At around $5 a pound, the bottom round roast makes for an economical (and flavorful) cut. Try it with this roast Hatch chile crust!
A very talented butcher friend of mine, Jered Standing, recently posted a picture of some pretty Top Round steaks, and remarking that the United States seems to overvalue tenderness. See, generally if a steak is naturally tender, it tends to have less beefy flavor. And conversely, there are some almightily flavorsome cuts that do require a little bit of chewing.
I can’t say I disagree with him. Most meat fanatics I know will rarely order tenderloin, because it’s generally considered one of the least flavorful cuts on the entire steer. We also tend to focus a lot on cuts that come from the forequarter, areas like brisket or chuck that magically transform to gelatin-rich tender goodness when enough heat and time are applied. But if you want real value for money, the hindquarter has the goods. It’s home to a variety of whole muscles that are perfect for braising, jerky, pot roasts and of course, classic roast beef. Besides, you can really offset most tenderness issues by simply slicing the meat thinly.
For other recipes using Hatch chiles, check out this Hatch & hominy skillet bake.
Recipe after the pics:
Bottom Round Roast Beef with Hatch Chile Crust
Ingredients
1 3lb Bottom Round roast
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 tbsp seed mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp coarse black pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
3 fresh Hatch chiles, finely diced
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 300f.
- Trim the roast of any silver skin along the underside.
- In a bowl, combine both mustards, Worcestershire, paprika, pepper, onion powder and Hatch chiles. Stir with a spatula to combine well.
- Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt, then apply the Hatch paste with the spatula, making sure the entire surface is well coated.
- Place the roast onto a rack over a sheet pan. I put foil on the sheet pan for easy clean up. Place into the oven and cook for about 1.5 hours until the internal temperature reaches 135f.
- Remove the roast from the oven, and set the broiler to high. Broil for 3-5 minutes to set the crust, being careful not to burn.
- Cut the roast no thicker than 1/4 inch per slice, and serve.
