4 Quick Ways to Cook Bottom Round Steak Recipe for Economical Cut of Meat (2024)
Bottom round steak is an economical cut and is usually less expensive because it tends to be tough and requires special care in cooking. Many recipes call for marinating for several hours, cooking with moisture or cooking slowly in a crockpot. I recently found a way to prepare round steak that doesn’t include any of the above. Basically it requires you to cut the meat thinly. This method works is because you are cutting through the connective tissues which make these cuts of meat tough. The meat does not necessarily become tender, it becomes easier to chew. Although if you serve the meat rare, it can be quite tender. A sharp knife makes this job easier. I prefer to use either aSantoku Knife or an8-Inch Chef’s Knife (these are my Amazon affiliate links).
About a month ago bottom round steak went on sale for $1.77 at a local grocery store. The catch was you had to buy the family pack. The packages were 6 to 7 pounds and contained three steaks each.
Prepare the Meat
Trim all the fat from the meat, then cut across the grain in thin strips, about 1/8 of an inch. Make the strips one to two inches in length, or cut into small squares.
Trim fat from the meat, cut into one and a half inch pieces, liberally pepper and salt the surface, allow to sit for about half an hour
Cook the Meat (3 Different Methods)
Heat the cast iron skillet with some butter until it is bubbly. Cook one layer of meat at a time until done. Sometimes I let the meat cook on one side until there are brown marks, and other times I cook it until it is just browned. I usually cook at medium heat – we have an electric stove and the dial reads from Lo to 9, with 5 being right in the middle. Sometimes the skillet will begin to brown and if I let it go on it would start burning, but in between batches of meat I braise the pan with water. This simply means that I pour in about one-quarter cup of water and use a heavy metal spatula to scrape the surface of the pan so that it stops sticking.
Fry the large pieces, browning on all sides until nearly charred. Cut into strips or small squares. The picture above shows meat that was peppered and salted, then cut into small squares and fried until browned.
Heat your barbecue grill until it is nice and hot. Grill the large pieces, browning on all sides until nearly charred. Cut into strips or small squares.
Here are the four meals I like to make using this steak:
1 package of flour tortillas (my super delicious money saving homemade tortilla recipe here)
2 pounds of steak (raw weight), cut into strips
2 green onions
cilantro
2 avocadoes
1 tomato
1 medium onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Salsa (my easy inexpensive homemade salsa here – cost: about $1 per QUART)
Prepare and cook the steak in one of the methods described earlier. Slice the green onions, dice the onion and tomato and garlic. Rinse the cilantro and use the leaves as many as you desire (I usually use about 10 or 20). Mash the avocadoes. Add the vegetables. Warm the tortillas, spoon in some meat, ladle on some of the avocado mixture. Fold and eat. You may also add sour cream, cheese and salsa. Makes 12 burritos.
Steak Salad
1 pound of steak
Salad ingredients (lettuce, green onions, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, avocado, mushrooms, black olives, green olives, spinach, tomatoes, purple onion, or anything else veggie you love in a salad!)
Cook the steak as instructed earlier. Place on top of your favorite salad ingredients. Serve with your favorite salad dressing. I usually use olive oil, apple cider vinegar and freshly pressed garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
Steak and Peppers
1 pound steak
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 jalapeno pepper, optional
Cook the steak as instructed earlier. While the steak is cooking, add the sliced bell peppers and onions to a cast iron skillet and cook until translucent, about 20 minutes. Add the jalapeno at this time also, if you like your food with a kick. Add the mushrooms and cook about ten minutes longer.
Serve steak strips with mushrooms, onions and peppers on top. You could serve this in a hoagie roll or as fajitas with warm corn flour tortillas.
Stir Fry
I’ve shared recently how I make stir fry with leftover vegetables, and this steak is sensational with stir fry.
If you are unsure about using this much meat at one time, you can always cut the steak in half and freeze in individual bags. You can cut the steak in strips and freeze, or cook and freeze once it cools down.
What is your favorite way to cook bottom round steak?
If you liked this post, check out my grilled pork loin recipe. Buy it on sale for under $2 a pound. This is hands down THE MOST delicious and tender recipe for pork loin I’ve ever used.
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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).
Slow cook it. Tough cuts of meat with lots of connective tissue, like brisket, chuck roast, and bottom round, are some of the best choices for the slow cooker. Cooked low and slow for many hours, the collagen in these tough cuts eventually breaks, leaving you with shreds of tender, juicy meat.
Round steak is cut from the rear leg, so it is naturally leaner and tougher. Taking this into consideration you can do several things: marinate, tenderize, braise. Or all of the above. First option is tenderize, a good mallet style tenderizer will aid in making the cut less chewy.
Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling, so this cut is best suited for slow cooking methods with gentle, moist heat. The low-and-slow cooking process helps to tenderize the meat, maintain its moisture, and result in fork tender steaks.
Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.
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.
Is it better to cook steak in pan or oven? Most steaks can cook in a pan to medium rare. Cooking some steaks in the oven could lead to overcooking or drying out. However, thick steaks like filet mignon may need some time in the oven, too, to ensure that they cook enough on the inside.
Every armchair beef connoisseur has their own preferred, super-secret, “I swear by this” cooking method. Round these parts, we're partial to broiling steak for that perfect mix of seared outside and perfectly pink center. Broiling a steak locks in those flavorful juices with a quick, high heat sear.
There are many spices available for seasoning a steak, with salt and pepper topping the list. However, other spices, like thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and minced onion, are also good options to enhance your steak's flavor. Or, use a one-and-done approach with Chicago Steak Seasoning.
To make bottom round steak tender, try the following steps:
**Marination:** - Marinate the steak in an acidic mixture containing ingredients like vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt. This helps break down muscle fibers and enhances tenderness. ...
**Pounding:** - Use a meat mallet to pound the steak gently. ...
Stews, chilis, pot roasts, tacos, deli meat, and chicken fried steak are all common uses for the bottom round — just remember to cook it low and slow and/or cut thinly for most recipes.
The Beef Bottom Round Steak contains muscles which are less tender than the top round muscle. The two muscles of this steak are the eye of the round on the left and the bottom round on the right. Note the heavy band of connective tissue separating the muscles. Moist heat is recommended for this steak.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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