Just Curious

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Andy M.

Certified Pretend Chef
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
51,261
Location
Massachusetts
Today I was looking through our weekly supermarket flyer for the coming week.
I saw Certified Angus Beef Top Round Roast on sale for $2.49/Lb.

My question to you is...

Do YOU buy this cut of meat (Angus or not) and how do YOU use this cut of meat?
 
We've bought Angus beef cuts before. I personally didn't see any difference in what we normally get versus the Angus beef. Top round roast can be cut up and used for stew meat or any similar dish. It obviously can be ground for ground round. We've roasted it whole using Craig's 500 for 5, then 200 for 1 hour per pound method and it makes a decent roast beef sliced thin.
 
I slow roast whole inside rounds(which contains the top round) at work every day(300F). We use them for our beef sandwiches. We cook to rare, leave overnight, then, cut into 4 pieces, clean out the fat and gristle, and slice at 1 against the grain. We then portion it and reheat it a few seconds until warm. It's too lean for stew, I mean, you can use it alright, but it's not ideal. But, it is tough meat so you need to either braise, or stew, it for a long time, or cut it somehow into small pieces or slices so you can chew it easier.
I use the whole round also for burgers. I have lots of steak trim on hand so I add 20% of that for a medium ground beef. Works well because the round is typically the least expensive cuts and I have lots of fat available. We usually do about 60 lbs at a time..
 
Last edited:
I'm not a big fan of top round myself. I prefer fattier cuts.

So I guess my answer is no, I don't buy this cut.
I'm with you there. I don't buy it for home, either. I use it commercially because of it's price and availability..It's also a big hunk of meat, so it is easy to work with because it requires little cleaning/trimming...
 
I use top round, bottom round and rump roasts to braise long and low either whole for pot roast or cubes for stew.
 
I cut it up once and put it in the crock pot for a stew. I don't remember what I was expecting, but it was very tender and came out delicious. Now I'm trying to find the recipe again because I found some more for sale and I want to repeat what I did.
 
At $2.49 a pound I'd buy it for pot roast or to grind with fat added to the mix.
And it would do well cubed for use in chili and stews. :chef:

Maybe even thin sliced for steak sammies. :yum:

As far as Certified Angus goes I'd look for Prime, Choice, or Select before I worry about the color of the steer/cow. ;)

What Is Certified Angus Beef®? | Burger Conquest
 
I confused the intent of my question by adding the Angus part. I am really only concerned about that particular cut of meat commercially available from any breed.

A while back, I had a discussion with the meat manager at my local supermarket and his opinion was that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Angus and other once cooked and on your plate. He viewed it as a marketing device only.
 
I confused the intent of my question by adding the Angus part. I am really only concerned about that particular cut of meat commercially available from any breed.

A while back, I had a discussion with the meat manager at my local supermarket and his opinion was that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Angus and other once cooked and on your plate. He viewed it as a marketing device only.


Your meat manager was correct.

But at the price listed it's a good buy for the uses mentioned.

As a stand alone beef serving I'd pass but for use in other dishes the price is right.
 
For our house, I do not care for Round anything... to me it's too "livery" tasting, and liver is NOT on my grocery list.
I had a similar discussion with the Meat Manager at Costco (in Honolulu) about Prime, Choice, etc and he told me the best is to buy those cryovac meats, it's the better quality and price.
 
...I had a discussion with the meat manager at my local supermarket and his opinion was that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Angus and other once cooked and on your plate. He viewed it as a marketing device only.
He's pretty much right. "Angus" is the breed, and has been around for centuries. "Certified Angus Beef" is the board that regulates and certifies which beef meets the requirements for the certification as CAB. Supposedly it is a bit better, but the butcher we go to raises and processes his own steer, and it is at least as good as any grocery store CAB. I don't know what breed he raises, so I guess I should ask next time we head over there.

Back when I was in my teens, my Mom would take me out to lunch every year. Someplace fancy and upscale, my choice. One year we went to the Black Angus Steakhouse in Cleveland's Theatre District. I was in heaven! Found an old menu from the 1960s online. Chateaubriand for Two, $10.50? Sounds good to me!

Vintage-1960s-Black-Angus-Steak-House-Restaurant-Menu-_57.jpg
 
My main sales rep told me a few times that the beef which is branded angus outsells any other even though some other programs have equal quality and sometimes better cuts of beef..We use the Angus label also. I have little promo cards that I put in the window. People eat it up(pun intended):rolleyes:
 
Yeah... choice grade is choice grade - doesn't matter what color steer it came from. For years we bought our beef on the hoof. Those were all Hereford steers, and better than any Angus that you'll find in a store. Some of the best beef I've ever eaten was in Italy from Chianina cattle (these animals are huge!). Angus just have a better marketing program.
 
Yeah... choice grade is choice grade - doesn't matter what color steer it came from. For years we bought our beef on the hoof. Those were all Hereford steers, and better than any Angus that you'll find in a store. Some of the best beef I've ever eaten was in Italy from Chianina cattle (these animals are huge!). Angus just have a better marketing program.

Im not sure but I think CAB doesn't apply the traditional beef grades to its products.
 
I try to buy USDA prime cut beef when it is on sale. I have never bought angus because a butcher also told me it is not much different than any other beef. My favorite cut for roast beef is eye round. It is never tough and has a wonderful flavor.
 
London broil or ropa viejo

We always used flank steak for ropa vieja and vaca frita. They shred very easily. How does the round compare?

There used to be a restaurant in Hialeah, FL called the Black Angus. Back then I was too young to know the difference between cuts, but my brother Doug loved the flank steak they served. Don't remember if they were a chain.
 
Last edited:
Today I was looking through our weekly supermarket flyer for the coming week.
I saw Certified Angus Beef Top Round Roast on sale for $2.49/Lb.

My question to you is...

Do YOU buy this cut of meat (Angus or not) and how do YOU use this cut of meat?
$2.49 a pound!!!! If you don't want it send it over here. It would still be cheap at the price even with the postage on top!

If it's the piece I think it is (British name "Silverside" or Topside") it can be roasted slowly or braised in a little stock with a bed of veg. I wouldn't waste it on stewing (unless you aren't too sure of the butcher who's selling it).

Over here Aberdeen Angus beef is considered top notch and the true Aberdeen Angus cattle are carefully bred to keep out "foreigners" Aberdeen Angus (Native) - RBST
 
Back
Top Bottom