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The other day, my family chose to make something akin to "roast beef" for the holidays. Since most markets were closed, we found a small shop which sold a limited selection of beef cuts. The one we eventually picked up was labeled "Bottom Round Roast". Needless to say, upon roasting it, it didn't exactly turn out as planned. While the end-product was quite juicy and flavorful, it was also also uncomfortably tough. Since this isn't a cut we've used before, I'm curious to know if anyone can help us troubleshoot.

Here's how it was cooked:

  • Salted about 2 hours in advance
  • Roasted--mid-rack--in a conventional oven at 225 degrees
  • Removed from the oven when a thermopen read about 125-130 degrees F, and rested for 20 minutes.
  • Finished stovetop in butter and thyme, about 45 seconds to a minute per side, until a thermopen confirmed the middle was medium rare.
  • Sliced against the grain--visibly medium rare.

Does this cut simply need more time? Clearly it doesn't behave like a prime rib. Any tips for next time?

Ontic
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  • Welcome to the site @Ontic, this question has already been asked and answered here: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/31906/why-did-my-roast-beef-turn-out-chewy-and-not-tender-where-did-i-go-wrong/31910#31910 – GdD Dec 29 '17 at 10:00
  • Thank you! The linked thread helped to answer my question. – Ontic Dec 29 '17 at 17:40
  • Bottom round is one of the tougher cuts there are. It's very lean and lacking the fat of a prime rib cut, and also lacks connective tissue/collagen that breaks down so nicely in cuts like chuck roast. Better suited for something with a marinade, or something cooked slow and enclosed, like a pot roast (or some combination thereof). I mostly only use that cut (and the rump roast) for Korean barbecue (sliced thin and marinaded), personally. – PoloHoleSet Dec 29 '17 at 18:12

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