Cross Rib Roast ?

[kjonyou]

I just bought what is called a Ranchers Reserve (VONS) Boneless Cross Rib Roast.

I realize this is a tougher cut of meat, but I am tired of pot roast and shredded meat. Is it possable to roast this dry like a prime rib if I slice it thin when serving? Google only brings up one that I found that cooked it like a roast.

My thought is to dry brine this in the fridge for a couple of days, wash off the salt, season the exterior with herbs and cook low and slow like a prime rib. Will I going to end of with a half decent tenderized piece of meat or a door stop?

Any suggestions besides pot roast?

This is the only thing I have found that makes me think it can be served this way
http://www.food.com/recipe/cross-rib-...

[Will Owen]

I've patronized one restaurant and worked (pearl-diving, not cooking) at another, where the roast beef on the menu was cross-rib. The woman I worked for would prepare a pan with two of these every morning and roast them in the oven until just before lunchtime, when they'd be taken out just before I went insane with the smell and grabbed one and ran off … maybe it's a northern California thing, but I have to say that although the meat was chewy it was juicy and good. It has to be pink-verging-on-bloody, and sliced really thin, but we sold out every day.

[Junie D]

Also from Northern California, and my mother always used a cross rib roast for roast beef. Studded with garlic, 325 for 25 minutes per pound. Not the most tender roast, has to be rare, but is delicious.

[Melanie Wong]

Yes, studded with garlic slivers and lots of salt and pepper on the outside to make the crust.

[Melanie Wong]

With reference to my post above, I'll mention that the cross rib roast of my memory were in Northern California as well. Maybe it's a regional thing. Or maybe the cut used in the past was a better grade. Have either you or Junie had one recently?

[Junie D]

I roasted a cross rib cut six months or so ago and it was as I remember my mom's. I probably bought it at Browns Valley Market in Napa.

[Melanie Wong]

Thanks, JunieD, I'm glad you could revisit that memory. Googling around, I found this blog post from a friend who cooked his Walmart-purchased cross rib roast in the smoker. Pulled it off at 125 degrees and it looks great.
http://www.madmeatgenius.com/2011/06/...

[Melanie Wong]

When I was a wee one, my mother used to cook a cross rib roast once in a while. She put it on the electric rotisserie and cooked it slowly until it was just barely done and still bloody rare. It's a lean cut and doesn't have much flavor, so seasoning it is important. Then be sure to slice very thinly.

[oldunc]

I class these with the top round "London broil" as a good source of cheap hamburger- the cross rib roasts on sale tend to be sort of random hunks of meat crumpled up and tied into the general shape of a roast. I got one once that the butcher had started to make into cube steaks and changed his mind. The worst examples can be the very devil to clean up- the not-on-sale roasts are usually a little better. As far as roasting, really not a good cut for it; the relation to prime rib is purely semantic.

[goodspirit]

well bar none a prime rib roast or Chateau (fillet) are the best cut's
A fillet should be cooked with suet or a layer of fat'
Sometimes my Kroger store runs a holiday cut or new York cut
If you have a good butcher ask for the chuck tender or chuck cut close to the
prime rib next best are chuck roasts I like the pot roast or oven bag methods
Personally I think cross rib is a horrible cut

I am a retired chef if you want suggestions feel free to ask

the time life cook book Meats is a really good cook book
you can probably buy a used copy online (google shopping)

here is the best way to cook a PRIME RIB
not to be confused with CROSS RIB

adjust your oven racks so your roast and pan will be in the center of oven
Preheat your oven as high of temp as you can
while the oven preheats
line your roast pan with heavy foil for easy cleanup
place a roasting rack in the lined pan bottom
if you don,t have a rack crumple 12 inch sheets of foil into balls place in bottom of pan
the roast will rest on the balls of foil
sprinkle unseasoned tenderizer I use Kroger brand, all over the roast (do not pierce roast.)
rub the roast with soy sauce ( use Kikoman)
rub the roast with olive oil
when the oven reaches max temp place the uncovered pan with seasoned roast
fat side up into oven
this will braise the roast about 20 min for a 5 lb roast
turn the oven temp down to 300 after the roast has braised
pour about 1/4 inch of hot water into pan bottom
baste the roast every 20 min with pan juices
if no juice visible add a bit more water to pan bottom no more than 1/4 inch
continue to to baste roast every 20 min
roast should be done in about 3 hrs
check temp of roast within the last hour
sprinkle a bit of garlic powder and fresh ground pepper
within the last 1/2 hour to prevent the spices going bitter
baste till done
use a good thermometer
130 degrees for rare
140 degrees for med rare
150 degrees for med
160 for med well

remove roast from oven at desired temp
tent the roast with foil and let rest at least 20 min before carving

pour the warm juices in a bowl add ice to collect fats discard the fat
reheat the de fatted juices to serve with roast (au jus)

[kjonyou]

Thanks for all the details. Yes I agree, a prime rib or fillet are the best, but I am borke ;) Actually I save that for special occasions. I just thought I was being thrifty one day picked up a Cross Rib Roast thinking it cant be that bad for a week night dinner but it was. Usually I can find a decent recipe even for cheap cuts of meat but almost nothing.

I just dont understand, the market I go to is a big chain in a big city but the cuts of meat are always bottom cuts, bottom round, cross rib and the like. Even thier New York has no marbeling. I asked them to grind up some chuck for burgers and they said they couldnt do it. Told me to just buy the prepacked ground beef. I cant seem to find a good butcher, most have been put out of business by the big stores.

[porker]

When I was but a lad, I bought a cross rib roast. I figured it had ribs, had "roast" in the name, with a funny moniker "cross" at the beginning - so how far of a stretch was it from a rib roast (primerib)?
So I BBQed/grilled it.
Well, it ain't primerib...came out dry and tough (not enough low and slow).
So even though you want to veer away from pot roast/shredded meat (we call it "stringy meat"), I think a long, low braise would be best for this cut.
Maybe use it with a short-rib recipe (with wine), theres plenty on the boards. Or a beef bourgignon recipe.

[kjonyou]

Almost same mistake, not even sudo prime or roast for that matter. Maybe I will try a short rib with wine per your seggestion.

For some reason, my brand new upscale market only carries downscale meat cuts....maybe its the neighborhood.

[porker]

Well those downscale cuts seem to be all the rage today - fashionable.

[kjonyou]

I know, whats up with that? The other trend is everything cut "extra thin". Sorry but not everone is looking for a minute steak or minute pork chop.

[porker]

Yeah, or give it a new name - like "pork osso buco". Pork shank should be $1/lb...call it pork osso buco and charge $2....

Or the "extra thin" - describe it as "BBQ cut".

I'm guessing in general, as costs go up and food budgets get squeezed, grocers have to try whatever angle they can.

I also see more and more less-than-stellar cuts at the grocery, things like tongue, liver, feet, and heart. Whats driving this trend? Peoples willing acceptance or forced economic alternative?

Sad part is how price is driven by demand - years ago chicken wings were trash, now they're expensive, same with veal/beef shank. Pretty soon pig trotters will be $10/lb....

[kjonyou]

I know, here in Calif, what used to be cheap leftover cuts like Tri-Tip and Fap Meat are now almost as expensive as a New York Steak! That is not a budget thing. It has more to do with the discovery they can charge more for these cuts now that people are on to them as flavorful cuts if cooked right. if I go to a mexican market they are still cheap, the big chains are just cashing in on anything that seems poplular weather its more exensive or not.

[goodspirit]

since lamb and veal are so outrageous prices
I now use pork or beef shank trim outer skin and fat make a few
cuts on the outside to prevent curling dredge in flour and brown
for my oso buco now
I think the cream sherry wine helps too