A toast to the roast
This article was originally published in December 2014
Cozy winter nights call for rich braised stew, cozy soup and an occasional hot sandwich for game day afternoon snacks. Learn to choose the perfect cut of beef to bring out the best in your cold-season recipes.
Chuck
Flavorful and full of collagen, this shoulder cut makes the most luscious stew imaginable when cooked low and slow with plenty of moisture. With red wine as the cooking liquid, it’s hard to go wrong.
Brisket
The traditional choice for Texas barbecue, brisket is a lean cut from the low chest and needs long, slow cooking to gently break down the otherwise tough connective tissue.
Bottom Round
Frequently known as rump roast, this cut is from dense leg muscle. Tenderizing it isn’t easy, but it’s a fantastic choice for a light dry rub and slow roast in the oven. Slice it thinly against the grain for hot beef sandwiches.
Sirloin Tip
This is a versatile cut from the hip that does well with long cooking or tenderizing marinades. Substitute for chuck in a stew, or cut it into small cubes for a hearty soup in winter or grilled kabobs in summer.
Top Sirloin
This lean, deeply flavorful roast is well suited to classic roast beef and is a more affordable alternative to prime rib (although it’s less tender). To keep it at its best, roast at low temperature and keep it medium rare.
5 beef recipes
Try these five beef roast recipes — there’s one for every cut we mention above.
Worth the splurge
Pull out all the stops with prime rib for the holiday table. We offer beautifully marbled Country Natural Beef roasts and slightly leaner PCC Grass-fed roasts. Both deserve center stage on the holiday table. Order online, by phone or in person.