This Week ‘Round The Farm
Bringing the Farm to You!
1. No one beats a baby cow at hide-and-seek.
2. The leopard print pig is living his best life.
3. I will be spending the month of September on the porch.
4. I have passed on my epic selfie skills to our youngest.
What’s A Round Roast & What Do I Do With It?
Ok, so not really rule them all, but a simple and delicious way to prepare any roast. We get many questions at the market on how to cook different pieces of beef and pork. It can be very confusing due to the variety of ways to cook and the many names a specific cut can go by. We can’t cover them all today, but lets take a shot at one this week. The round roast.
The round roast is a cut of beef from the back leg / hip (aka: “the round”) of the cow. There are a few different types of round roast that are differentiated by different muscles of the back leg. Some popular roasts we carry are the top round roast, bottom round roast, and the eye of round roast just to name a few.
As there are different kinds of round roast, there are also different ways to prepare each cut. Roast, grill, and pan fry are a few. You may be familiar with london broil. This actually isn’t a cut of meat, but rather a cooking technique (marinate and sear to medium rare). London broil is generally considered cuts of the round (top round and to lesser degree the bottom round). Rump roast also comes from the round (bottom round). The rump roast is usually prepared by slow cooking or oven roasting.
When it comes to tenderness, cuts from the round tend to be tougher than cuts from the midsection or back, because of how much the back leg muscles are used. The more a muscle is worked, the tougher that cut of meat tends to be. One thing is for sure though. These cuts are super flavorful, lean (more meat vs fat) and easy to prepare. With a little kitchen magic, prepare for a tender and juicy roast!
Here’s a recipe on how we recently prepared a top round roast.
1. Thaw your cut. This is super important for tenderizing. In short, DON’T put a frozen piece of meat in the oven unless you like to chew a lot.
2. Rub with garlic. Cut a piece of garlic in half, rub the wet side once or twice along a grater, then rub that same wet part of the garlic over the entire cut of beef.
3. Apply coarse salt and your preferred rub. We mean a good coating of coarse salt. Don’t skimp here. Cover the cut! It will draw out moisture as well as pull flavor into the meat. Using coarse also means it’s easy to brush excess off once ready to cook. Also add whatever other spices or rub you prefer (we like pepper, rosemeary, and thyme).
4. Allow to rest on counter for 45 min – 1 hr. This allows all the goodness of #3 above to happen. It will help tenderize, flavorize, and amazing-ize your roast!
5. Sear in a hot skillet. About 1-2 minutes on each side. We do this in a cast iron pan. Sear and place entire roast and pan right in the oven.
6. Place in your oven. Roast on low at ~ 250F for about 45 minutes. This will vary greatly depending on the size of your cut. The goal is for an internal temperature of the meat to be ~ 130 F (a nice medium rare). This requires a thermometer but can be had for cheap and a must to achieve that perfect temp. If you want it cooked more than medium rare or medium, this may be where you and I part ways. *wink Just kidding. But if you want your roast ruined more done, cook til your desired doneness.
7. Rest and Enjoy! Once your desired internal temperature is reached (*cough 130F *cough), remove your roast from the oven and allow to rest for ~ 15 minutes. This allows the moisture to return to the meat and improves texture and flavor. Shhhhh! It’s resting!
That’s it. Cut across the grain and enjoy!
This is a pretty simple way to roast and the ingredients are easy to source at your local farmers market. This recipe / technique can also be applied to Bottom Round, Eye of Round, Sirloin Tip, and really any beef roast you have. The main thing is to monitor that internal temperature so as not to overcook.
Give it a try and let us know what you think. What if I’m out of roast you say? Well, just so happens we have those cuts and more at the Longbottom Farm Online Store. You can also visit us at the Scottsville Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9am – 1pm and we’ll hook you up!
Deadlines Approaching
As fall approaches, an end comes to a couple of our bulk meat options for the year.
1. Longbottom Farm Pastured Pork Shares
While the Pastured Pork Online Retail Store will be opening on October 8th, the last day for purchasing a half or whole pork share is September 24th. Buying bulk means you get a large discount on a variety of cuts that are processed and packaged to your specifications. It’s a great way to stock up for the winter on delicious pastured pork and save some money in the process.
2. Beef Shares
We have a couple Beef Shares left for the year (Quarters, Halves, and Wholes). Purchasing a beef share means you get a Quarter, Half, or Whole cow processed and packaged to your specifications. Thick steaks? Whole Brisket? 5 pound roast? Done! It’s also a great way to save money as buying in bulk means you get a signficiant discount compared to buying retail cuts. You choose your cuts, we take care of the rest and deliver to you home!
Have an awesome week and thanks for supporting small and keepin’ it local!
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