Did you ever hear the joke about the roast? One day a girl was watching her mom make a beef roast. Mom cut off the ends, wrapped it in string, seasoned it and set it in the roasting pan. The little girl asked her mom why she cut off the ends. Mom replied, “That’s the way my mother always did it.” That night grandma came to dinner and the little girl asked why she had always cut the ends off the roast. Grandma said, "So it would fit in my pan, of course."Roasts are a tried and true cut of meat. Whether you want to stick to tradition, try a new cut or different preparation or you’re like me and didn’t eat many roasts growing up, Whole Foods Market® has just what you need: Quality meat, knowledgeable butchers and delicious recipes.
First, quality. All our beef comes from cattle raised with no antibiotics – ever, no added growth hormones and with no animal by-products in their feed and is rated according to the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Standards. That means our ranchers’ animal welfare practices are third-party audited and certified. Even meat that gets a Step 1 rating is a great accomplishment because it requires more from our farmers and ranchers than we have ever asked before. You can find out more about every step on our website opens in a new tab.
Next, knowledge. We’ve got the best butchers in the business. They’ll help you pick the right cut of meat for your recipe, point you to cuts that fit your budget, and are happy to share their cooking tips. If you don’t see what you want, they’ll even cut to order.
Read up on different roasts:
Chuck Roasts
Type of Cut: boneless chuck shoulder roast; boneless chuck roast
Info: from the shoulder and first ribs
Cooking: braising adds extra tenderness
Rib Roasts
Type of Cut: rib roast or prime rib; boneless rib roast
Info: tender (and usually pricier) than other roast cuts
Cooking: do well when cooked with dry heat
Loin and Sirloin Roasts
Type of Cut: tenderloin; New York strip roast; top sirloin roast; sirloin tri-tip roast
Info: from the back and hip, fairly tender
Cooking: can be roasted with dry heat
Round Roasts
Type of Cut: top round roast; bottom round rump roast; eye-round roast; sirloin tip roast
Info: from the rump and leg, less tender than loin and sirloin cuts
Cooking: hold up well to roasting; braise for even more tenderness
Finally, let’s get cooking. Here are some tips (other than cutting off the ends so it’ll fit in your pan) to get the most from your roast.
Oven roasting produces a well-browned, flavorful exterior and moist interior
Slow cooking turns less-common roasts or value-priced beef cuts into feast-worthy meals
For medium doneness, a general rule is to roast for about 20 minutes per pound at 350°F
Any type of roast can be cut into pieces for stew meat
Still hungry? We’ve got even more roast recipes opens in a new tab!
What’s your favorite cut of beef to roast? And do you have any tips, passed down from the generations or learned the hard way, that you can share? Let me know if
