Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
The piece I have is 1.5 pounds. The recipe calls for 3 pound and bath for 30 hours. Being my roast is 1/2 that any suggestion on changing the length of time in the bath. I'm thinking 24 hours. Looking for thoughts and any past experience you might have.
If you follow the recipe you'd be shooting for medium rare at a bath temp of 131*. For a 1 1/2# piece I'm not sure you even need 24 hours, but I've never done a bottom round. I'm thinking more like 18-20 for the steak-like finish, but others may chime in differently.
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I've not done a bottom round yet using SV, but here's what I'm thinking: Whether 1.5 lb or 3 lb, the roast is going to stabilize at 131 degrees very quickly in the SV bath. After that, it's going to take time for the connective tissue and collagen to fully render so that the roast is properly tenderized. According to Clint Cantwell 's recipe that time is 30 hours. Personally, I'd go with his instructions and see what happens. You can always adjust and try again if you don't like the results.
Last edited by MBMorgan; January 25, 2019, 12:07 PM.
Troutman - guess I shouldn't reply before being fully caffeinated . I'm pretty sure that the same time-to-tenderize principle applies to round as well as chuck.
I don’t think the weight should have much effect on the timing. When you’re going for 30 hours, you’re working on tenderization, not pasteurization. I would go at least 12, pinch at 12, but be prepared for the full 30. Spinaker recommended the full thirty to someone who asked the same question on the free site last year. I don’t do a lot of bottom round, (like any), so I’m not really familiar with the challenges.
I tend to agree with PKB, the meat is going to get cooked in a relatively short period of time. It's the degree of tenderness that you want to shoot for. Round is lean so you're not really breaking down as much connective tissue, as you are rendering the fat and collagen into that anxiousness that makes it tender and juicy. I dug into my archive and found this 2.5# top round I did as a London Broil and it came out great. It was a straight SV with a reverse sear, bathed at 132* for 24 hours. I said in my write up that I thought 18 hours would have sufficed, the meat a bit overly tenderized.
I would thus still recommend 18-20 hours for your 1.5# cut, 30 hours is way too much. Remember also that it's not the weight so much as the shape and the ability for heat to penetrate. Thus thinner cuts less, fatter cuts more. Let us know how yours turns out.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
Thanks for the input. I'll go with 20 hours. Then follow the ice shock and smoke on the gasser.
Certainly will share results. Here's the meat. When I took this I notices a bit < 1.5 lbs. Will still do the 20 hours. At 4.99/lbs, and at < $7 total, I won't be too bummed, other than I might still be hungry.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
I would have to say it was a successful cook. I did 20 hours in the bath, a couple of hours in ice bath then on grill at about 225 to 240 till it hit 125. Temp was about 40, so not bad to regulate. Very tender. Could literally pull the slice apart without having to cut it. Bark was solid, crisp and delicious. Here are some shots.
Ready for the bath
Note the sophisticated method to control evaporation and temperature.
Out of the bath and ice. ready for the grill
On the grill
Off the grill and ready to slice
Time to eat
I used to use towels with those bulldog clips you use when a stapler won't do... but for some reason, this annoyed the wife. Saran works nicely as well with the bulldog clips.
Clint Cantwell, Curious to know why the long SV in the recipe. If there's not a lot of collagen to render, and not a lot of fat, I would think you'd go with the minimum pasteurization time for the thickness at the temp,, though I note Baldwin recommends a long cook for eye of round, as does Kosher Dosher (with the caveat that it's for slicing thin). I'm just curious to see the logic behind it.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner. A 22" Kettle with vortex SnS and OnlyFire pizza oven. A Smokey Joe and the most recent addition a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, ThermoPop and a Thermapen Mk4. Recently added 2 TempSpike wireless meat thermometers.
Thanks Troutman and yes I didn't sear it. Just on grill indirect to get It to 125. The combination of the 20 hour bath and couple hours on grill @ about 225 created a nice bark based on the recipe rub. I can't tell you the why, but it was good.
I usually go with 30 hours when I am doing this, but I have never gone to 20 hours before. The way I was looking at it was; if it ain't broken, don't fix it. But I might have to give 20 hours a shot. Thanks for your input!
On further review, as a working muscle, it might just be tough muscle fibers that require the extra time. Chuck has a lot of connective junk, by being a complex muscle cluster. None of the round cuts (Top, Eye, Bottom) have the variegation, but they work to move the cow. I guess that makes the long bath make sense. Something to consider.
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Late to the game here, but I guess it depends on what you're going to do with it. I just did a CAB top round roast last night for Roast Beef sandwiches, about 2.5-3 pounds IIRC (about 2in h x 4 x 4?), and following something from Serious Eats, I did it for just 6 hours at 125 and it is beautiful and tasty when sliced on the electric slicer.
I am going to do this for a christmas dinner donation for a family in need. I doubt they have a smoker or grill. What tips would I give them to finish and reheat in an oven? 250 for 2 hours?
If you have done the full cook and the meat just needs to be reheated, then I would deliver it in a foil pan, and include a can of beef broth, and some aluminium foil. For instructions, I would recommend putting the roast in the pan with the beef stock, tightly cover with foil, and heat in a 300 oven for 60-90 min.
The most important thing here is, good for you for taking the time to do this for a family in need.
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