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Baron of Beef (whatever!)

Discussion in 'Food & Cooking' started by gidsmama, Dec 26, 2010.

  1. Dec 26, 2010 #1
    gidsmama

    gidsmama

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    Help! Please!!

    I can normally cook an awesome pot roast in either the oven or slow cooker, that being said never send your husband to the butcher as he has come home with a cut I am not familiar with.  As well, got an awesome Dutch oven for Christmas I would love to use today.

    So here is my question, the cut is called "Baron of Beef", sirloin cut, seems to be wrapped similar to how you would get an old fashioned ham, not just a straight cut of beef you would brown.  Do I need to brown this prior to braising in Dutch Oven, should I even cook in Dutch oven? We like med rare but I will be happy with tender and NOT dry hahaha

    Any advice anyone could offer would be awesome, I got about 2 hours before I gotta get this thing going hahaha

    Thanks

    Merry Christmas (belated)
     
  3. Dec 26, 2010 #2
    maryb

    maryb

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    Only way I have cooked that cut is dry heat, no braise. Maybe someone else can chime in. Keep it medium rare or it will be dry and stringy. I use it thin sliced for sandwiches(french dips).
     
  4. Dec 27, 2010 #3
    koukouvagia

    koukouvagia

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    I don't know what this cut is, sounds like a sirloin roast which in that case it needs dry heat and cooked until medium rare at most. 

    But I can sympathize about sending DH to the butcher.  I will never make that mistake again.  We were planning a festive greek bbq with lollipop lamb chops and sent him to pick them up at the butcher.  When he came back I looked at the chops and they were DE-BONED!!  Listen, you don't serve boneless lamb to a bunch of greeks, oh the humiliation!
     
  5. Dec 27, 2010 #4
    butzy

    butzy

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  6. Dec 27, 2010 #5
    kyheirloomer

    kyheirloomer

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    What a baron of beef is depends on where you are.

    In England, where it originated, it's a major cut, consisting of both loins, usually set up for spit roasting. According to legend, this is the cut dubbed by the king, "Sir Loin, the Baron of Beef."

    In the U.S., however, it most often refers to a lesser cut, such as the top round, steamship round (I suspect that's what your hubby brought home), etc. Still a fair hunk of meat, but nothing like a true baron.

    How did you wind up cooking it?
     
  7. Dec 27, 2010 #6
    gidsmama

    gidsmama

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    Thanks everyone for the input!! Much appreciated......I ended up braising it, I'm pretty sure it was the US version, seemed to be a folded loin wrapped in twine.  Must say....turned out fabulous!  Juicy, full of flavor, the veg came out great, totally recommend the Dutch oven (good quality tho), I was amazed how juicy it was!

    Got the recipe from ehow.com of all places!!  Easy-how-to-braise-roast-dutch oven....changed up a few ingredients as it was a little plain, but the method was fool proof!

    You all rock, best of luck in the new year!

    Cheers

    PS:  YUMMY hot roast beef sandwiches for lunch
     
  8. Dec 27, 2010 #7
    gidsmama

    gidsmama

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    thanks for the link!
     
  9. Dec 28, 2010 #8
    byrdie

    byrdie

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    Sorry for posting to ended thread but...

    If my vague memory serves me right...

    In US, baron of beef is like steam ship round (which is a whole primal cut 'round') of beef minus certain sub primal cuts. I can't remember exactly what at this moment without further research.

    Maybe top round and eye round resulting bottom round, rump, knuckle???
     
  11. Dec 28, 2010 #9
    kyheirloomer

    kyheirloomer

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    Byrdie, your memory is good and not so good.

    The probem is, many of those subprimals, in the U.S., are also called barons. So you start with the steamship round and work downwards from their. I don't believe the rump has been called a baron (could be wrong, of course), but the top and bottom rounds for sure, as well as the eye round.

    Another difference is that a true baron is intended for dry heat, whereas American barons are mostly intended for moist heat. So we might grill a true baron, for instance, but braise an American one.
     
  12. Dec 29, 2010 #10
    asoefatida

    asoefatida

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    Some good info here.

    kudos to GidsMama for hitting a grand slam with the beef!

    When I was in hotel catering we used a whole bone in round.