Roasts Explained

Roast: one of my favorite beef cuts. It’s versatile and able to feed a family with a potential for leftovers. That’s a win-win in my book.

But did you know there is more than one kind of roast? Most people are familiar with a chuck roast, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg (or beef in this case).

I’ll start with the most common cut and work my way through bone-in and bone-out roasts. I’m even going to throw in a couple different way to cut the roasts for your beef shares so you have different options for winter and summer cooking. Here we go!

Chuck Roast:

The chuck is the most common roast simply because there are more chucks in a beef than any other roast. That’s probably why everyone has heard of a chuck roast. It is also considered the “cheapest” roast cut, although that term doesn’t apply exactly the same way as in steaks. The chuck meat/muscle does get used in the animal more in comparison to other parts of the body, so cook it low and slow to get a really tender finish. Try the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Want more ground beef and less roasts in your beef share? The chuck is the roast I opt to to grind when heading into the grilling season so I have more beef patties.

Cross Rib and Arm Roast:

These two roasts are scrumptious bone-in roasts. I love the buttery note the bone adds to the flavor palette. Bone-in roasts are definitely never lacking in flavor!

Did you know that you can sear your roasts in a dutch oven just like you sear a steak? The searing locks in the juices and adds great texture! Just thaw your roast to room temp, heat your dutch oven on the stove top so it’s really hot then melt about 1 Tbls of butter on the bottom. Reduce heat to medium and place your roast in the pan. Sear each side for 4-5 min. You can finish cooking in the oven with beef broth and veggies for 3 hours at 315.

Rump Roast:

This roast comes from the, you guessed it, hind end. A rump roast is boneless, tender and lean. Because it is boneless and has very little marbling, it packs a lot of weight in just beef. It cooks great in a crockpot or oven.

Sirloin Tip:

The sirloin tip can be cut as a steak or as a roast. Depending on the season, it works great either way! When I’m ordering my beef share for the fall and winter, I always get it cut as a roast or as stew beef chunks. The sirloin tip is another tender boneless roast.

Tri-tip Roast:

The tri-tip comes from the bottom tip of the sirloin and is triangular in shape (hence the name). It’s rich in meaty flavor and lean. There aren’t many tri-tips available in a beef so that’s why we never carry many in stock and they sell out fast. Want to try one? Shop HERE

Tenderloin Roast:

We only carry this roast at Christmas by request because it is the prime of prime roasts. You’ve heard of a filet mignon steak, right? Well, the tenderloin roast is the filet mignon cut into two roasts. That’s why the price of the tenderloin roast is quite a bit higher than any other roast.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip around the roasts! Here’s one of my favorite beef roast recipes: RECIPE