BEEF BRAISING CUT
You'll receive one beef "braising cut", such as a Chuck, Neck or Arm Roast. Braising cuts of meat soften over slow-cooking with a small amount of liquid added to the pot.
PORK RUMP ROAST
Like the beef braising cut, the pork roast is perfect for cooking over low and slow heat with liquid.
BEEF ROAST
The term "roast" is confusing in butchery. Thicker cuts from the chuck, such as a 7-bone chuck, are referred to as roasts. This simply means over 2 inches thick when cut on the saw. But from a cooking point of view, the results would be quite poor if one were to simply "roast" a chuck roast.
When we say "roasting cut" we mean a lean cut that takes well to high, dry heat, such as a steak or a cut from the round.
In this week's bag, some groups of customers will receive round roasts, including the eye of round, bottom round (rump), top round (in the form of London broil), and sirloin tip. Think of these as roast beef or a steak - they can be served quite rare.
To make a great roast beef:
- Start with a "cure." For a standard 2.5# roast, mix 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons course ground black pepper, and approximately a teaspoon each of rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic. Those can be either fresh or dry.
- Rub the cure all over the roast, liberally. Put the roast in a zip lock bag or, if you have it, a vacuum bag. Let it set in the cure for 24 hours or more.
When you are ready to cook:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the roast dry with a paper towel. No reason to wash the cure off. Get a skillet hot, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil, and sear all sides of the roast over medium high heat.
- Place roast on a roasting rack in the oven, uncovered. While roast is cooking, prepare gravy if you have beef/animal stock on hand.
- Remove the roast when it hits an internal temperature of 125 degrees. Tent loosely in aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Carve thinly across the grain of the meat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Cooking time varies greatly depending on the size of the roast and thickness. A 2 inch thick London Broil (top round steak) will cook much more quickly than an eye of round or bottom round roast.
