The key ingredients in the best cuts of beef for pot roast can help you make it like your mother used to.
The ideal pot roast has a wonderful texture and rich flavor thanks to good marbling and a tough cut of beef.
Beef chuck makes an excellent pot roast
As mentioned above, tough cuts of meat loaded with lots of connective tissue — the muscle groups animals use for mobility — are the best choices for pot roasts. This is because, during the couple hours it takes for the braising process to complete, this type of meat breaks down and becomes oh-so-tender, notes Kitchn. Additionally, these cuts stay moist over long cooking times, as large amounts of collagen break down into gelatin, bathing the meat and reserving its succulent taste.
ButcherBox says the best beef choice that meets top-quality conditions is beef chuck roast. This tough meat is cut from the shoulder above the short rib and braises into a perfectly tender pot roast. This tender cut is often sold as chuck shoulder pot roast, chuck roast, beef chuck arm, shoulder steak, chuck seven-bone pot roast, beef chuck, or boneless chuck roast, advises Kitchn. Although labeled differently, these meats are all cut from the same part of the cow.
Brisket makes a great pot roast, too
If youve ever tried beef brisket dry-rubbed-and-smoked, BBQ style or Jewish-braised, then you know that this cut of beef breaks down into rich, tender strands of meat and is easily shredded apart with a fork. According to ButcherBox, brisket is a wonderful choice for pot roast, as well. Cut from the chest, or the lower, front portion of the animal, brisket has quite a bit of fat.
The fat breaks down in a braise and enriches the sauce the pot roast cooks in, creating a flavor bomb you can soak up with thick-cut bread or buttery mashed potatoes. Brisket is commonly labeled as flat cut (a leaner piece of meat, according to Kitchn), beef brisket flat half, and beef brisket point half (a fattier cut). Its good to note that this cut is more expensive than the chuck roast mentioned above.
Bottom round roast is another good choice for pot roast
If youve ever piled rare roast beef onto a sandwich, you were likely eating bottom round roast, a cut typically used to prepare the slow-roasted meat (via ButcherBox). While roast beef is cooked dry, bottom round roast takes very well to the moist, slow-cooked braising method used to make pot roast. This method cooks meat down into a tender roast. According to Kitchn, bottom round roast is cut from the rear leg area of the cow and is also sometimes called bottom round or rump roast.
This is a very lean cut of meat, according to ButcherBox, and may need some extra fat to stay tender while braising to avoid chewy braised beef. Before covering and braising the pot roast, drizzle it with additional olive oil. You can also add lard, beef tallow, or butter to the pot. You’ll end up with a lovely, delectable pot roast whether you choose to eat chuck roast, brisket, or bottom round roast.
How to Choose a Pot Roast
FAQ
What is the best cut of meat for pot roast?
Our first preference for a pot roast is a boneless chuck roast. Outstanding marbling makes the braised roast juicy and tender. It is a tougher, though more affordable, cut than those from the front of the animal, like the sirloin or short loin, because it is taken from the shoulder just above the short rib.
What is the best cut of meat for pot roast in a crock pot?
Chuck roast is the best cut to use when making a pot roast in a slow cooker. Chuck roast is a very tough cut of meat, but after 8–10 hours of braising in a slow cooker, it has transformed into a lovely, tender delight. You just need to wait.
What beef options for pot roast?
The following three cuts will all result in delicious pot roasts: Chuck: From the animal’s front half. Brisket: Long strands of meat from the breast or lower chest Round: From the rear leg area of the animal.
What is the most tender beef roast for slow cooker?
Top Round Roast is best when cooked for hours in the slow cooker to tenderize it because it doesn’t have the same amount of fat as other roasts. It may be a better choice for some cooks because it is less expensive than other beef roasts.