Big Roast Beef????

[BBQ Butcher]

I have asked every grocer "butcher" and always get a different answer. I want to know what cut of meat is generally used when you go to a nice restaurant or Country Club and they have a Roast Beef carving station? I know it's not prime rib or other type of rib roast. It is usually huge, cooked rare, very tender and sliced from the top very thin and easily. If you can identify this for me, can you also give me some idea how to cook it just like that? I have tried different cuts and cooking methods and can never get the meat anything like you would find at these buffett type dinners. Mine are always tough, even though rare and slow cooked! I cook rib roasts for Christmas, but would like to have this type of roast beef for simpler occasions or use for french dips.

Thank you so much,
Lee

Lee....

it is called a "Steamship Round". It is the whole Round (hindleg) of the cow with the Top Round, Bottom Round and Eye Round included. The heel and one of the leg bones are taken out, as is the Rump, so that it can sit upright on the carving table. They can weigh any where from 30-50 lbs. The are quite hard to carve, because now we have the grains from several muscles running different directions. A good Chef (or knifeman) can cut nice thin slices of beef, against the grain, starting at the top of the meat and working his way down.

Obviously, these "Steamship Rounds" are not home 'friendly', as they are too big for most home ovens. However, you can duplicate part of it by buying a whole, or half, Top Round from your butcher. In fact, I saw some whole ones 'in the bag' the other day at Costco. These will weigh 10-15 lbs, approx.

I would season the roast at least one day in advance. Here is what I did in my deli for roast beef. Rub the roast all over with a liberal amount of Dale's Sauce (available in the grocery store in the bbq sauce section. Or use Moore's, almost the same thing). Now sprinkle the roast with Kosher Salt, black pepper and granulated garlic....all equal parts. Put the roast on a rack in a roasting pan (to catch the juices) and put into a pre-heated 450° oven for approx 20-30 minutes; lower the oven temp to 325° and finish cooking until the internal temp of the meat is about 128-130°. Take out of the oven, cover with foil for 10 minutes and then prepare to carve. You may want to remove some of the fat, it makes it easier to see the grains (lines) in the meat, plus making it more appealing and attractive looking. Slice thin against the grain with a sharp knife and enjoy.

You can use this same method with an Eye Round, if you like. The key is 'thin thin thin thin', to make it tender.