If you’re anything like my friends, you use up the hamburger in your freezer first, then you’re left with a bunch of roasts – chuck roast, arm roast, rib roast, rump roast. You’re left feeling confused as to which roast you should put in the crockpot, which goes the best in the oven, and which can you do in the smoker? Personally, I strongly think that beef roasts are some of the best meat on the beef animal, and the most underutilized for how great they are.
Let’s buckle up and dive into the sometimes confusing, but delicious world of beef roasts.
Where do the different beef roasts come from?
Understanding a bit about where the different beef roasts come from can help you determine how to cook it. Generally speaking, muscle groups that are used for a lot of movement are tougher because they “work out.” Body builders or strength trainers work on certain areas of their body -arm, chest, legs and abs, butt, etc. they target those muscle groups to get them bigger or more defined.
Well…in the cow world, they use certain muscles to walk, to get up and down, to frolic and be happy cows, etc, but they are not going to the gym to “get fit.” In turn the muscles that are tougher are along their shoulders-front and back, because they walk on four legs instead of two, more so than their brisket, or belly, or along their back.
“Beef. It’s what’s for Dinner.” has a lot of great resources about nutrition, raising beef, different cuts of beef, cooking recommendations, etc. This brand is funded by the Beef Checkoff. The Beef Checkoff is a program funded by America’s cattle farmers and ranchers. You may have heard of the “Cattlemen’s Association” before? This is usually a group of people local to your area, by county. There is a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association that directs the Beef Checkoff programs, like the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” brand. In all, the farmers and ranchers that help get beef to your table WANT you to be successful with the meat you’re cooking that they raised.
Resources on the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” website
This graphic gives you a visualization of where on the beef animal these primal cuts come from. So, if you go to the store and find something that is labeled a “Chuck Roast,” you know this cut comes from the front shoulder of the animal. One thing that is really cool about their website is that you can type in what cut you have in front of you at the grocery store and then it will tell you the following things:
- Where on the animal this comes from
- Cooking methods – like braising, pressure cooking, grilling, etc.
- Nutrition facts – calories, saturated fats, protein, iron and zinc and a bunch of other micronutrients (Phosphorus, Selenium, Vitamin B6, etc.)
- AND also it gives you a list of recipes that use this cut
Whoa!!! This tool is so cool, and gives you so much information!
Figuring out what to do with a certain beef cut
Let’s walk through an example. Let’s say I am at the store, and I see something labeled “Sirloin Tip Side Roast.” Man…that’s a lot of words, so is it a sirloin, like a steak, I’ve heard of those, or is it a side roast? And what is a side roast anyway? And…how do I cook this bad boy that is probably anywhere from $6.99-$8.99 per pound (as of January 27, 2024).
Immediately, I go to the website, beefitswhatsfordinner.com and type in sirloin tip side roast. Next, click on the meat cut that is the closest to the description. Now I can also tell you that there is a whole backstory to labeling. While something may be labeled a certain way at one store may not be the same order in a label at another store.
I know this because of the research I did for my Master’s Degree about beef labeling specifically. Long story short, many labels aren’t specifically regulated. The consumer drives demand for certain products (economics anyone), and then different suppliers get the option to put certain labels on that might appeal to the customer. “Born and Raised in the USA” is not the same label as “Grown in the USA.” We do know that the only label that had specific requirements to and validity behind them was “Organic.”
That is what makes buying something good at the grocery store tough, right?! Stick with it! You’ll start to see patterns, especially when it comes to meat, for how things are labeled, and what you like, and how you like it cooked.
How to understand the cut of beef I’m buying at the grocery store
Back to the example. I typed in “Sirloin tip side roast” on the beefitswhatsfordinner.com and it pulled up. It tells me it runs parallel with the “Sirloin Tip Center.” Cool…more phrases I don’t really understand. I do know that the primal cut of sirloin comes towards the front of the animal, which is next to the loin.
I can use my skills and background knowledge to say something like, “well, I know that I like sirloin steak, and that’s pretty tender. So, if a Sirloin tip side roast is next to it, this must be ever so slightly tender than another cut that comes from the round. From here I look and see that this recipe is best suited for oven roasting and braising.
Well shoot….I don’t think I know what braising means. So…I Google that. I find out braising is slowly heating meat or vegetables with oil and moisture in a tightly sealed vessel. Maybe I don’t know what roasting is either. So…I Google that. I find out that roasting is a dry heat method where hot air surrounds the food and cooks it from the outside in. Cool…well, I just ran out of olive oil, so I decide to roast the roast. (Haha! Pun intended).
Now wait a minute…I also see in the meat case there is a “Sirloin Tip Side Steak.” How the heck do I cook that!? I type that into beefitswhatsfordinner.com and find out that I can grill, oven roast, skillet cook, braise or broil this steak. What happened is that this steak was cut out of the Sirloin Tip Side Roast, which we just talked about before this. By making this roast into something thinner, and breaking apart the muscle fibers by cutting it, you are able to use more cooking methods on it when it was as a whole 2.5-3.5 pound of meat.
What beef roasts are the best for the crockpot, oven, and smoker
Here are my top three picks for each the crockpot, oven and smoker:
Best beef roasts for the crockpot
- Chuck Roast
- Arm Roast
- Top round roast – not my favorite in the crockpot, but if you have one, you can use it in here 🙂
- Another great option here is Stew Meat/Stew Beef – these are often the small pieces taken from the roasts if you choose to do a bone out option, then you’re left with the trimmings from around the bone from a roast ie-stew meat
Best beef roasts for the oven
- Bottom Round Roast
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Sirloin Tip Roast
Best beef roasts for the smoker
- Rib Roast
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Beef Brisket (not really a roast, but usually a LARGE chunk of meat, and it is exceptionally good on the smoker)
In all, I feel like the resources available on this website far outdo any amount of explaining I could do as a single person. I highly recommend checking out the “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner. Website. Truly a plethora of knowledge.
When in doubt though, because I’m busy, and so are you, probably a momma, or a want to be a momma, I tend to throw a roast in the crockpot filled about half way up with water with a bunch of spices (herbs, garlic, onion, etc.), put on low at the beginning of the day before I leave for work. By the time I get home the meat is nice and tender and has some flavor from what water and spices I put in there before.
So, as the consumer you have to decide, do you like more flavor, do you need more texture from the meat, do you value the extra time you have to do what you want when you get home because you don’t have to cook everything from scratch right when you get home from work.
The crock pot is my favorite tools to use in the kitchen for roasts. It is SO EASY, cleanup isn’t too difficult, and gives me time back with my family.
Simple sides to go with a beef roast
If you attended our in person class, we also made roasted root vegetables, homemade vinaigrette, and put together a salad using a bagged mix from the store with some radish sprouts. I wanted to talk a bit more about how to make those simple sides to go with the roast beef. You could chop the vegetables the night before, throw them in a container in the fridge, and just pull them out when you get home from work. This will save you 15 minutes of chopping, easily.
Easy Roasted Root Vegetables
Use a mixture of root vegetables to create a hearty, easy side to go with pretty much any entree, especially a beef roast!
Ingredients
- 4 carrots
- 4 potatoes
- 1 rutabaga
- 3 parsnips
- 1 bundle of radishes (6 radishes)
- 1 onion
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4-10 cloves of garlic
- Herbs to taste: dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash vegetables.
- Peel and cube the root vegetables.
- Place vegetables into a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat
- Sprinkle on desired herbs and seasonings
- *note* hold off on adding the salt until the vegetables are tender, and are out of the oven. This helps you to get crispy roasted vegetables, instead of sauteed, sheet pan vegetables. (either are tasty though!)
- Roast vegetables in oven for 40 minutes total. Stir after about 20 minutes of roasting.
- Take out of the oven - THEN season with salt to taste.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Substitute any vegetables you like here! If you cannot find rutabaga, parsnips, radishes, or something else, feel free to add more potatoes. Add sweet potatoes instead.
If adding softer vegetables-like broccoli, mushrooms, etc. add them after the first 20 minutes and the stir.
Easy Roasted Root Vegetables
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients
4 carrots
4 potatoes
1 rutabaga
3 parsnips
6 radishes – 1 bundle
1 onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
4-10 cloves of garlic
Herbs to taste: dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash vegetables.
- Peel and cube the root vegetables.
- Place vegetables into a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat
- Sprinkle on desired herbs and seasonings
- *note* hold off on adding the salt until the vegetables are tender, and are out of the oven. This helps you to get crispy roasted vegetables, instead of sauteed, sheet pan vegetables. (either are tasty though!)
- Roast vegetables in oven for 40 minutes total. Stir after about 20 minutes of roasting.
- Take out of the oven – THEN season with salt to taste.
- Enjoy!
Easy Vinaigrette
Making a vinaigrette that feels fancy doesn't have to be complicated. Learn how to make a vinaigrette from scratch here!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Vinegar of your choosing. (Some good vinegars to use in making vinaigrette include, but are not limited to: balsamic, red wine, white wine, apple cider)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. Dried Herbs - Like oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.
- Optional: mustard
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients.
- Whisk or combine with a fork until all ingredients become one.
Notes
Feel free to add a flavored balsamic vinegar or other vinegar here...something like strawberry or raspberry vinegar is really delicious!
Easy Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Vinegar of your choosing. (Some good vinegars to use in making vinaigrette include, but are not limited to: balsamic, red wine, white wine, apple cider)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Dried Herbs – Like oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.
Optional: mustard
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Whisk or combine with a fork until all ingredients become one.
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