Round is a tricky cut, especially for shorter cooking times. I know people use it for "steak" cooking methods, but I've never loved it. It's in the rump of the cow, and so see a lot of work. Leaving it with nice beefy flavor, but in a cut that is lean and tough.
Tough is bad for short cooking times because it comes out chewy. Slicing and pounding does do a little to offset this, but in my opinion, not enough.
Lean is bad for long cooking methods because it comes out stringy. I don't love this cut in things like stews and chilis because it can be fibrous and you tend to spend a lot of time picking it out of your teeth.
Some more ideal ways to eat this cut are less traditional, but some of my favorites. It is great in steak tar tare, cut or ground into tiny pieces. It is also yummy when slow braised in a big piece, and then sliced thin once its allowed to cool, and reheated in the braising liquid. While you might not have this method at your disposal, it would be good cooked at a low temperature with an immersion circulator for a long time and then sliced. (Most know this as "sous vide" - but that term, translating literally to under vacuum, actually infers that you're using a vacuum sealer. The term "low-temp cooking" is a little more accurate.
I never buy it but have always wanted to.
ReplyDeleteI heard there are some hotels new orleans who also have an in-house tavern in their inns. And I must tell you they are really serving mouth-watering foods just like this one. Perhaps when I go near the place I could eat some of their chocolate cake and taste some panini and drink champagne. That sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI really crave for this kind of meat. I thought it was hard to find this kind of steak in my country. But look and behold! I found one at post free ads philippines. They offer such a wide range of directories that can help you find what you want.
ReplyDeleteThis is a trick I learned a few years ago since I started my catering business.
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