Rump Shaker

May 20, 2015 11:46 AM

I bought a 2lb choice rump roast on deep discount that needs to be cooked today - how should i cook it? I googled around some but the cooking temps start at 200 and go up to 400, so i don't know who to trust. Note, I'll be cooking for a diabetic so I won't be doing a layer of potatoes or added tomato sauce or any other carb loaded options like that.
posted by radiopaste to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

The high-temperature recipes are having you roast it; the low temperature ones are probably having you braise it. When cooked this way it is called a pot roast. Rump roast (aka bottom round) is IMO kind of marginal for straight-up roasting so I'd go for braising it. You can look for a recipe, but the basic principle is to cook it in a covered pot with some liquid for quite a long time.

If I were cooking it, I'd cut up an onion & put it, the roast, and about 1/2 a bottle of wine in a pan, bring it to a simmer on top of the stove, then put it in a slow oven (300 degrees or so) for 2 or 3 hours - just until the meat splits apart easily with a fork. You don't want to cook it until it's mush. The idea is to keep the liquid simmering during the entire cooking period.

There is a little sugar in an onion but probably not too much for a diabetic, and the alcohol in the wine will evaporate during the cooking. Or you could substitute chicken or beef broth for the wine, but be careful of the salt.
posted by mr vino at 12:03 PM on May 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

The slower the better, that's why they start at 200. It'll take a while, but you'll get even cooking all the way through. I'd season it, then sear it in a really hot pan all the way around, then stick it in the 200 oven until it's whatever temp you like. I'd do 135 for medium rare. If you don't have a thermometer, go get a thermometer.
posted by Huck500 at 12:06 PM on May 20, 2015

Basic principle is "sear the outsides, then slow and low". This British recipe is about as simple as it gets.
posted by holgate at 12:09 PM on May 20, 2015 [7 favorites]

I'd make carne guisada; it involves browning the meat, boiling the stew, and then simmering on low heat for five hours.
posted by neushoorn at 12:09 PM on May 20, 2015

This is my go-to recipe for pot roast. Simple, low, and slow is the way to go.
posted by jeffamaphone at 12:22 PM on May 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

2nd holgate - I've always had luck starting with a high temperature for 20 minutes, to sort of sear/seal the outside, and then lowering it to let the juices inside work (basting occasionally).

For prep, I like things simple: stab a bunch of holes in the roast. Insert a ton of garlic cloves into those holes. Season with salt and pepper. Between meat and heat, that's all you need, imo.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:37 PM on May 20, 2015 [3 favorites]

My recipe for pot roast:

Oven at 350
Brown it in a bit of oil, add sliced onions and a can of beer. Cover and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
posted by francesca too at 2:36 PM on May 20, 2015

Worth noting -- tomatoes and (unsweetened) tomato sauce are, percentage-wise, low in carbs. You should be OK including them in recipes for a diabetic.
posted by incessant at 2:44 PM on May 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

The internal temperature ends up the same whether to braise it or roast it, somewhere between 135F and 160F, depending on how you like it.

The reason you want to braise instead of roast is that it's loaded with connective tissue that toughens it. The connective tissue is stuff like collagen, and it'll melt and soak into the meat in the wet environment, and it'll make it taste rich and juicy. (Juicy mouthfeel in meat doesn't come from water, it's from fat and other melted solids coating things.)

The liquid should be water based, it shouldn't burn if boiled (i.e. no milk), and it should taste good and contain things that taste good with beef. You can think of it as making beef stock while making the beef. That's it. Simmer covered until the beef comes apart. Shred, stir to distribute the good stuff, serve the meat in a puddle of the jus, your finished braising liquid. Tastes great tomorrow too.

Protip: As you've removed the meat and are preparing the jus from what remains (getting rid of expended solids like overly mushy veg, or bundles of herbs, or just straining the whole lot), add a little butter, maybe 2 tablespoons for this amount of jus, and let it melt in to bump up the richness. It's called "mounting the sauce" and your mouth with thank you.
posted by Sunburnt at 4:17 PM on May 20, 2015