RPCookin
Executive Chef
Here on the island, beef (aside from ground beef) can be hard to find, and knowing what you have can be even harder to figure out. A couple of weeks ago I bought a piece of beef, and even in the store they couldn't tell me what it was. The other day I decided to try and figure it out. After thawing it out the only thing I could tell was that it didn't have any bones. I didn't want to ruin it straight off so I decided to go cautiously.
I started by marinating it for a couple of hours, then I roasted it to rare (125° internal). I tried a small piece - it tasted good, but chewed like old rubber. Clearly not an oven roast.
I then placed it in my cast iron Dutch oven with beef stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar, onions, carrots and celery and braised it on top of the stove for 2½ hours. This time it worked and I had what actually tasted like and had the texture of braised short ribs, only without the bone. It turned out quite good, although dinner was a couple of hours late that night.
I started by marinating it for a couple of hours, then I roasted it to rare (125° internal). I tried a small piece - it tasted good, but chewed like old rubber. Clearly not an oven roast.
I then placed it in my cast iron Dutch oven with beef stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar, onions, carrots and celery and braised it on top of the stove for 2½ hours. This time it worked and I had what actually tasted like and had the texture of braised short ribs, only without the bone. It turned out quite good, although dinner was a couple of hours late that night.