What is a Brick Roast?

[MartyB]

A few weeks ago I bought a package of meat from Supersol (Seasons) which was labeled "Brick Roast" it somehow looked different redder in color finely marbleized and a mushy feel to the touch. I made it and it was heavenly, fell apart and everyone loved it. Checking on the web it looks like it has a multitude of names, Square Roast, French Roast so when I was at Brachs I saw them selling a Square Roast for a decent price (not Brooklyn prices but decent) problem is that it didn't look right. Clearly it was a different cut from what I got before. Went to Seasons (Supersol) and there was the Brick Roast as I remembered it, Tevyah's (who ever he is) was the brand and the price was $8.99/lb. I asked someone from the meat section if it goes by any other name he said - Shell, Delmonico - anyway I saw the same cut in the store but not "Tevyah's" marked for $14.99/lb. I then went to Gourmet Glatt, again they had French and square roast - didn't look quite right then they had "Delmonico" Brick roast for $14.99/lb and it looked like what I purchased from Seasons.

Why are there no standards as to what cuts of meat are called? Also why is "Tevyah's" brand that Season's carries selling so cheaply (relatively speaking)?

[cheesecake17]

I cook this type of roast all the time. Not sure exactly what cut of meat it is, but it's definitely delicious. If you slice it while cooled, it comes out into neat slices. It's also easy to shred while it's hot- kind of like shredded brisket.

I cook it two ways- in an apple bbq sauce and with an onion gravy. Both recipes are originally for brisket, but a brick roast works just as well, for much less money

[helou]

The brick roast designation has been a mystery to me too. Our local butcher in Edison NJ sells a minute Steak roast, that has the vein running through it, which is very delicious, and they'll split it and cut out the vein, but it's very, very, very expensive. I did once buy a square rost at our Shop-Rite kosher experience, and it too was wonderful, but definitely not the same cut of meat as the one with the "vein" (really sort of grizzle) running through it.
Cheesecake, would you give us the recipes for for the apple bbq sauce, and the onion gravy?

[cheesecake17]

The butcher I use has split minute steaks for around $10/lb, but I've seen them for much more. It's delicious when it's grilled- leftovers are great sliced and reheated with some duck sauce. The sauce bakes into the meat and forms a crust on top.

For the onion gravy-
Place roast in roaster and top with one packet onion soup mix. Pat the onion soup mix into the meat. Around roast, add 3-4 small peeled whole onions and 6-8 whole peeled garlic cloves. Add one glass of water around roast, cover, and cook at 400 until very tender. This can take anywhere from 2.5-3.5 hours.
* You can prepare the roast without the water and leave it covered in the fridge. I usually do this late Thurs night and have my husband add the water and pop it in the oven early Friday morning. That way it's done early and my oven is free for the rest of my Shabbat cooking.
* If you let the roast cool and then slice, you'll get nice slices. Or, slice while it's warm and the roast shreds.

The apple bbq recipe is loosely based on something I saw on Chuck's Day Off on the Cooking Channel. I've used the sauce on ribs also- it comes out great! I usually sear the ribs, pour off any fat, and then cook with the sauce.
Here it is:
In a large bowl combine-
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molassas (or extra honey)
1/4 cup soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, chopped
salt
coarsely ground black pepper (more than you think you would need)

Place the roast (or ribs) into a large roasting pan and pour sauce over.
Add the following around the roast:
2 medium onions, sliced
4 whole cloves garlic
large chunk ginger, cut into coins (don't bother to peel)
1 apple, peeled, cut into wedges

cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake until very tender. When I made a 6 lb roast, I cooked it for about 4.5 hours. Ribs or a smaller roast will cook for about 3 hours. When roast is hot, but not steaming, remove from sauce, and shred. Strain the sauce- or just pick out the large chunks of ginger.

[berel]

If I wanted minute steaks I'd take the minute roast and slice them into steaks. I think you're being charged a wee bit too much for "slicing" service. See how much minute roast costs by the pound.

[cheesecake17]

it's not just being sliced into steaks- the roast is being split to get two thinner pieces of meat. the vein running through the roast is also taken out.

[berel]

I misunderstood. My butcher does it lengthwise on request no extra charge

[websterhall1994]

Berel- You're in the 5T area, right?
I'd love to know which butcher is turning $7.99/lb minute roast into a $14.99 split minute filet for free.

[susiejane]

Me, too.

[susiejane]

Actually, I was just thinking about it. The $7.99 /lb includes all the waste--the outer "skin" and the inner membrane, so the final cost may not be that different.

[berel]

I don't think it raises the price to $10 a lb

[berel]

Gourmet Glatt for sure does the splitting for free.You pick out the packaged minute roasts and give it to the butcher who's out by the case. You still get charged for the weight of the removed grizzle but I don't think that would increase the price to an equivalent of $10 a lb.

Brachs might also do it.

[berel]

on different note. my method of preparing the de-grizzled minute roast is to marinate it overnight in KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce (I find it one of the best tasting and best sticking commercial sauces) and then BBQing it right before Shabbos

[susiejane]

Tevya's brand is imported from South America. The brick roast is a part of the chuck , whole and not sliced into steaks. I agree, it is tender and delicious. The butcher in Seasons also splits it for lodon broil and it is great on the grill.

[websterhall1994]

The square cut and French roast are definitely not the same quality as a brick roast. At Brachs they usually call it a shell roast and they often leave in the thick hollow vein running thru it which I find disgusting. I have seen brick roast at GG. I have tried grilling the "split" brick roast from seasons but I have much better results cooking the roast for 3+ hours in the oven like a brisket. The Tevya brand cooks up just fine and is Priced much cheaper than the others.