Beef Round Roast

[OnAFly]

I picked up a couple of these at the store as they were buy one get one. I'm making a pastrami one of them.

I've got the other roast, about 3.5lbs. Any suggestions of what to do with it? I'd like to use the smoker if possible, if not, that;s fine as long as it's good!

[thirdeye]

Rounds and rumps make great pastrami, and they are lower in fat than a brisket too.

One of my favorite things to do with them is Italian beef sandwiches. I season them a little on the heavy side and roast them in my smoker in the 325° range. As hard as it is to do, they get chilled overnight. Then I make a gravy and slice the meat thin, warming it in the liquid. I like all the traditional toppings and serve the meat on crunchy bread.

[reinhard1]

Third Eye has some excelent meal ideas there with the rounds. i dont know if you have the top round or bottom round. beef aint cheap anymore including the rounds. the bottom round seemed to always be the one on the buy one get one hit list. since the chuck roast is always my favorite i only bought the bottom round for jerky.

the top round is a more tender part of the round and is often cut into steaks nice and thick for marinading and the grill. sometimes called the london broil out east and family steak around these parts.

as far as a roast this is how i have made them in the past. this includes the top round, bottom round, and the sirloin tip [all part of the round]. i put the roast in a roasting pan, seasoned and uncovered. put a thermometer in the center and when it's medium rare i take it out. put the roast on the cutting board and slice the roast thin with a electric knife.

the round roasts are very lean and you should not roast one fully done. it will turn out dry. this is why i take it out at medium. while your waiting for the roast to get to this point i make a aujus. i have also made a very thin gravy out of Liptons beefy onion soup mix.

it is important in my opinion to slice the medium round roast thin and right away after you take it out of the oven. and after slicing, put the slices in the aujus or thin gravy. this will keep the meat moist and add some flavor as well. meat from the round tends to dry out if not put in a gravy or aujus.

i like Third Eyes ideas above for utilizing meat from the round the way he described it. i have also used the top round and sirloin tip for rouladen. that is the best meat for that also.

a simple au jus recipe:

3 cups water

4 tsp beef bouilion [or 4 cubes]

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

place the water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low; whisk in the beef bouilion. whisk in the soy sauce, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. if you like a thicker au jus gravy, you can also whisk in a little flour the thicken it. good luck.

[OnAFly]

Italian beef sandwiches it is! Thanks for the idea guys

[Leaky]

Here is a recipe I've used numerous times. Not that its any better than whats already been posted, but I like it. If a person where to google Italian Beef Sandwiches and click on the first link that comes up, you'll be directed to one of the best read, informative sites I've ever been on. Start clicking around and the next thing you know a couple of hours have slipped away.

Ingredients

The Beef

1 boneless beef roast, about 3 pounds with most of the fat trimmed off

The Rub

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

The juice

6 cups of hot water

4 cubes of beef bouillon (see discussion below) *

The Sandwich

10 soft, fluffy, high gluten rolls, sliced lengthwise but hinged on one side or Italian bread loaves cut widthwise into 10 portions (Gonnella, Turano, and D'Amato are the bakers of choice in Chicago)

3 medium sized green bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil, approximately

1 cup hot giardiniera

About the beef. Top sirloin, top round, or bottom round are preferred in that order. For tenderness, especially if you cannot cut paper thin slices. My friend David Rosengarten, the famous cookbook author and TV chef (get his free email newsletter), uses chuck, a fattier cut, so the meat will be more tender and flavorful. "Luxurious" is the word he used. Problem is that you'll have to chill the pan drippings after cooking in order to skim off the fat.

Do This

1) If you wish, you can cut small slits in the surface of the meat every inch or so and stick slivers of fresh garlic into the meat. If you do this, leave the garlic out of the rub. Otherwise, mix the rub in a bowl. Sprinkle it generously on the meat and massage it in. There will be some left over. Do not discard it, we will use it in the juice. Let the meat sit at room temp for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the grill or oven to 400°F. If you are cooking indoors, put a rack just below the center of the oven.

2) Pour the water into a 9 x 13" baking pan and heat it to a boil on the stove top. Dissolve the bouillon in the water. It may look thin, but it will cook down and concentrate during the roasting. Pour the remaining rub into the pan. Place a rack on top of the pan. Place the roast on top of the rack above the juice. Roast at 400°F until interior temperature is 130 to 135°F for medium rare, about 30 minutes per pound (exact time will depend on the cuto f meat, its thickness, and how well calibrated your oven is). This may seem long, but you are cooking over water and that slows things down. The temp will rise about 5°F more as it rests. Don't worry if there are people who won't eat medium-rare meat. The meat will cook further in step 5, and you can just leave theirs in the juice until it turns to leather if that's what they want. If you use a rotisserie on your grill, you can cut the cooking time in half because the spear and the forks holding it in place will conduct heat into the interior.

Beware.

This recipe is designed for a 9 x 13" baking pan. If you use a larger pan, the water may evaporate and the juice will burn. If you have to use a larger pan, add more water. Regardless of pan size, keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn't dry out during cooking. Add more water if necessary