Arm Roast?

[s502525tim]

Hello everyone,
I've recently been gifted a couple of "arm roasts" from my friends who had purchased a 1/2 of beef and I have no clue what to do with them. I'm relatively new to the scene but I have a Pit Barrel Cooker that I like to think I have figured out pretty well. I guess my questions are: What cut is an arm roast? Can/should I put them on the smoker? If so do you know how long they usually take and what IT should I be looking for? Any help is appreciated!
Thanks!

[Huskee]

I'm guessing it's a chuck leg roast, which would be a pretty tough cut if it's what I'm thinking. I would suggest if you use your PBC you cook it on the lower end of the temp scale and then do a foil wrap and treat it like a brisket. I haven't done one myself, this is simply an educated guess. You could also try slicing it when it hits 135 (medium-rare) and if it's good stop there. If it's too tough, proceed with the standard brisket treatment.

[LA Pork Butt]

I found this some time ago which may help.

Synonyms:  beef shoulder




The chuck section comes from the shoulder and neck of the beef, and it yields some of the most flavorful and economical cuts of meat.  The downside is that these cuts tend to be tough and fatty, and they have more than their fair share of bone and gristle.  It's usually best to cook them slowly in a liquid.  

Cuts:

7-bone pot roast = 7-bone roast = center cut pot roast = chuck roast center cut  Notes:   This is a tough cut of meat, so it's usually braised or cooked in liquid to tenderize it.  A steak from this roast is called a 7-bone steak.  Substitutes:  arm roast OR blade pot roast

7-bone steak = center chuck steak  Notes:  This is an economical steak cut from a 7-bone pot roast.  It's rather tough, so your best bet is to braise it.  If you insist on grilling or broiling it, be sure to marinate it overnight to make it as tender as possible.  Substitutes:  top blade steak OR under blade steak

arm roast = arm pot roast = arm chuck roast = chuck arm roast = round bone pot roast = round bone roast    Notes:    This is just a butcher's blade away from the shoulder roast, and the main difference between the two is that the arm roast has a round bone in it and is slightly more tender.  You can use this for a pot roast, or cut it up for stew meat, but it's too tough to cook with dry heat.  A steak cut from this roast is called an arm steak.   Substitutes:  shoulder roast OR bottom round OR cross rib roast 

arm steak = arm chuck steak = arm Swiss steak = round bone steak = round bone Swiss steak  Notes:  This is a steak cut from an arm roast.  It's too tough to grill or broil, but it's very tasty if you braise it.  Substitutes:  7-bone steak OR under blade steak OR shoulder steak




blade roast = blade pot roast = blade chuck roast  Notes:   This makes a good pot roast, but it's too tough to cook using dry heat. Substitutes:  arm pot roast OR cross rib roast OR brisket
chuck eye = mock tender = chuck fillet = chuck filet = chuck tender = Scotch tender  Notes:  This is one of the more tender cuts from the chuck section, so you can cook it in liquid or roast it in the oven.  A steak cut from this roast is called a chuck eye steak.  Substitutes:  top blade roast

 




chuck eye steak = chuck fillet steak = chuck filet steak = beauty steak = chuck tender steak = fish steak  Notes:   This steak isn't bad, considering it's a chuck steak.   In fact, it's tender enough to grill or broil, provided that you marinate it overnight first.   Substitutes:   top blade steak OR eye of round steak OR top sirloin OR round tip steak
chuck steak  Notes:   Chuck steaks comes from the neck and shoulder of the beef, and they tend to be chewy but flavorful and inexpensive.  Most of them are too tough to grill, broil, or pan-fry--it's better to braise them or cut them up as stew meat.  If you must grill one, make sure you marinate it overnight first.   Substitutes:  round steak (leaner) OR T-bone steak (more tender)

 




 

cross rib roast = cross rib pot roast = Boston cut = English cut roast = English roast = thick rib roast = bread and butter cut = beef chuck cross rib pot roast   Notes:  If boneless, this is sometimes called an English roll.  This makes a fine pot roast, but it's too tough to roast with dry heat.  Substitutes:  arm roast OR blade pot roast OR 7-bone roast

 

 




WRAP THESE ROASTS

pot roast  Notes:  These are economical roasts that are too tough to be oven roasted, but they become tender if cooked in a liquid for several hours.  Several cuts work well as pot roasts, particularly the 7-bone pot roast, arm roast, blade roast, chuck eye, cross rib roast, shoulder roast, top blade pot roast, under blade pot roast, bottom round roast, eye round roast, and rump roast.

shoulder roast = shoulder pot roast = English roast   Notes:   This boneless cut is located right behind the arm roast on the carcass.  It's rather tough, so it's usually cooked in a liquid.   Substitutes:  arm roast OR bottom round OR cross rib roast

shoulder steak = English steak = clod steak  Notes:  This makes for a fairly tough steak, but you can grill or broil it provided that you first marinate it overnight.  It's even better braised.  Substitutes:  top blade steak OR chuck eye steak

top blade pot roast = flat iron roast = lifter roast = puff roast = triangle roast  Notes:  This is both literally and figuratively a cut above the tougher under blade pot roast.  Meat from the top blade often is made into a pot roast, or cut up, marinated, and used for fajitas.  A steak cut from the top blade pot roast is called a top blade steak.  Substitutes:  7-bone pot roast OR under blade pot roast

top blade steak = book steak = butler steak = lifter steak = petite steak = top chuck steak = flat iron steak   Notes:   Though a lowly chuck steak, this cut is tender enough to grill, broil, or pan-fry, as long as you marinate it first.  If you don't mind cutting around some gristle, this is an economical and flavorful steak.  It's also great for making fajitas.   Substitutes:  eye of round steak OR top sirloin OR round tip steak

under blade pot roast = bottom chuck roast = California roast = under-cut roast  Notes:    This cut is tougher than a top blade pot roast, but it's flavorful and economical. It makes a fine pot roast, but it's too tough to roast with dry heat.  A steak cut from this is called an under blade steak.   Substitutes:  7-bone pot roast OR top blade pot roast

under blade steak = bottom chuck steak = California steak  Notes:  This is a steak cut from an under blade roast.  It's not tender enough to grill, broil, or fry, but it's quite flavorful if braised.   Substitutes:  top blade steak (more tender) OR arm steak

[GadjetGriller]

Arm roast were on sale a few months ago here in my area turned out to be a buy one get one free? So I had a lot of them lol. However I got to looking and the arm roast comes from (sorta) the same area as the brisket. So I treated it just like a brisket. It shrunk up a lot more than a traditional Brisket so I didnt have as much as I once feared, however it came out a little dry and chewy. I didnt wrap mine so I think if I did it again I would wrap it with some sort of liquid to keep it moist. I cooked it low and slow (225) to 200 degrees.

[s502525tim]

Thanks for the info guys! I think I'm just going to go low and slow and wrap it like a brisket. Hopefully it turns out ok! If not, at least I didn't have to pay for the meat.

[Craigar]

You will not be disappointed. Our household uses them for pulled beef just like a chuck roast.

[ChiefK]

growing up, we had boneless arm roast every other Sunday for dinner (noon meal, I'm in Iowa). Grandma cooked hers in an old oval cast aluminum dutch oven. I inherited that pot a couple years ago. Still makes the best roasts I've ever had.

I've thought about smoking one, but haven't tried it yet, mostly because the way they're cut here, the muscle fibers run vertically, so I think I'd do it for pulled, not sliced beef. In fact, if you do it right with Grandma's dutch oven, it falls apart anyway.

Actually, I've thought about experimenting with bottom round as well, havent seen a recipe that was non SVQ, so I haven't yet, but I will at some point

hope that helps

[xaugievike]

I make Italian beef sammiches out of those

[rickgregory]

Good info... https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.co...lder-clodheart

[Tax Man]

We use those pretty much exclusively for slow roasting, always with some braising liquid present. Can get pretty dry and chewy.

[HawkerXP]

Please, be sure to take us along as you do this! Oops, see that this is an old post.