What’s the deal with round steaks?
Round steak - I’ve had folks tell me that they just have it ground into hamburger meat because they can never cook it right.
While I understand this tendency, I’d argue that this is a matter of cooking education - not the cut’s fault. In fact, we love having these steaks at our house - it’s all in how you prep them.
What’s a round steak?
Round steaks are steaks cut from the cow’s hindquarters. These muscles are hardworking, moving those big boys around the pasture every day. As a result, they are LEAN - and tend to be less forgiving when cooking because there’s less fat.
Round steaks come in a few varieties. Sometimes they’re left as one massive steak, while other times they’re broken down into smaller cuts: bottom round, top round, and eye of the round. These smaller steaks are what we have available from our farm and they make the steaks a bit more approachable in the kitchen.
So why do round steaks have a bad reputation?
Most issues come down to treating a round steak like a different cut of steak.
Although round steaks are a steak cut, they’re just not built like a ribeye or T-bone, which have plenty of fat and come from a different section of the cow.
As a result, the two main problems that people run into with round steaks are:
Overcooking
Lack of tenderizing ahead of time
Both of these result in tough steaks. The good news? It’s pretty easy to cook them the RIGHT way.
How to tenderize?
There are three main ways that you can tenderize meat:
Mechanical - physically breaks down connective tissue
Meat tenderizer - Use this to pound the steaks
Slicing against the grain - this helps because it’ll result in shorter muscle fibers, which are easier to chew
Marinade - chemically alters the meat’s structure
Make sure that your marinade has a strong acid in it to help with the tenderizing. This can be citrus juice, vinegar, wine, yogurt, or tomato-based juices/sauces.
Note - you don’t need to use ALL of these tenderizing options every time - just one will make a big difference in your end result.
How to cook round steak
Tenderizing sets you up for success, but how you cook round steaks is what really makes the difference.
Moisture is your friend!
Your best bets for cooking round steaks are to opt for either slow cooking or braising. But when to use each?
Are you looking to set it and forget it? This is the best option for beginners and is pretty hard to mess up. Cook your steaks in the slow cooker, submerged in the liquid of your choice and you’ll be jazzed with the results.
If you’re okay with a slightly more hands-on method, try braising! With braising, you’ll want to sear your meat in a skillet first, then place in a Dutch oven, partially submerged in cooking liquid, cooked low and slow for a few hours.
So what’s the difference between round steak cuts?
Here’s the breakdown
Top Round - This is the most tender of the round steaks - and it makes amazing sliced roast beef sandwiches, fajitas, or stir fries. You CAN grill a top round steak, but I don’t recommend cooking it past medium rare.
Bottom Round - This cut impresses when cut into small pieces and used for recipes such as beef tips or stew meat.
Eye of the Round - This is definitely the toughest of the cuts. While you can certainly use it cut very thinly for sandwiches, my personal favorite use is to turn it into amazing lean beef jerky.
Why are round steaks a great deal?
Looking for a more economical way to add grass-finished beef into your family’s meals? Round steaks are a great way to do it.
In addition to their cost-effectiveness, they’re also incredibly versatile - making meals ranging from stew to sandwiches to stir fries. (And it helps that these types of meals are also freezer-friendly - which is a big selling point at our house!)
If you’ve never cooked round steak before, start here.
Grab a top round steak and let it sit in a simple marinade for a few hours. (Any type of citrus juice, vinegar, or tomato-based sauce is going to work great - whatever you’ve got in your pantry.) Then place the meat in your slow cooker and cover with beef broth and whatever seasonings you prefer.
Cook it low and slow for several hours, until it’s nice and tender. From there, you can slice it thin or shred it, depending on how you want to use it.
It’s hard to mess up, and you’ll end up with tender, flavorful beef that can be used for sandwiches, tacos, or an easy weeknight meal.
Now you know how to easily use round steaks to feed your family.
Hop over to our online store and buy your round steaks today!
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a few of our house’s favorite recipes for cooking round steaks - follow along!