Bottom Round Roast Help!

[boyzoma]

My beloved DH graciously did the grocery shopping today. I had my list down pat. I had a Top Round Roast on my list (I love a juicy thinly sliced medium rare piece of meat). He came home with a Bottom Round Roast. He said the butcher told him they didn't have a Top Round, but the Bottom round would be the same. I was looking for a nice ROUND cut of meat and this one is fairly flat - not even rolled and tied. It is 2.15 lbs. Please help me CH's. How do I cook this to get the same (or close to it) flavor I am looking for? I was planning this for tomorrow evening. Thanks in advance!

[boyzoma]

Well, CH's, I have taken your advice to heart. I am going to freeze this "bottom" and make it into a pot roast down the road per your suggestions (we had a chuck roast last weekend). I'm so glad I asked this question. My DH called a friend last night (who is a retired butcher) and he recommended a different butcher. BTW - we are now having Prime Rib for dinner as a result. ;-) Maybe it was meant to be! My DH felt so bad about bringing home the piece of bottom meat he went ISO of something better.

[greygarious]

I would take the safer route and make it into a pot roast rather than a roast beef. Top round and eye round make good roast beef but I think that's tough, literally, to do with bottom round.

[coll]

Yes, top round is a quick roast on high and served rare, while bottom round is a slow roasted pot roast (or sauerbraten for me), marinaded overnight and cooked on low for several hours. Get a new butcher!

[boyzoma]

Thanks for everyone's input. And I can GUARANTEE we will find that new butcher!!!!!

[Karl S]

While these deal with eye round, they will likely produce good results for bottom round:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/608907

http://www.foodsville.com/recipes/vie...

The method's purpose involves a slow rise in internal temp that allows for an enzyme push as the increasing heat increases the activity of natural enzymes in the meat (the same ones that cause tenderness in dry or wet aging). This activity stops as the meat gets warmer (105 for one type of enzyme; around 120 for the other).

[boyzoma]

Thanks for the Reply Karl S. My biggest concern is that the bottom round is supposed to be much tougher than the top. And, since it is such a flatter roast rather than "top round", will the edges dry out much more, since the center is not very big and not much to be "medium rare"?

[Karl S]

The point of the CI method is that it cooks very evenly. I can't assure results, but eye round roasts (half size) often have a thin end.