25+ BEST Round Steak Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook round steak so it is tender? ›

Like Beef Shank, Round Steak cuts are most tender when cooked with moisture, so methods such as slow cooking or braising are usually preferable (more on that in the cooking tips below).

This versatile cut of meat doesn't need to just stay intact as a roast. Once you cook it, you can cut it up to use in soups, beef stew, stir frys, and so much more. Round steak can also work much like flat iron or flank steak. Slice it up to use on steak sandwiches or atop a salad.

Top Round Steak Cooking Methods and Tips

This very lean cut will be best if you slow simmer it in a broth until tender. If you decide to broil or grill top round steak, marinate for 24 hours or more before cooking to add tenderness.

Generally, a 1-inch thick round steak will take about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. You can also use slow cooking methods for round steak, like braising, oven roasting, or the slow cooker. This can take between 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

The round steak is also referred to as the rump, and that anatomical description is pretty self-explanatory. That large muscle works hard, so it's lean, without a lot of fat "marbled" throughout. The entire round is very large, weighing up to 150 pounds, with the bone-in.

While both are large, tough cuts of budget-friendly beef, the main difference that sets these two roasts apart is where on the animal they're cut from. Top round roast is cut from the rear leg and is more lean than chuck roast, which is cut from the shoulder and contains more fat.

The top round is on one of the six major sections in which round cuts can be divided. Its lies in the inside of the leg and is more tender than the sirloin tip, bottom round, and eye of the round. Sirloin is defined as a cut of beef that lies between the very tender short loin and the much tougher round.

Steaks at Texas Roadhouse undergo an in-house aging process

Although there are plenty of techniques for perfecting tender steak, aging the cuts in a controlled and salty environment helps break down tough muscle fibers, resulting in a richer, more succulent, final product.

The Aging. Most fine restaurants age their beef to intensify the flavor and improve the tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat sit (in very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks.

What is the best method of cooking top round steak? ›

A top round steak is lean, flavorful, and budget-friendly. It is an excellent candidate for marinades, and it's at its best when cooked to medium-rare, which is about 145 F. This is a great steak to grill but if it's not grill weather then you can get a similar effect by broiling it.

Round steak is more comfortable in the home kitchen. Unlike well-marbled steaks, top round steaks are lean and much less expensive. They're not as tender as fancy steaks, so they take well to tenderizing marinades and flavor-building slow braises.

Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. Simply place the meat in between pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound it prior to cooking. If you don't have a meat mallet, you can also use a heavy kitchen tool such as a skillet, saucepan or rolling pin.

Sous vide is one of the best methods to use to ensure that your steak comes out juicy and tender. This is an especially handy method to use for tough cuts of steak, like chuck or brisket, that require slow, even cooking to tenderize.

Place the steak on top, and completely cover it with salt. No need to use all of the salt you have, you just want a thick-ish layer to cover the meat completely. Let the salt work on the meat for 15 minutes ( NEVER go longer than 20 minutes).

Velveting is a simple process of using baking soda or a mixture of egg whites, cornstarch and oil to marinate and tenderize economical cuts of steak, chicken and other meats before cooking. Velveting meat softens fibers to reduce toughness and enhance juiciness for maximum flavor and tenderness.

The Top Round Steak is the most tender of the various round steaks. This boneless steak consists of a large muscle called the top or inside round. Note the cover fat on the curved top surface, the cut surface on the left side, and connective tissue along the bottom.