A chateaubriand beef tenderloin roast is one of the most expensive choices for making roast beef. Fancy name aside, this is a delicious roast cut from the same piece of meat as filet mignon steaks.
As its name implies, the tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef. It's also known as a filet. It's the most expensive cut there is because of its tenderness.
For roasts, the best cuts include rib (on the bone or boned and rolled), sirloin, top rump and fillet. For quick cooking, try fillet, entrecôte, rib eye, sirloin or rump steaks. Brisket, topside and silverside are good for pot roasts, and stewing and braising steak are good for stews and casseroles.
Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price.
Considered the most tender cut of all, a filet mignon is taken from the center of the beef tenderloin. It is lean yet delivers a melt-in-your mouth, buttery succulence. Perfect for grilling, pan-searing and broiling in the oven. Available in several weights, a filet is perfect for 1 person.
Beef. Naturally, the toughest parts of beef are found around the legs: The shanks, the rounds, the shoulders, the brisket, and the neck. Round or Heel of Round is another incredibly tough cut of beef, which is why it usually gets made into ground beef with a sampling of other tougher muscle cuts and trimmings.
Beef tenderloin is a great choice for your Christmas dinner because it's relatively easy to prepare. It also cooks quickly, has a nice presentation, and has no bones or fat to deal with. If you buy a beef tenderloin that is untrimmed, you're going to have some work to do.
If you're out in the grocery store, look for cuts with "Chuck," "Shoulder," "Rump," or "Round" in the name. Next, notice the quantity of white fat. Remember, fat = tenderness and moisture. Lean roasts with less fat will shine in recipes with extra moisture/liquid added, especially in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.
Often nicknamed the 'poor man's sirloin', topside makes for a great, thrifty roasting joint that cuts into beautifully uniform slices. It can be served lightly pink. Roasted and thinly sliced it tastes particularly delicious, and any leftovers work well in sandwiches with horseradish mayo, or in salads.
French roast is a classic and flavorful cut of beef that is perfect for any special occasion. It's a boneless roast that is taken from the beef's shoulder area and is typically around 2.5 pounds. This cut is marbled with just the right amount of fat to give it a juicy and tender texture.
When cooking a roast in the oven, keep it uncovered until roasted to the desired doneness. After removing from the oven, tent with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, preventing them from draining out during carving—and preventing dry, disappointing meat.
Rib of Beef/Striploin
Without doubt the Rib of Beef is the best piece of meat to roast. It has a good covering of fat to baste the roast and the meat is very tender.
Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat), and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels.
Starting just behind the rib section, the loin makes up the most tender cuts of beef, which are typically the most expensive. These are the most expensive cuts of beef because relative to the entire animal, these premium cuts make up only a small percentage.
The Rib-Eye Roast is the boneless center cut of the rib section. Very well-marbled, tender and flavorful, it is the most desirable and the most expensive of the roasts.
If it's not cooked correctly, that same cut of meat can be distressingly tough, chewy or dry. A failed pot roast can result from undercooking, overcooking or choosing the wrong cut of meat, so before you can fix it you'll need to decide where you've gone wrong.
Use a meat tenderizer or small mallet to break tough muscle fibers, by literally pounding the beef (you can wrap the cut in pieces of plastic wrap to keep this from getting messy). If you don't own a mallet or tenderizer, use a fork to pierce holes into the surface of the beef to help a marinade absorb more quickly.
Turkey. Let's admit it, a whole turkey is the best and most traditional meat for Christmas dinners. Originally gracing our plates in the 16th century, popular history tells of King Henry VIII being the first English monarch to have turkey for Christmas.
Beef brisket is one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, although it is tough and needs to be cooked in just the right way. It's also a moderately fatty cut of beef, but this can work to your advantage because it tenderizes into succulent, meaty perfection.
Bottom round requires tenderization or long cooking times to reach its peak flavor offering. SHANK Leg, Shin Pot Roast Osso Buco (veal), Cross-Cut The shank is the toughest cut of beef and requires a long, slow cook making it the most popular cut for beef stew.
Ribeye steak is often referred to as the king of steaks, and for good reason. This cut of meat is renowned for its rich, beefy flavor and tender, juicy texture.