In the cooler months, I gravitate toward comforting one-pot dinners like pot roast, beef stew, and a batch of this brisket. But with beef being so expensive these days, I’ve been paying closer attention to which cuts I buy and how often. So I reached out to two butchers and asked which affordable cut they’d recommend for a fall-apart pot roast. The answer, it turns out, starts with the right part of the cow.
Start With Blade Roast or Chuck Roll
Jo Lusted, a whole-animal butcher, chef, and owner of Jo’s Butcher Shoppe & Market, says to go for with a well-marbled blade roast from the chuck or shoulder. “Blade roast or chuck roll is the best for pot roast” since it is one of the best and most economical cuts of beef.
In the U.S., chuck roast is a broad name, but one you’re likely to see on the package. Lusted says you might also see blade or chuck sold as boneless blade roast, boneless bottom blade roast, or chuck roll. She admits the names can be confusing, so if you’re buying from a butcher, it never hurts to ask for guidance.
While a leaner roast might look like a bargain, Lusted cautions against choosing a round roast from the hip if you want fall-apart tender meat. “Avoid the potentially eye-catching lean roast and look for one that is evenly shaped and well-marbled.”
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If Blade Roast Is Pricey, Try Cross Rib
Of course, beef prices vary by store, region, and season, so it helps to have a backup in mind. Jeremy Losier, a former head butcher and current president of The Packing House, a supplier of premium beef and specialty meats, says blade roasts have “grown in popularity and thus also in price.” His personal pick is another shoulder cut, specifically a cross rib roast, which he calls the “best bang for your buck.”
“Just ask your butcher to leave the fat cap on,” he adds. Lusted also calls cross rib the next-best option.
Why These Cuts Work So Well
Good braising cuts, Losier explains, come from the parts of the animal that get a lot of work, so the muscle fibers are “firmer and filled with more connective tissue.” Lusted says chuck fits that description because it comes from the “hard-working shoulder” and has “a perfect amount of marbling/intramuscular fat, collagen, and connective tissue.” Fortunately, these cuts also tend to be among the most affordable, though it’s always worth checking prices at your local stores.
“While initially tough,” Lusted says, “a low-and-slow braise melts that collagen down into silky gelatin,” creating a fork-tender roast with “lusciously rich flavor.” As the tissue breaks down, it also helps thicken the sauce, “giving you that rich, pull-apart texture,” adds Losier.
So, next time you’re at the meat counter, start with a blade or chuck roast and, if you’re curious, compare it with a cross rib. Then pick a great pot roast recipe you love and let it simmer while you tackle the rest of the evening.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes