585872 Wed Jan 07 09:05:41 -0800 2009 8 31 Home Cooking 0 4303890 is it okay to use my rump roast for stewing meat, or is this a waste? Wed Jan 07 09:05:42 -0800 2009 105701 cleopatra999 1 4304055 Chuck is more marbled, and I'd be inclined to use round/rump for pot roast or swiss steak, but as long as you braise your stew gently and give it enough time, it should work. Wed Jan 07 09:40:17 -0800 2009 4303890 159317 greygarious 2 4304651 did some research, plan to use it for a pot roast instead. I am not very successful at these, hopefully this will work this time, it seems like such an easy thing, but I seem to mess them up. Wed Jan 07 11:46:44 -0800 2009 4304055 105701 cleopatra999 3 4304730 You need to preheat a heavy Dutch oven on medium heat for a good 10-15 minutes, then add a little oil and sear your meat. Add your onions and other ingredients, then lower the heat so it's barely simmering, cover, and cook till the meat is fork-tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours or more, depending on size. Check periodically, adding water or broth if it's evaporating too fast. If you need to concentrate the gravy, remove the meat first. The secret is to keep it low and slow. If it DOES get overcooked, slice the meat thinly and return to the gravy over very low heat for a while. This will help the meat not to be dry, but it's not going to get tender once it's overcooked. Wed Jan 07 12:04:23 -0800 2009 4304651 159317 greygarious 4 4305221 thanks for that. how do I know how long to cook it for? is there a mins/lb or an internal temp reading? Wed Jan 07 14:06:10 -0800 2009 4304730 105701 cleopatra999 5 4305782 No - use the lowest possible heat that will allow slow, gentle bubbling, and stick a fork into it after 1-1/2 hours. If the meat doesn't give enough that you could get a forkful off the piece without a knife, check again in half an hour. You'll know when it's done. Wed Jan 07 17:19:48 -0800 2009 4305221 159317 greygarious 6 4307081 Well, cleo, I have to correct my time estimates. I realize that the 1.5-2 hour range is what I go buy when making goulash, not a larger hunk of meat. It just so happened that before you posted, I'd bought an almost 3# bottom round with the idea of making a pot roast for the first time in several years. I did it yesterday, entirely on the stove. It wasn't for last night's dinner, and I didn't start it till 9pm. When I turned in at 12:30, it was nowhere near done. I got up and turned off the stove at 2:30, leaving the covered pot till this morning, so it continued to soften a while longer as the cast iron pot cooled. Truth be told, it should have had another hour or so of cooking, but I sliced it across the grain and that way it is tender. As with brisket, I returned the Dutch oven to a simmer (I purposely used a lot of liquid, for extra gravy) and put the slices back in, then turned off the heat and let the slices bathe in gravy for 2 hours before portioning for the fridge and freezer. Thu Jan 08 07:57:03 -0800 2009 4305782 159317 greygarious 1 4305285 I think you have a lean piece of meat than can be chewy even if it is cooked a long time. The cooking dissolves connective tissue, but does not break up long strands of meat. I don't like taking a large bite of stew meat, and finding that I have to chew for ever to break it up. I would suggest cutting it up fairly small, or in slices across the grain. These will be much easier to chew in the final product. Even if you cook it whole, pot roast style, you want to cut it across the grain. Wed Jan 07 14:25:43 -0800 2009 4303890 12139 paulj 2 4307095 I agree. Cutting it into small pieces and browning those before subjecting this cut to a braise will give you a much better result than trying to prepare it "pot roast" style. Thu Jan 08 08:02:08 -0800 2009 4305285 203621 todao