Beef top, also known as silverside, is a lean cut of meat from the rump region of the cow. It is best prepared through slow, moist roasting in a crock-pot or oven with vegetables and broth. It can also be used for corned beef.
Beef top is another way of referring to the silvery cut of meat that comes from the primeval round, or rump, region of the cow. Named for the strip of inedible tissue along one side of the cut, many early culinary authorities recommend slow, moist roasting for the silvery side in a closed skillet or Crock-Pot. That doesn’t mean the top of a beef roast wouldn’t be delicious when prepared with another method of retaining moisture, such as preparing corned beef or long, slow braising in the oven.
The cut used to make the top of the beef roast is among the most respected of the rump roasts. Silverside is the most widely used choice in countries like Australia and some parts of Europe for the production of corned beef, which is referred to as “silvery” in some of these places. Along with all the other types of roasts that come from the rump, it’s lean, with less than 4.5 g of saturated fat per serving.
Roasting a silver cut, due to its potentially tough but flavorful texture, is best done with a slow, moist braise or crock pot. According to a beef preparation chart produced by the Cattlemens’ Beef Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the topside of roast beef should be prepared in a slow cooker and no other method. This involves adding chunks of vegetables like carrots, garlic, potatoes, and celery to the pot with broth and fresh herbs, and then placing them in the beef for a day, covered over a simmer. Not only will the top of the roast beef be infused with aromatic steam and potentially fall apart with a fork, but so will the other ingredients in the pot.
If you’re looking for a roast beef that’s more dehydrator-friendly, a traditional oven roast, the fat content is higher in steaks and roasts made from the least processed sections of the cow. This includes the loins, ribs and loins. Cuts from these sections can be much more expensive, as they can be used in more ways in the kitchen and prepared much more quickly.
That doesn’t mean, however, that a top roast beef can’t be cooked if a slow cooker isn’t available. At the very least, a quick rub followed by a long covered braise in the oven wouldn’t ruin the meat, it would only increase its tenderness. If enough broth is used, with the right combination of chopped herbs and vegetables, the aromatic steam inside the pan or even the Dutch oven will produce a similar effect to the slow cooker, as long as regular basting is part of the regimen.
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