grain and plenty of fat. It has a deep, beefy flavor
and a robust, ropy texture that holds up well to
long cooking.
- Round comes from the rear leg and is
available as many different cuts. Bottom round,
with a flavor similar to chuck, is the best for
braising, though its odd shape makes it a bit
harder to handle. Eye of round is by far the leanest
of all of the braising cuts and so has a tendency to
dry out a bit. If you keep a careful eye on the
temperature and make sure to remove it from the
oven as soon as it is tender, it does make a decent
lower-fat option (but where’s the fun in that?).
- Short ribs are technically part of the chuck
but are sold separately. They come in three forms:
as hunks of meat on top of 6-inch sections of rib
bones (called English-cut short ribs); as pieces of
meat attached to three- to four-rib-bone cross-
sections (flanken cut); and boneless. All three make
great stew meat. Their abundant fat and
connective tissue ensure that they’ll be meltingly
tender and rich when properly cooked.
EXPERIMENT:
Boiling Water Under Cover