Cook Bottom Round Roast

Premium cuts of beef can be expensive, but less expensive cuts can be tough and flavorless. The bottom round comes from the hindquarters, so it is a naturally tougher cut; however, it is a great choice for healthy meals, as it is very lean. When you know how to cook a bottom round roast, however, you know the secret to overcoming those problems. The secret to a tender roast is to cook it at a low temperature for a longer period of time.

  • Prep time: 15-20 minutes
  • Cook time: 3-7 hours
  • Total time: 4-8 hours

Steps

  1. Trim the fat. Trim any excess fat from the outside of the bottom round roast. Some people prefer to leave the fat for flavoring, which is fine, but you will usually be adding enough seasoning that you will not miss the fat's contribution. Make several incisions in the roast with a sharp paring knife.
  2. Consider marinading the meat. Marinading the meat for several hours before cooking will help to break down the tough meat fibers, leaving your roast more tender. However, this step is completely optional and can be skipped if you're short on time.
    • A marinade typically contains a fat, such as olive oil, an acidic substance, such as balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and a blend of herbs and spices. You can make your own marinade or buy one at the supermarket.
    • The roast should be placed in a plastic freezer bag and the marinade poured over, before the bag is sealed and left to sit in the fridge overnight, or for several hours before cooking.
  3. Sear the meat in a pan. Season the meat well with salt and pepper, then heat some oil in a Dutch oven or large pan and brown the bottom round roast on all sides.
    • Before searing, you can also rub the surface of the meat with things like crushed garlic, fresh, chopped herbs and ground spices to add flavor -- what combination you use is a matter of personal preference.
    • Searing the meat is an important step for giving an attractive brown color to the meat, in addition to adding flavor, as natural sugars in the herbs and spices will caramelize on the surface of the meat.
  4. Cook the bottom round roast in a large cooking pot, Dutch oven or slow cooker. Any of these methods can produce a perfectly tender roast, so choose whichever method is convenient for you.
    • Regardless of which cooking vessel you choose, place a layer of chopped onions on the bottom and sit the meat on top.
    • Add liquid to the pot until it reaches 1/3 of the way up the side meat. This can be water, beef broth, vegetable stock, alcohol (wine, beer, whiskey or cider) or a combination of these.
  5. Cook on a low heat for several hours. The most important point to remember when cooking bottom round roast is that you should cook it on a low heat for a long period of time — this melts the fat and breaks down the connective tissue inside the meat, leaving it flavorsome and fork tender. Cooking it on a high heat for a shorter period of time would result in a much tougher, drier piece of meat.
    • Oven: If you're cooking the roast in a Dutch oven, preheat the oven to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} and slow roast the meat for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the weight. A 3 to 4 pound roast will typically take about 4 hours to cook — you'll know it's done when it reaches an internal temperature of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
    • Slow Cooker: If you're cooking the roast in a slow cooker, it will usually take about 7 hours on the "low" heat setting. Although you may prefer your beef cooked medium-rare, this doesn't allow enough time for the meat's connective tissues to break down and for the meat to become tender, so it's always better to cook round bottom roast until well-done.
    • Stove top: If you're cooking the roast on the stove top, you should use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and slowly simmer the meat over a low heat. Make sure to cover the saucepan to keep the meat nice and moist.
  6. Add the vegetables. Some people add vegetables to pot at the beginning of cooking, but this can result in mushy, overdone veg. Therefore, it's best to add any vegetables at the end of cooking time, to ensure that they are perfectly cooked.
    • Vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips and beets all go well with bottom round roast, as they tend to soak up the flavor of the cooking liquid. However, you can also add more delicate vegetables such as mushrooms, green beans, beans or peas (though these require less cooking time).
    • Add the vegetables to the pot when the meat is almost done. You can test for this by sticking a skewer or the tines of a fork into the meat — when the meat is fully cooked, there should very little to no resistance.
  7. Remove the meat and prepare the pan juices. Once the meat is braised to perfection, it should have an internal temperature of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} and be ready to fall apart with a little pressure from a fork.
    • Remove the meat from the cooking dish and set it aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, covered with foil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the dish, put them in a bowl and set them aside.
    • Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan — some bottom round roasts will produce a lot of liquid, others will just have enough for drizzling. Simmer the pan juices over a low heat. If you want to thicken the sauce, add some cornstarch; if you want to thin the sauce, add some beef broth, wine or water.
  8. Serve the bottom round roast. Cut the roast by slicing it, or pulling it apart with a fork. Serve with the vegetables on the side and the pan juices/gravy drizzled over the top.
    • You can serve the beef with your favorite side dishes, such as mashed potato, turnip, hash browns or mustard greens.
    • To finish the dish, sprinkle with some fresh, chopped herbs such as flat leaf parsley, rosemary or thyme.



Tips

  • Leave the peel on the potatoes and carrots. Removing the peel also removes many of the nutrients.
  • If you do not like the seasoning of the soup mix, sprinkle the roast with thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and lay a few sprigs of fresh rosemary on the top.
  • Substitute red wine for all or part of the water or stock for a richer, full-bodied flavor.

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Sources and Citations

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