Top round roast

[CP87]

Okay @Fryowa , you said you wanted another post, I need some of your expertise.

The top round roast is pretty much always the cheapest piece of beef I can find, but I cannot figure out the best way to cook it (and the internet is all over the place with ideas). I need some tips from someone I trust.

It is a tough cut, but it doesn't seem to work to cook it to a high temp; while that works great with a pork butt or bottom round due to their fat content, the top round just gets dried out.

But if I try to cook it like a pork loin (140ish), it is too dang tough.

What is the go-to move? Just chop it up into stew meat and cook it in gravy?

To all others...feel free to take this thread wherever you want it to go. Maybe we need to talk about food, health, and wellness, get a good cleanse going on HN?

 

[Fryowa]

Okay @Fryowa , you said you wanted another post, I need some of your expertise.

The top round roast is pretty much always the cheapest piece of beef I can find, but I cannot figure out the best way to cook it (and the internet is all over the place with ideas). I need some tips from someone I trust.

It is a tough cut, but it doesn't seem to work to cook it to a high temp; while that works great with a pork butt or bottom round due to their fat content, the top round just gets dried out.

But if I try to cook it like a pork loin (140ish), it is too dang tough.

What is the go-to move? Just chop it up into stew meat and cook it in gravy?

To all others...feel free to take this thread wherever you want it to go. Maybe we need to talk about food, health, and wellness, get a good cleanse going on HN?

Top round is a great cut but you have to treat it like you would a steak because there isn't hardly any fat to break down. The fat is what makes stuff like chuck roast and pork shoulder shred like butter. 140 is still too high.

Take it to 125-130 internal. It'll still be a little pink inside but it'll be tender. You can eat it any way you like, but I love to cook it to 125, rest a few minutes, then slice it really thin to make sandwiches with some au jus. leftovers are awesome chopped up in an omelet. Omelets cook so fast that you aren't blasting the beef with heat and making it tough

 

[CP87]

Top round is a great cut but you have to treat it like you would a steak because there isn't hardly any fat to break down. The fat is what makes stuff like chuck roast and pork shoulder shred like butter. 140 is still too high.

Take it to 125-130 internal. It'll still be a little pink inside but it'll be tender. You can eat it any way you like, but I love to cook it to 125, rest a few minutes, then slice it really thin to make sandwiches with some au jus. leftovers are awesome chopped up in an omelet. Omelets cook so fast that you aren't blasting the beef with heat and making it tough

Okay, say I am roasting in an oven, aiming for that 125 internal temp. What is my cooking temp? Is it a "the lower the better" kind of deal? Maybe 275 - 325, depending no how much time I have on my hands?

 

[thedukeofearl]

I don't eat a lot of meat, get my protein from other sources

I eat a lot of eggs, excellent source of protein, cheese omelets with sautéed onions
and peppers are my usual breakfast

Haven't eaten a single bite of ham in Sixty Years

Growing up in Philadelphia we had ham every Sunday and leftovers throughout the week

We had Ham every New Year, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas

There were four children in the family and after WWII, my dad had to work two jobs
He was an assistant manager at the A&P that was close to home, and he worked
for the Philadelphia Transportation System, troubleshooting on the trolleys and
subways to keep things safe

Told me one time he watched a man carve his initials on his arm with a knife
He wasn't a danger to the passengers and my Dad kept a close eye on him
until he got off the subway

I used to eat sausage sandwiches and there was a place called Alright Pizza near
North High School that had the best sausage sandwiches in DM
All my friends went there religiously until it eventually closed

Then I lookup up the ingredients of sausage and immediately stopped eating it

Now I eat Roast Beef, Filets and Tenderloins

And cook round and chuck roast in a Crock Pot, cook it slowly with onions, carrots and
potatoes

I cook it for hours and it always turns out very well, tender and tasty

 

[Fryowa]

Okay, say I am roasting in an oven, aiming for that 125 internal temp. What is my cooking temp? Is it a "the lower the better" kind of deal? Maybe 275 - 325, depending no how much time I have on my hands?

You can do it as high as you normally do, 375 works fine. The low and slow thing is to let those fatty cuts like you do in a smoker have time to break down and render the fat, and get way up there to 205° ish (which it needs).

For stuff like that top roast, set it at 375-400 and roll with it till you get to 125 internal. If you’re feeling spunky and have a few minutes I like to brown the outside. Just some canola or vegetable oil in a skillet, high heat, and brown it on all sides, I just hold it with a tongs and move it around as necessary. Then stick your thermometer in, throw it in the oven, and let er rip till it’s done.

Also, in the oven I like to do it on a wire rack so the bottom gets cooked evenly. I just put one of those cheap aluminum throwaway pans underneath it to keep it from dripping all over. With that cut you won’t get much for drippings. My girlfriend hates that I reuse those pans but I’m a tight-ass

 

[CP87]

I am eating Thai Chicken Curry Soup for lunch, over potato. Pretty good stuff.

I am obese, have been for a long time. I get lots of activity, and I like to cook and eat healthy food, but I have a tendency to go off the rails, hard. When work gets stressful, or when I am constantly surrounded by unhealthy options, I feel a total loss of control. But, I am working on it!

I've got a good month under my belt. It has been a 12 year upward creep in my weight (from about 200 lbs to 250 lbs, coinciding with when my first child was born until now). But, I have managed to slow the creep down over the past few years, and I make gradual progress in the skills/mindset necessary to fix this problem.

My biggest issues are managing stress and avoiding injury. I love to overdo it when it comes to the exercise, leading to nagging overuse issues that kill my mindset and wreck my consistency with physical activity. If I can be smarter in those areas, I know I can handle the eating part.

 

[CP87]

You can do it as high as you normally do, 375 works fine. The low and slow thing is to let those fatty cuts like you do in a smoker have time to break down and render the fat, and get way up there to 205° ish (which it needs).

For stuff like that top roast, set it at 375-400 and roll with it till you get to 125 internal. If you’re feeling spunky and have a few minutes I like to brown the outside. Just some canola or vegetable oil in a skillet, high heat, and brown it on all sides, I just hold it with a tongs and move it around as necessary. Then stick your thermometer in, throw it in the oven, and let er rip till it’s done.

Also, in the oven I like to do it on a wire rack so the bottom gets cooked evenly. I just put one of those cheap aluminum throwaway pans underneath it to keep it from dripping all over. With that cut you won’t get much for drippings. My girlfriend hates that I reuse those pans but I’m a tight-ass

Thanks, this is great! I will let you know how it comes out.

 

[CP87]

I don't eat a lot of meat, get my protein from other sources

I eat a lot of eggs, excellent source of protein, cheese omelets with sautéed onions
and peppers are my usual breakfast

Haven't eaten a single bite of ham in Sixty Years

Growing up in Philadelphia we had ham every Sunday and leftovers throughout the week

We had Ham every New Year, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas

There were four children in the family and after WWII, my dad had to work two jobs
He was an assistant manager at the A&P that was close to home, and he worked
for the Philadelphia Transportation System, troubleshooting on the trolleys and
subways to keep things safe

Told me one time he watched a man carve his initials on his arm with a knife
He wasn't a danger to the passengers and my Dad kept a close eye on him
until he got off the subway

I used to eat sausage sandwiches and there was a place called Alright Pizza near
North High School that had the best sausage sandwiches in DM
All my friends went there religiously until it eventually closed

Then I lookup up the ingredients of sausage and immediately stopped eating it

Now I eat Roast Beef, Filets and Tenderloins

And cook round and chuck roast in a Crock Pot, cook it slowly with onions, carrots and
potatoes

I cook it for hours and it always turns out very well, tender and tasty

Eagles fan? If so, congrats!

What are you favorite non-meat entree recipes?

 

[Fryowa]

Speaking of meats I did this last night with my kid. Unreal how much 18 year old boys eat. I thought one rack was enough, and I was wrong.

 

[Fryowa]

Thanks, this is great! I will let you know how it comes out.

Plenty of salt on the outside beforehand...I don't do pepper when I sear because it burns and can taste funky.

 

[Fryowa]

I am eating Thai Chicken Curry Soup for lunch, over potato. Pretty good stuff.

I am obese, have been for a long time. I get lots of activity, and I like to cook and eat healthy food, but I have a tendency to go off the rails, hard. When work gets stressful, or when I am constantly surrounded by unhealthy options, I feel a total loss of control. But, I am working on it!

I've got a good month under my belt. It has been a 12 year upward creep in my weight (from about 200 lbs to 250 lbs, coinciding with when my first child was born until now). But, I have managed to slow the creep down over the past few years, and I make gradual progress in the skills/mindset necessary to fix this problem.

My biggest issues are managing stress and avoiding injury. I love to overdo it when it comes to the exercise, leading to nagging overuse issues that kill my mindset and wreck my consistency with physical activity. If I can be smarter in those areas, I know I can handle the eating part.

16/8 fasting and 90%-ish keto did amazing things for me physically and mentally. Dropped 65 pounds in 7 months and went from prediabetic to an A1c of like 4.2 and all blood panel numbers better.

Not going to derail the thread with that, but if you're curious reach out.

 

[Dadman]

Speaking of meats I did this last night with my kid. Unreal how much 18 year old boys eat. I thought one rack was enough, and I was wrong.


View attachment 11290

 

[Dadman]

Ribs look mouth watering! I do my best work in my smoker grill though. Which is getting covered with snow today

 

[Dadman]

16/8 fasting and 90%-ish keto did amazing things for me physically and mentally. Dropped 65 pounds in 7 months and went from prediabetic to an A1c of like 4.2 and all blood panel numbers better.

Not going to derail the thread with that, but if you're curious reach out.

Trying the lower cholesterol but not to keto or atkins level. Also do an hour plus at the Y every other day. Just trying moderation to lose it slow so it stays off.

 

[Fryowa]

Ribs look mouth watering! I do my best work in my smoker grill though. Which is getting covered with snow today

It was 5° out yesterday when I did the ribs. I have a gravity fed charcoal smoker that I run 50/50 wood and charcoal in (when I’m smoking) but it will go to 700°+ for grilling. Use it at least a couple times a week all year and in the summer it can be 4-5 times a week depending. I’d say pork/chicken to beef ratio is probably 90/10. Beef is too expensive.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Eagles fan? If so, congrats!

What are you favorite non-meat entree recipes?

Been living in DM since the Seventh Grade at All Saints Elementary School

Watched the Eagles and Warriors in Philadelphia, I liked the Baltimore Colts
with Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry

Johnny Unitas Highlights - The Greatest

Johnny Unitas was at his best during the late-50s and early-60s, but he still had a little magic left in him during the beginning of the 1970s. These highlig...

www.youtube.com

I watched the Vikings and Bears in DM and eventually grew to love
The Chiefs

My sister lives outside Philadelphia and doesn't watch sports but she watched
the Super Bowl and was screaming at the TV and immediately texted my brother
and me/I in DM

Never have seen a team dominate like the Eagles in the Super Bowl

Andy Reid is past his prime and the Chiefs have to rebuild from the bottom up

 

[Fryowa]

My biggest issues are managing stress and avoiding injury. I love to overdo it when it comes to the exercise, leading to nagging overuse issues that kill my mindset and wreck my consistency with physical activity. If I can be smarter in those areas, I know I can handle the eating part.

I was a decent athlete when I was younger. In my 30s I biked about 3,000 miles a summer and ran in probably 6-8 5k's a year, sometimes more. Got down to about 19-20 minute 5k. Hit my 40s and got busy with coaching/umpiring/kid's sports, and let that slide. My biggest downfall was trying to get back into it multiple times WAY too hard. I didn't want to believe that once you hit your 40s your body doesn't work the way it used to. What finally got me past the early burnout/injury bug was to just swallow my pride and baby step it to the point I thought it was ridiculous.

To get to even running a 5k again I did this... I walked 3.1 miles 6 days a week on a treadmill. I like treadmills because they keep your pace honest. I set it at 3.9 mph and just walked 3.1 miles.

After a week of that I started jogging part of it 4 of those 6 days, but I started with 10 seconds. Yeah, that's ridiculous and I could have run way longer than 10 seconds, but if I jumped into jogging 5 minute stretches within a week or whatever I'd end up tweaking something. Sounds dumb, but in a week you'll be running a full minute, in a month you'll be running 4 minutes, just 10 seconds at a time. It's amazing how my body will do great with that. Didn't take too long before I was jogging a full 3.1, and once I was at that point, I could really focus on getting fit again. The problem is when you hit middle age, our lungs/cardio can usually handle more than our muscles and joints. We feel like we're not doing anything building up that slow because it doesn't exert our bodies, but in my opinion your muscles and joints need that slow ease into it once you get to 40 or 45 years old.

Obviously be skeptical of what I'm telling you because you're the one teaching physiology at a university and you're way smarter than me, but that's what worked in my case.

 

[kicker22]

You bastards!!! I just stumbled upon this thread at 1:30 pm on a day when I had to skip lunch. Now my mouth is watering, I'm craving steak, and won't be able to eat for another 4 hours at the very least (assuming Wednesday night soccer league gets cancelled), and still have to live with the fact that nothing I get to sink my teeth into later tonight will be remotely as pleasing for my taste buds as the deliciousness being discussed in this thread and for that I hate you all LOL.

 

[PCHawk]

Speaking of meats I did this last night with my kid. Unreal how much 18 year old boys eat. I thought one rack was enough, and I was wrong.

View attachment 11290

If we make up will you invite me over next time you cook that?

 

[Fryowa]

You bastards!!! I just stumbled upon this thread at 1:30 pm on a day when I had to skip lunch. Now my mouth is watering, I'm craving steak, and won't be able to eat for another 4 hours at the very least (assuming Wednesday night soccer league gets cancelled), and still have to live with the fact that nothing I get to sink my teeth into later tonight will be remotely as pleasing for my taste buds as the deliciousness being discussed in this thread and for that I hate you all LOL.

Get this...we have a guy in our office who used to go to the gas station across the street to get shitty food everyday and he'd end up spending like 15 bucks on some chicken strips, fries, and a gatorade etc.

He got the wild idea to start bringing steaks to work instead and he cooks them on a Foreman in our breakroom. It's his little personal Foreman and a couple people bitched, management told them it's no different than using a microwave. Says he can get sirloins from HyVee for like 6 dollars a piece and he gets a hell of a meal for less than half the money lol. Smart if you ask me. He seasons 'em before he leaves the house in the morning and says he doesn't get sick of it.