Topside and silverside
Discussion
Yesterday I roasted a beef rib on the bone and it was absolutely spectacular. Exquisite flavour, melt in the mouth texture with just a nice crunch on the outside. I was a very happy man. What little we couldn't eat yesterday was finished off this morning and was equally good.
Not (just) blowing my own trumpet though. It was mostly down to this being a lovely piece of meat. So good that it made me a bit sad for those Sunday afternoons I have spent gnawing away at some "roasting joint" - usually topside or silverside, which is invariably dry, lacking in flavour and sticks in my teeth.
It got me wondering if anyone enjoys that stuff? Or have I just had the wrong cuts or cooked it wrong? My family are tight wads so whenever we have had roast beef otherwise it's usually this. Yesterday it was only us so I splashed out. Is it horses for courses or is it generally just no good?
Also is there a better use for these cheap cuts of lean dry cow? I have heard it was traditionally used in things like corned beef.
Not (just) blowing my own trumpet though. It was mostly down to this being a lovely piece of meat. So good that it made me a bit sad for those Sunday afternoons I have spent gnawing away at some "roasting joint" - usually topside or silverside, which is invariably dry, lacking in flavour and sticks in my teeth.
It got me wondering if anyone enjoys that stuff? Or have I just had the wrong cuts or cooked it wrong? My family are tight wads so whenever we have had roast beef otherwise it's usually this. Yesterday it was only us so I splashed out. Is it horses for courses or is it generally just no good?
Also is there a better use for these cheap cuts of lean dry cow? I have heard it was traditionally used in things like corned beef.
Edited by JuanCarlosFandango on Monday 13th March 18:53
Topside, silverside etc *can* be reasonable *if* it is cooked medium-rare but it is a secondary roasting cut and its nothing like rib or even sirloin.
Alternatively you can slow cook it at a very low temp and it will be okay braised but only okay.
Cooked rare, chilled and sliced for sandwiches with horseradish or turn it into bresola.
Alternatively you can slow cook it at a very low temp and it will be okay braised but only okay.
Cooked rare, chilled and sliced for sandwiches with horseradish or turn it into bresola.
Topside with a good covering of the natural fat layer is a perfectly good roasting joint. Served rare it can be fantastic. Sirloin, rump , rib, are going to be better, but they are a lot more expensive. They also have a decent percentage of fat naturally in the cut.
Traditional butchers used to make sure lesser joints were wrapped in roasting fat to keep the meat from drying and to add flavour. Unfortunately modern tastes and supermarket preparation dont allow for this and the result is the tasteless dry Sunday roast which is pretty grim unless swimming in heavily flavoured and thickened gravy.
Fat is the key to roasting. Which adds cost.
I would also keep time in the oven to a minimum with Silverside / Topside. Nice and hot oven, time depending on weight and shape of the cut, followed by at least as long double wrapped in foil while you sort the rest of the meal. The meat core temperature continues to rise whilst resting in foil, maintaining more of the natural moisture in the meat.
I did not weigh the Topside in this pic but probably 1.5kg with a barrel shape. Seared in a pan, then 45 mins at 200 then another 45 mins in foil resting.
The picture is after searing before the roast. Not rib but a perfectly decent roast.
Traditional butchers used to make sure lesser joints were wrapped in roasting fat to keep the meat from drying and to add flavour. Unfortunately modern tastes and supermarket preparation dont allow for this and the result is the tasteless dry Sunday roast which is pretty grim unless swimming in heavily flavoured and thickened gravy.
Fat is the key to roasting. Which adds cost.
I would also keep time in the oven to a minimum with Silverside / Topside. Nice and hot oven, time depending on weight and shape of the cut, followed by at least as long double wrapped in foil while you sort the rest of the meal. The meat core temperature continues to rise whilst resting in foil, maintaining more of the natural moisture in the meat.
I did not weigh the Topside in this pic but probably 1.5kg with a barrel shape. Seared in a pan, then 45 mins at 200 then another 45 mins in foil resting.
The picture is after searing before the roast. Not rib but a perfectly decent roast.
Edited by AlvinSultana on Monday 13th March 20:51
AlvinSultana said:
Topside with a good covering of the natural fat layer is a perfectly good roasting joint. Served rare it can be fantastic. Sirloin, rump , rib, are going to be better, but they are a lot more expensive. They also have a decent percentage of fat naturally in the cut.
Traditional butchers used to make sure lesser joints were wrapped in roasting fat to keep the meat from drying and to add flavour. Unfortunately modern tastes and supermarket preparation dont allow for this and the result is the tasteless dry Sunday roast which is pretty grim unless swimming in heavily flavoured and thickened gravy.
Fat is the key to roasting. Which adds cost.
I would also keep time in the oven to a minimum with Silverside / Topside. Nice and hot oven, time depending on weight and shape of the cut, followed by at least as long double wrapped in foil while you sort the rest of the meal. The meat core temperature continues to rise whilst resting in foil, maintaining more of the natural moisture in the meat.
I did not weigh the Topside in this pic but probably 1.5kg with a barrel shape. Seared in a pan, then 45 mins at 200 then another 45 mins in foil resting.
The picture is after searing before the roast. Not rib but a perfectly decent roast.
I could never eat that, it looks like Trump’s barnet….Traditional butchers used to make sure lesser joints were wrapped in roasting fat to keep the meat from drying and to add flavour. Unfortunately modern tastes and supermarket preparation dont allow for this and the result is the tasteless dry Sunday roast which is pretty grim unless swimming in heavily flavoured and thickened gravy.
Fat is the key to roasting. Which adds cost.
I would also keep time in the oven to a minimum with Silverside / Topside. Nice and hot oven, time depending on weight and shape of the cut, followed by at least as long double wrapped in foil while you sort the rest of the meal. The meat core temperature continues to rise whilst resting in foil, maintaining more of the natural moisture in the meat.
I did not weigh the Topside in this pic but probably 1.5kg with a barrel shape. Seared in a pan, then 45 mins at 200 then another 45 mins in foil resting.
The picture is after searing before the roast. Not rib but a perfectly decent roast.
Edited by AlvinSultana on Monday 13th March 20:51
JuanCarlosFandango said:
Yesterday I roasted a beef rib on the bone and it was absolutely spectacular. Exquisite flavour, melt in the mouth texture with just a nice crunch on the outside. I was a very happy man. What little we couldn't eat yesterday was finished off this morning and was equally good.
Not (just) blowing my own trumpet though. It was mostly down to this being a lovely piece of meat. So good that it made me a bit sad for those Sunday afternoons I have spent gnawing away at some "roasting joint" - usually topside or silverside, which is invariably dry, lacking in flavour and sticks in my teeth.
It got me wondering if anyone enjoys that stuff? Or have I just had the wrong cuts or cooked it wrong? My family are tight wads so whenever we have had roast beef otherwise it's usually this. Yesterday it was only us so I splashed out. Is it horses for courses or is it generally just no good?
Also is there a better use for these cheap cuts of lean dry cow? I have heard it was traditionally used in things like corned beef.
It's never going to be rib of beef...but we get decent results with the cheap vacuum packed roasting joints from Tesco.Not (just) blowing my own trumpet though. It was mostly down to this being a lovely piece of meat. So good that it made me a bit sad for those Sunday afternoons I have spent gnawing away at some "roasting joint" - usually topside or silverside, which is invariably dry, lacking in flavour and sticks in my teeth.
It got me wondering if anyone enjoys that stuff? Or have I just had the wrong cuts or cooked it wrong? My family are tight wads so whenever we have had roast beef otherwise it's usually this. Yesterday it was only us so I splashed out. Is it horses for courses or is it generally just no good?
Also is there a better use for these cheap cuts of lean dry cow? I have heard it was traditionally used in things like corned beef.
Works best if you
- get it to room temp before cooking
- dry it off
- season it well
- sear the outside/render the fat off
- always, always, always use a meat thermometer. The cooking instructions on these joints are a joke. Meath thermometer set at 52degC.
- let it rest
- job done
I also make a trivet from veg to rest it on, and tend to put water in the bottom of it.
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