Sous Vide Top Round Question

[rickgregory]

So I was walking through the market the other day and they had top round on sale for $4.99/lb. The were cut as thick steaks so I grabbed one for the high price of $4.09 to try an experiment.

I marinated it for about 2 hours in a mix of honey, ketchup, sesame oil, Worcestershire and soy then bagged it and tossed it in the SV at 132F for 22 hours. Seared for 60 seconds per side in a cast iron pan and it came out nicely tender, a shade more done that I would have expected (I need to cross check the SV). Toothsome but not at all tough. However, it was every so slightly dry.

So, the question - when SVing lean meats, has anyone added extra fat? The sesame oil was maybe a teaspoon. I'm thinking of adding like a tablespoon of bacon fat. I'd inject, but in the SV I would imagine it would simple render out.

[mgaretz]

Any added fat won’t penetrate the meat so don’t bother. Better to make some gravy even it’s the au jus type. This cut also works if you cook it low and slow to an internal temp of medium rare or even rare, then slice thin against the grain. Around here that cut is most often sold as London broil.

[Jerod Broussard]

That is essentially just like a sirloin tip roast aka very, very lean. mgaretz is right on, make some sauce.

Back home that is browned in a pot, water and onions added, cooked until tender with a nice gravy from the browned up water to pour on your rice.

Better off painting beef love at the end rather than any pre-cook magic.

I know people like Baltimore Pit Beef and all that jazz, but if you got to slice THAT thin to create edible slices, I'd rather go another route, the sous vide route.

[barelfly]

I know I’ve SV a top round a few times, but it’s been a bit since. I do remember it turned out really well, nice and tender with a thin sliced cut. But, I don’t remember if I served with an au jus or what. I’ll look in my notes to see if I can find anything else for you.

[rickgregory]

Gravy makes sense, thanks. I usually do steaks at 132, rest and a very quick sear and they're medium rare but these ate more like a medium regular steak. I think I'll do the next one at 130.

[Jerod Broussard]

131-F is really the safest route for beef. I prefer 131.5 for piece of mind. 140-F for poultry.

[rickgregory]

Jerod Broussard - that was my thinking behind 132, especially with a very long cook.

[dwlacroix]

Top round was the very first thing I cooked sous vide. I cook at 131F for about 10 hours and have been pleased.