Help! Bottom rump roast

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

amber

Executive Chef
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
4,099
Location
USA,Maine
Every time I use this cut of beef, it comes out dry and tough. I am roasting it in a metal pan at 350 degrees covered with foil. I added some beef broth to it as well because this cut of beef does not have alot of fat. It never comes out for tender. It only took two hours to roast, and I figured it would be more like four hours.

What is my mistake? I dont have a slow cooker so thats not an option. How can I get this cut of beef tender and moist? Is the temperature too high? Should I keep it uncovered? Should I not even use this cut of beef?
 
A bottom round is not an oven roast. IMO it'll never come out tender cooked that way.

It needs to be braised like a pot roast. You don't need a slow cooker, just a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. Cooked correctly, it is very tender and flavorful.

Cook it low and slow in the oven with liquid. There are lots of pot roast recipes on DC, I am sure you'll find one that appeals to you.
 
Amber, IMO rump roast is only good for pot roast type meals. If you are looking for tender roast beef then you need to splurge on either standing rib or prime rib.

BUT, lets see what we can do with what you have. Do you have a heavy dutch oven or something that can go in the oven? If so, try putting down some veggies, potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnip etc on the bottom, sear your meat and set it on top of the veggies. Then pour some liquid (beef broth, red wine mix is nice) over the veggies, but don't let it cover the meat. Sometimes I use a little rack to keep the meat higher. Then cover and put in the oven at 250 or so for a loooong time. If you do it slowly it will be nice and tender and all the stuff in the bottom will help flavour the meat.
 
A little fat is not a bad thing - some fat adds moisture. Cook at a low temp - about 350 - low and slow - preheat the oven - slice the meat against the grain. Also let it rest after you remove it from the oven. Try poking some holes in the roast and basting with juices.
 
Last edited:
I'm gonna add the veggies as suggested, and then let it slowwwww cook for as long as it takes to get this meat fork tender. Even though the package says it's a bottom rump oven roast, I'll have to treat it like a pot roast. Thanks everyone!
 
What everyone else has said--just too lean and too tough for a dry roast. That said, I have had it served to me and it has been sort of edible, but the secret was to cook it rare and slice VERY thin across the grain. Done that way it could also make some passable French dip sandwiches with some au jus.

One way I have very successfully cooked rump roast is as a sandwich filling. Funny sounding recipe but it does work. In a crock pot put a jar of hot 'n sweet pepper rings. Put your roast on top. Cover tightly and cook for 8 hours on low. Shred the meat and combine with the juices.
Put on good pully hoagie buns, top with a slice of muenster, provolone or some such kind of cheese. Wrap in foil and warm in oven until the cheese melts.
For cooking as a pot roast low and slow, I find 300* to be a pretty good temp. Above that it will roast and the liquid will boil too vigorously.
It would also make a good beef BBQ and you might still be able to do this with what you have. Put a layer of onions in the crockpot, put the roast on top, pour in a can of beer and a 12oz. bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook for 8 hours on low (if you are starting with uncooked roast). Maybe 4 hours for the already cooked meat--not sure, since I haven't ever done that but seems like it might work.
 
I've cooked this roast a few times, and yes, it DOES have to be slow cooked, (braised) as suggested, or it won't come out right.

Brown it first on all sides with a little hot oil in a heavy cast iron kettle. Add a chopped or sliced onion, a few celery stocks and some carrots for aromatic veggies, some garlic, seasonings, a boquet garnie and some water halfway up the roast.

Cover and let it slow cook for several hours over a very low flame. You can also thicken the juice afterwards if you like for a luscious brown gravy. It should be moist and fork tender throughout.

Add some frozen stew veggies to the gravy during the last half hour if desired, and let them cook through.


~Corey123.
 
Last edited:
Amber, can't wait to hear how it turned out. And not to rain on Corey, but don't let the liquid come up on the meat. It will disintegrate if you try to slice it against the grain that way. If you keep it above the liquid and just do it really slow it will be sliceable.

Corey, your recipe sounds delicious. I'm sorry to sound rude and disagree with you about the liquid bit, I've just had very poor results when I've done it that way. Could be just me though!
 
No, not to the top of the roast. Nor should you even consider 3/4 the way up! You just want to tame the beast with as little water as possible, but start with the water at least 1/4 to 1/3 the way up the meat.

Braising calls for as little water or other liquid as possible - but just enough to keep the meat moist and the liquid at a very suttle and gentle simmer.

And since the meat has a tough grain anyway, when done, it should hold its shape enough to be able to slice without falling apart. As long as you try to slice the meat ACROSS the grain.

Let the liquid settle enough so that the fat rises to the top of the liquid. You can then skim this off and use it to make a roux for a very delectable brown gravy.


~Corey123.
 
Last edited:
Grandma Snarr's Pot Roast

I've posted this before, but I just did a search and it didn't come up. My Grandma Snarr made the best pot roast I ever tasted. She taught her daughters and her grandaughter (me).

GRANDMA SNARR’S POT ROAST

Chuck roast or any pot roast)
Canola oil (Grandma used Crisco and maybe a little bacon grease)
Flour
Salt & pepper
Water
Carrots
Russet potatoes
Celery (opt)
Onion (opt)

There are no amounts given on the ingredients, as that is up to you.
The most important part of this recipe is searing the meat. It must be done at a high temperature, and, as grandma said, you have to “burn the meat”. You know it’s right when the smoke detector goes off. You don't actually burn the meat...you just want a good dark crust on the outside. That's what makes the gravy so good.

Salt and pepper the meat. Season the flour (about 1 ½ cups), and dredge the meat in it.
Heat heavy Dutch oven on high heat, add enough oil to cover bottom of skillet, and add meat. Lower the heat just a tiny bit, then let meat brown, uncovered, without turning until it’s very dark brown, like a chocolate roux. It's OK if there are a few black edges. Turn meat and let it brown on the other side.
Add about 2 cups off water, turn heat down to med/low, and place meat on trivet if you have one. Cover and let cook until meat is tender, but not falling apart. Lift up meat and put vegetables on the bottom, then re-cover and let simmer until they are tender.
Remove meat from pot, place on platter and keep warm. Spoon out vegetables, and put in a separate serving bowl. Remove trivet. Estimate how much liquid you have in the pan, and make a slurry out of one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of water for each cup of drippings. Whisk into liquid in pan, turn heat up to medium high, and cook until thickened. Adjust seasoning, and pour into gravy boat.

*Note: with a roast as lean as yours, I would add a little bacon grease to the canola oil...it will provide a little fat to improve the flavor.
 
I will add that rump roast makes a WONderful sauerbraten! Undoubtedly the best cut for it in my opinion. I need to make some now that the weather is cooling 'way down.
 
Yes!!

That same cut of meat can also be used to make Sauerbraten.

Also, if you are unable to, or don't want to buy this cut of meat or a pot roast, you can also get away with the exact same great results by using a Beef Chuck
7-bone pot roast or a Beef Chuck 7-bone Steak.

Same great idea and taste, except the meat is flatter and smaller by comparison. You will nbeed a wider pot however, to accommodate the meat.


~Corey123.
 
I'm cooking a bottom rump roast today!

And I'm going to cook it as I would a pot roast. And slow braise it on the stove in my 5-qt. cast iron kettle. It should come out very luscious & tasty!!


~Corey123.
 
Sounds good Corey.. a friend used to make it that
way and it was always tender. I'll have to try it
since I moved too far away to run over to my friends
for Sunday dinner!
 
Thank you!!

Actually, to give the roast more room to "breathe", I ended up slow braising it in my Rachael Ray 8-qt. Anodized Oval Stock pot. It (roast) was bigger than I had anticipated!

But nonetheless, it still came out moist and tender. When the meat was browned I sauted some aromatic veggies in the same fat, added the meat back to the pot with some water 1/3 the way up, added a bouquet garni, brought the liquid up to a rolling boil, then turned it down to just barely a mere simmer.

I meant to add a can of beef consume`, but forgot about it. But the meat was still a big hit!! When the meat was done, I made a brown roux and added it to the liquid to thicken it slightly. I adjusted the seasonings, and boy, you wanna talk about something good?!!

My dear friend who is a recovering alcoholic came over to spend this past weekend with me. He was hungry, so I fixed him a plate of the meat. We both tried to put a big dent in that meat.

We ate off of it three or more times, and there's STILL some of it left!!! He's coming back over today. Hopefully, we can eat up the rest of it. But I think it's the best one that I cooked so far!! My friend loves it!! He wants me to do one for HIM someday!


!Corey123.
 
Last edited:
Just to add my opinion on braising, the liquid should come about half way up the side of the roast/meat. Another technique that helps to cook it well and also concentrate the braising liquid is to crumple some parchment paper and put it in contact across the top of the meat and then put the lid on--a kind of double covering for the roast. The pot should be only slightly larger than the piece that is braising also.
Braised meat is often difficult to get into nice slices but a sharp knife is best (as usual) and cutting straight down.
 
I didn't like the look of the chuck roasts at the store so I went ahead and bought a bottom round and made Beef Bourguignon with it on Sunday. I marinated it in a bottle of wine for 24 hours and it was delicious.

It'll be even better for lunch today:chef:
 
peppe2 said:
Corey, made your recipe posted here for bottom round and it was soooo tender. Thanks.



You're welcome!!

So glad that you enjoyed it! Makes a great elcheapo Sunday dinner with veggies, rice or mashed potatoes!!:chef:
 
Back
Top Bottom