Round steak is a tough cut of beef from the hind quarter of a cow, but can be made tender and flavorful through slow cooking with added liquid. It is best browned in a pan and then cooked in a roasting pan with vegetables and liquid for several hours. The juices can be made into a gravy and the meat should be allowed to rest before serving.
The round steak is taken from the top of the hind quarter of a cow. Common cuts of round steak are the top round, bottom round, and eye of round steaks. This cut of meat is not marbled with fat, so it can become very tough when cooked. The secret to a tender, tasty round steak is slow cooking with added liquid, such as the Swiss steak and braise recipes. There are many uses for this particular cut of beef, with the roast round and rolled and tied being one of the most used choices.
The hind leg of the cow is the largest and most solid piece of meat on the whole animal. The round steak comes from this area of beef and offers many recipes with a usually low-cost protein element. This cut of beef can become extremely tough and difficult to eat when cooked fast and dry, so round steak is not a popular cut of beef for grilling or broiling. Traditional uses for the round steak involve cooking the meat long and over low heat to break down the muscle fibers. This is also best done while cooking the steak in some type of liquid.
In order to deliver the best flavor results, many recipes call for the round to be browned in a hot pan until a crust has developed on the surface of the meat. Once this is done, the meat is then transferred to a roasting pan to finish cooking. Often the vegetables are placed in the pan with the steak to absorb some of the flavors of the meat. The steak is covered with some type of liquid, often water or beer, and the pan is covered and placed in a low-temperature oven for several hours.
Once the meat comes out of the oven, the juices are typically made into a gravy to be served with the meat and vegetables. Adding flour to cold water and whisking to remove any lumps, the mixture can then be stirred into the simmering juices until a thick, brown gravy develops. The gravy is seasoned with salt and pepper and the meal is ready to be served. Round steak is best when allowed to rest after cooking. Usually, the standing time for the round steak coincides with the time it takes to prepare the gravy, so the entire meal can be ready to serve at the same time.
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