! Bear with me just 1 sec, I'm dragging out a cookbook to see where that cut comes from! While you're waiting, go to RECIPES. Merme posted a recipe for chuck...not what I do, but sounds great. Here's the deal...cuts with lots of gristle NEED to be dry cooked...I've been researching this for a while. Dry technically means frying or broiling, so we're definitely not going there. Slow cooking is what's important...
Gristle and connective tissue have even better flavor than fat, which gives most great cut's their flavor. The chemical reactions of slow cooking break down the meat as well as the connective tissue, making it incredibly tender. Think of jello...that's what grissle is! And the flavor is distinctly different from, say, a marbled steak. Here's the secret...325 degrees...the proteins must break down slowly or they get even tougher. With me so far? Let me grab my cookbook...

Like I said, I've only done my roasts in the crockpot a couple times. Tonight I roasted it at 325, just like u said....I don't cover mine. I add a little liquid but its just the juices I deglaze after first searing the roast on each side for a few minutes. I season it first before I sear it, anything I want...salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, paprika, thyme and oregano is my fave. It was a 3lb roast and I cooked it for a good 2 hours. It was medium when I cut it so I could have taken it sooner for my liking. I cover my roast with foil and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving it...but thats just my way. I dont marinade a good roast....don't feel it's needed, only do that with the cheaper round cuts.

Okay, silly me, chuck is best cooked by MOIST methods, such as BRAISING or stewing. But braising is what I was thinking of, minimal liquid as opposed to covered in liquid. I still hold to the part about how slow you cook it. The shoulder of the beef in it's entirety is called the chuck. Source of roasts and some of the best flavored hamburger, as well as chuck steaks.
I wonder..." = thick rib roast = bread and butter cut =". They sure make it seem good, don't they? but I'm still wondering if this is the same cut.

Ahhh...I was writing while you were posting. Okay, what I know as chuck IS a cheaper cut, usually. And it would be nearly impossible to get it edible when only cooked medium unless you marinade. it needs to be well done,as far as I know. If you want some pink inside, I'm thinking sirloin? And the part about covering with foil before carving...I'm still working on perfecting that, they call that technique allowing the meat to "rest." All the better cookbooks I've read call for doing that, and I agree with them on many cuts...but I still think a steak off the grill should be served immediately, contrary to their advice!

Filet Mignon for me!

Okay, Thornius! But when you buy a whole beef, custom fed by your brother in-law, you get lots of "undesirable" cuts, as well. I try to figure out exactly how to cook each cut so that it gives up the best flavor! In my opinion, so far, round is the lousiest part. I tend to use it as stew meat. The other cuts...I wish I'd been writing down the recipes I've done, because I've had lots of success. I'll do that from now on, and post as I go!
As for crockpots, with beef, I like more control. I like a stew pot over gas for "pot roast," with tons of veggies, different every time, always seared in olive oil before adding other ingredients. A good cut, however, deserves to be cooked in the oven!

BTW, Thornius! ELP has fallen into obscurity...are you into King Crimson, as well?

I LOVE King Crimson My favorites are "In the Court of the Crimson King", "In the Wake of Poseidon", "Epitaph", and "Moonchild".

When I make "pot roast" I go to the butcher shop and tell him how many people I want to feed. He builds me something.

I bring it home, put it in the biggest roasting pan I have got -- the big kind, like you would use for a large turkey.

I add peeled potatoes cut into large hunks. Onions that have been quartered. Celery cut about 2 inches long. Carrots about 1.5 inches or so. I'm really happiest if I also have some turnips, parsnips and rutabega's to add as well.

Plenty of liquid, cover with the tall lid, and into the oven for hours and hours.

Then, right before the end, I pull off some of the drippings to make Yorkshire Pudding.

This is the only meal I will actually always finish what is on my plate. YUMMY!

Merme

Peppereater, I have over 1,500 mp3's on my computer. I LOVE music of almost any type but my favorite genres are Rock and Classical. I am 53 years old, going on 20 years old and love the new music of today and have several Deftones, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, and Soundgarden mp3's and videos. My favorite group of all times is Jethro Tull and I have been compiling every song that they have ever recorded for five years now. I also am working on getting every song that The Wiggles have recorded for my four-year-old grandson, who is a BIG fan of theirs, and, yes, I love The Wiggles music also, although all my internet buddies in Australia say, "EWWWW!" whenever I mention that fact.

Thornius...I am a BIG Wiggles fan myself! Peanut loves them! My person favorite is the movie The Magical adventure of Wally the Great!

HUNH, UH! :p Wiggle Bay is their best piece o' work to date!

Me, too! I have three of them in the crock pot right now. I never thought about fixing filets in the crock pot...like a roast...but Rachel turned me on to it and they come out so yummy!



Well...I was gonna have a little Brain Salad Surgery with my filets tonight!


When I make a roast, I get eye of round, whatever that is...and always fix it in the crock pot.


Cindy Sue

I hate to be a snob, cinja, but...
"Me, too! I have three of them in the crock pot right now. I never thought about fixing filets in the crock pot...like a roast...but Rachel turned me on to it and they come out so yummy!"
Have you lost your mind? :rolleyes: At $8-$14 or more, you're going to cook them in the crockpot? well, I'm sure they're wonderful! But some of us SNOBS think that's like poring ketchup on the darn thing, okay? Oh, Rachel, you've created a monster...were you just having Cindy on? WELL SHE FELL FOR IT!

Do any of you ever buy Steak Florentines?

We get them from the butcher. Flat, perhaps 1 inch thick or so, discs rolled like a jelly roll so the beef is around a spinach and cheese filling, then tied into place.

Just a short while in the broiler and oh man, are they good!

Merme

Cindy...sorry about Norman...he gets a LEETLE upset sometimes. I've locked him in his room for now. I commend you on the eye o' round in the crockpot...It's a very lean cut that needs slow cooking, and man, don't get me started on crockpots. I lived for a year one time with nothing but a microwave and a crockpot to cook with, and I cale up with some DOOZIE recipes. Want to post your eye o' round recipe for everyone?

Uhhh...I thought we had already decided that one! Just waiting on some mashed potatos and gravy and rolls.

I stick it in the crockpot, dump a bunch of potatos and carrots on it, an onion or two, then dump a can of Golden Mushroom soup over it, put the lid on and forget about it all day.


Cinja