The Lean Cut Of Steak You Should Think Twice About Putting On The Barbecue - Tasting Table

"If you're craving a juicy, hearty roast beef but also want to take advantage of your outdoor grill, you may find yourself at a bit of a crossroads. The bottom round roast you're using is full of flavor, but it's a lean cut. And, once it hits the grill, it has the potential to become dry and chewy - a beef eater's nightmare. There are all sorts of different cuts of steak to choose from, but you're determined to grill that lean bottom round roast and get it right. So what's a roast beef lover to do?"

"Robbie Shoults is a celebrity chef and third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall Mercantile, and High Horse 1898, so he knows a thing or two about handling all sorts of different cuts of meat on the grill. When it comes to these leaner cuts, he knows that putting them in contact with the grill can be risky. "You can put a bottom round roast on the grill, but it may not turn out the way you want," notes chef Shoults. A lean cut of steak like this isn't impossible to cook on the grill, but it probably shouldn't be your first, or even second, choice. Instead, chef Shoults recommends swapping out the bottom round roast for something with more fat throughout. "Bottom round roast is very lean and can be tough ... A good substitute in place of a bottom round roast would be the more marbled chuck roast.""

Bottom round roast is flavorful but very lean, making it prone to drying and becoming tough when exposed to high direct heat on a grill. More marbled cuts such as chuck roast retain moisture and provide more forgiving results for grilling. When cooking a bottom round roast on the grill, use low-and-slow methods (approximately 2–3 hours at about 200°F) to improve tenderness. Injecting marinade into the muscle helps introduce moisture and flavor. Lean cuts require extra preparation and longer, lower-temperature cooking to avoid dryness and chewy texture.

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