Howdy all, not long ago I posted a cook of a so-called turkey breast roast, basically a deboned turkey breast trussed up in string mesh to hold it in shape, in order to produce some lunch meat. We've been Boar's Head consumers for some years but with their recent safety probs (their shuttered plant is just a couple hours from here), we're avoiding them. So I've been casting around for things I can make myself (the turkey came out great).
Rare roast beef was always one of our choices, so this time I'm trying to emulate that. Came across this piece, labeled "chuck tender roast", weighing in a bit under 4lb/1.8kg, Choice Angus so a little spendy at $7.99/lb (but we have their "store card" and get the $5.99/lb listed on the lower label). But I'll use it to try out my approach.
As you can see, it's a weird shape for a chuck roast, and there is a very marked change in grain direction, best visible in the top pic with the shrink wrap. If I didn't know better I might say it's a huge tri tip (but I do know better). But not having heard of "chuck tender roast" before, maybe this is a part of the animal I'm not accustomed to seeing? I know some of y'all have the know-how on this.
Anyway, my game plan is to sous vide this baby for 30 to 36 hours at about 132/55 for a nice medium rare, then remove it, pat it mostly dry, then put it in the fridge overnight to cool down. Finally, I would bring it back to target IT on the SnS kettle set up for 2 zone with a chunk of wood so that the meat picks up just a little smoke, and finally sear it over the coals briefly.
I've read some reputable cooking pages taking this basic approach; my wrinkle is cooling it down and reheating with smoke before searing instead of just going right to the sear after the SV step. I've done something like this with another cut before (tri tip or picanha, can't remember which), and my recollection is that whatever subtle smoke it may have picked up was swamped by the sear flavors. So that's my main question at this point, is that smoke step worth the time and trouble?
The cut is dry brining now and I will put it in the SV first thing in the morning, and do the final step the next day - plenty of time for kibbitz & snark
Rare roast beef was always one of our choices, so this time I'm trying to emulate that. Came across this piece, labeled "chuck tender roast", weighing in a bit under 4lb/1.8kg, Choice Angus so a little spendy at $7.99/lb (but we have their "store card" and get the $5.99/lb listed on the lower label). But I'll use it to try out my approach.
As you can see, it's a weird shape for a chuck roast, and there is a very marked change in grain direction, best visible in the top pic with the shrink wrap. If I didn't know better I might say it's a huge tri tip (but I do know better). But not having heard of "chuck tender roast" before, maybe this is a part of the animal I'm not accustomed to seeing? I know some of y'all have the know-how on this.
Anyway, my game plan is to sous vide this baby for 30 to 36 hours at about 132/55 for a nice medium rare, then remove it, pat it mostly dry, then put it in the fridge overnight to cool down. Finally, I would bring it back to target IT on the SnS kettle set up for 2 zone with a chunk of wood so that the meat picks up just a little smoke, and finally sear it over the coals briefly.
I've read some reputable cooking pages taking this basic approach; my wrinkle is cooling it down and reheating with smoke before searing instead of just going right to the sear after the SV step. I've done something like this with another cut before (tri tip or picanha, can't remember which), and my recollection is that whatever subtle smoke it may have picked up was swamped by the sear flavors. So that's my main question at this point, is that smoke step worth the time and trouble?
The cut is dry brining now and I will put it in the SV first thing in the morning, and do the final step the next day - plenty of time for kibbitz & snark
I'll update this thread!
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