beef roast types?


 
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DW Frommer II

TVWBB Fan
What is a "7 bone" roast and is it the same or similar to a "blade roast?"

How is it cooked? Can it be done like a chuck roast or a butt?
 
Originally posted by DW Frommer II:
What is a "7 bone" roast and is it the same or similar to a "blade roast?"

How is it cooked? Can it be done like a chuck roast or a butt?
Click to expand...

They are not the same cut, but both come from the shoulder. Yes, they both can be cooked like a typical chuck roast, but foiling in my opinion is very necessary. Cook around 245º-260º until you hit 165º internally, then double wrap in foil and continue cooking until fork tender. I start to check for tenderness at around 195º-200º. Plan on about 1.5-2 hrs per lb.

The typical 'chuck roast' you purchase in a grocery store to use for pulled beef is a 'blade roast'. But anything with 'chuck' or 'shoulder' in the label (as long as it's labeled correctly) can be used for pulled beef.

Even 'chuck eye steaks' can be used for pulled beef, but are tender enough to grill and are very similar to a rib eye steak in tenderness and flavor.
 
The 7-bone, being a crosscut from the center of the shoulder is like, kind of, a blade roast plus. It contains substantial portions of the blade meat plus meat from below.
 
Thanks guys,
Actually I want to cook one of these (they're both on sale) like I've been doing chuck roast...high(er) heat and for pulled beef. I guess from what you say, I'm pretty much good to go. I may, this weekend, rub one down with olive oil,salt and pepper, and leave off the spicy rub.

As for chuck-eye steaks...that's supposed to be a secret!!
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Chuck-eyes are dern near as tender as rib-eye, just as flavourful and about a third less expensive. Ssshhh!
 
Originally posted by Larry Wolfe:
Even 'chuck eye steaks' can be used for pulled beef, but are tender enough to grill and are very similar to a rib eye steak in tenderness and flavor.
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What I do with chuck eyes borders on the obscene. I usually buy them about 4 lbs so the cook time is reasonable. What I do is to give them a nice brown mustard mop that I've added some rub to. The rub is basically granulated garlic, onion and turbinado sugar. Into a ziploc bag, then the fridge till the next day.

I fire up the WSM, and get it going. While that's working, I break out the meat and proceed to give it a full coating of rub. I cook it at about 300F, untill the internal temp hits 140, using a combo of hickory & oak. Off the smoker it comes.... and is promptly basted with some good bourbon. Foil for 15/20 minutes, then carve and eat.
 
The blade roast/steaks are the last cuts from the bone in chuck. Usually 1-2 blade roasts come off the bone in chuck, these usually contain the chuck eyes also. The chuck eyes are the beginning of the rib (rib eyes). The meat from the blade and 7-bone are basically the same. Blade roasts being a bit more fatty. Blade roast hast a straight flat shoulder blade bone and the 7-bone has a blade bone that resembles a "7", sometimes very pronounced.
Bnls chuck roast is a split bone in chuck that has been boned out, the whole sub primal is boned out and cut into bnls roasts, steaks and stew.

All very good for pulled beef.
 
Top Blade another "secret" as chuck eyes once were. The top blade has received much exposure lately per the flat iron. I had meat cutters tell me 20 years ago how tender and flavorful the top blade was, but it just never looked appealing. I tried some top blade steaks and was hooked. Buy a whole top blade and cut across grain for steaks or seam out the membrane as Tim suggests that runs down the center for 2 flat iron steaks. Good eating!
 
Say, thanks to everybody.

Particularly for Tim and Gary...if I had a roast like the one pictured in the link Tim supplied, how would I cut it? does anyone have a drawing program that can outline the flatiron steaks for example?

If I cut the flatirons off and grilled them, could I bbq what's left around the bone for pulled beef (there's only two of us)? Would there be enough left and would it get tender enough above 195°?
 
You need a whole top blade for flat irons. You cannot cut them from a 7-bone. One takes the whole roast, cuts it horizontally above the gristle line, removes the gristle from the lower half, then crosscuts each half into steaks. (I get four from a top blade.)

They are a bit of a PITA to do and this is why one sees chuck top blade steaks much more often that flat irons. For these one simply crosscuts the roast into steaks. But each will contain a line of gristle that will not soften appreciably during cooking. One has to eat around it.

Top blade roast:

beef_topbladeroast.jpg



Crosscuttop blade steaks (note the gristle line in the middle):

1144ShldrTopBladeStkBnls.JPG


Flat iron steak:

300px-Flatiron_steak.jpg
 
Originally posted by DW Frommer II:
Say, thanks to everybody.

Particularly for Tim and Gary...if I had a roast like the one pictured in the link Tim supplied, how would I cut it? does anyone have a drawing program that can outline the flatiron steaks for example?
Click to expand...

Hi,

Look for a grocery that sells the crosscut top blade steaks. (They can be called anything but they look like the picture.) Ask the butcher if he can give you a thick top blade steak. Request one about 8" thick to 12" thick.

The steak is constructed like a salmon; it may be cut into steaks or fillets/filets.

STEAK: The crosscut top blade is like a crosscut salmon steak. If you get these about two inches thick, you can remove that center tendon and have wonderful kabob meat.

FILET: This takes some patience until you are used to making the cut. Cut the steak down the center line along the tendon, just like cutting a fillet from a salmon. You then cut below the tendon aand end up with two flat fillets.

It is a good idea to allow your flat irons to air age for a few hours and to bring them to room temp before cooking. This removes any liverish taste.

Because this steak's grain runs along the length, it will contract increasing its thickness from about 3/4" to 1 1/4" while it is being seared. Before you cook, you are afraid that it will be hard to have a rare steak. The contraction makes it an easy steak to cook.

It is wonderful tasting.

Tim
 
Thanks for the info in this thread. I have been thinking about making these and did not have a clue. I will have to try this. Thanks Vince
 
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