Round steak help

stemc33

The lady I get grass-fed/finished beef from at the farmers market gave me a free round steak today. She gave it to me so that I can give her an honest opinion on a cheap steak. I've showed her pics of cooking directly on the coals. She wants me to marinate it and cook it on the coals to see what I think. She said she really enjoys them marinated in apple cider vinegar and cooked quickly in a skillet. I read a post from @MrCookingNurse‌ posted about a year ago that looked good. I usually just season steaks with garlic and S&P.

Should I just marinate with apple cider vinegar and season with my normal? What internal temp should I pull it at? Any suggestions would be great. I am hoping I can give her some positive reviews. I don't have a tenderizer of any sort. Looks pretty lean.

stemc33

I know most are off the forum due to it being late on Thursday, but what about @NPHuskerFL‌ or @SGH‌? Any advice?

SGH

@stemc33‌
First let me say that rump & round steaks lack the keen marbling of say a ribeye or strip steak. Nevertheless you can still produce a good end result. In my opinion both rump & round benefit from a good marinating to help loosen and relax them. As to cooking them they should not be cooked beyond medium rare. Why? They are to firm or tough of a cut. Beyond medium rare and they are akin to shoe leather. Cooking them is pretty straight forward though. I use and recommend a reverse sear to a internal temp no higher than 140. Any higher and you will probably be very disappointed with the out come. If you are not squeamish about rare meat then I would recommend pulling it around 120. For round and rump the sooner that you can pull it the better. Any acidic marinade will work fine. Examples- -Coke, apple cider, red wine vinegar etc... You are not marinating for taste when cooking rump and round but for the break down of protein to help tenderize the meat. I hope this helps my friend. Good luck.

stemc33

Thanks for the info @SGH‌. How long can I marinate it prior to cooking? Ive heard that meat that is over marinated will become mushy. Does that apply to a round steak?

SGH

@stemc33‌
And most definitely season it my friend. Rump and round are very bland compared to higher end cuts in my opinion. This is one instance when good ole salt and pepper is just not enough. Add some garlic salt, cayenne and paprika if you have it on hand.

SGH

@stemc33‌
Judging by your photo above I would say 4 hours will be real close to perfect for a steak that size. You can go longer without harm but there really isn't any reason to.

stemc33

Wonderful. Thanks again for the info @SGH‌, it's very much appreciated. I think I got some ideas and will post the results.

SGH

You are welcome my friend. Hope you enjoy it. It's not one of my favorites but my wife likes it and makes me cook it. Again it's good. Just not on par with say a ribeye.

stemc33

Results- I was actually impressed with the flavor of this cut. It was marinated overnight in fresh squeezed lemon juice, a little apple cider vinegar, garlic and S&P. Cooked directly on the coals and pulled at 118°. I pulled this directly out of the refrigerator, patted dry with paper towels and onto the coals. It was a little chewy, but easily to overcome by taking smaller bites.

This is an awesome tasty choice for those people that like to skimp on things such as calories, fat, and cost without having to sacrifice their red meat desires.

Picture on coals not great, but it's proof it was on the coals.

SGH

Well done my friend. You did right leaving them rare. Looks like a winner to me. =D>

stemc33

Forgot.