Need Advice: Cooking entire Top Round from Restaurant Depot (Charcoal)

[bigds01]

I would like to think I am a pretty good griller, but this weekend I need to cook 2 entire top rounds (I am thinking they are like 30 pounds each) on two kettles.  I assume indirect heat with all of the coals on one side and rotating.  Does that make sense, and what should my cook time be like?

[Metal Mike]

I make a fuse of coals for temp control & duration. Also consider to half the rounds further or do a UDS cook for that size...

[austin87]

Here's a good reference: http://www.beefboard.org/library/files/BeefCutsGuide.pdf

It says a top round will weigh about 50 lbs from a 1300 lb steer, but there are two top rounds per head of cattle (left and right side) so 30 lbs each is a pretty good guess on weight. That is a massive hunk of meat, I would also consider splitting it into two pieces.

Also, what's your planned outcome? Round is lean and commonly used for roast beef - think brined, possibly cured, and cooked medium rare, sliced thin for sandwiches. If you want to make pulled beef you could do the @1buckie method for pulled tri-tip and heavily inject with an oil based mix to add fat back in, but your cooking time on pieces that big will be really long.

I think even for medium rare you are looking at 8 hours or so. Keep the temps low so you get a nice edge to edge pink color.

[austin87]

Here are a couple more resources:

http://m.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--906/beef-cooking-times.asp

http://www.beefboard.org/library/files/BeefCutsGuide.pdf

15-20 minutes per pound will put you somewhere between 7.5 and 10 hours of cooking time - this says 325 degrees which would be fine for a smaller piece but something that large I would worry about the outside being cardboard before the inside is cooked. If you are at 225-250 I think your are looking at 30 minutes per pound and 15 hours of cook time. Also plan on an hour to rest for a piece that large. I would pull it off at 125 - you'll get 10 degrees of carryover cooking and 135 sounds about right for finished temp.

[austin87]

Some of the competition guys @swamprb @THUNDERDOME @Hogsy come to mind might have some other ideas.

[1buckie]

Look into setups / recipes for Baltimore Pit Beef....

I looked & most of the recipes are calling for small 3~4 # pieces of bottom round, but it can translate......

30# is real big, you might want to cut in half LENGTHWISE (or how it will cut the thickness down, hard to tell without seeing it) & do 4 pieces if possible.....

Clod roast is the thing I've done like this & that can go either higher heat, heavy crust, less done inside or longer, lower to do pulled beef....

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/clod-ribs-zukes/


In a pinch for time just now, but I'll check back later today.....

[bigds01]

I actually want to make roast beef with it.  I host a race series and we have to serve about 200 drivers so I was thinking two huge roast beefs was a good idea.

[1buckie]

@bigds01

Yes, I would think a program of a higher heat & a searing for outside crust, following along the lines of the Baltimore pit beef idea will then get you where you want to go....

Still think maybe carving them down to smaller pieces will get a nicer, more even rare / med. rare inside & allow for more outside crust.....

Something that big might end up raw at the center unless you did it on a big machine with plenty of room to see what's up ( think large Santa Maria type open grill) & adjust heat ranges while cooking

One:
http://www.grilling24x7.com/bottomround.shtml

A better one:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11-21/entertainment/bs-sp-ravens-tailgate-recipe-pit-beef-20131120_1_ravens-tailgate-recipe-roast-baltimore-based-grilling-blog-grilling24x7-com


Sear 1st......this is not a reverse-sear steak project......very lean, you want to seal the outside & reguardless of what anyone says, sear 1st will seal a piece like this to do what's intended....

[demosthenes9]

Wow, trying to wrap my head around the weights listed on that cut chart.  A steamship round only weighs 50-60lbs and it's the entire round, top/inside, bottom, eye and sirloin tip and a large hunk of the femur.     A whole top/inside round will probably weigh between 12-18lbs.

Cooking time won't be dependent on weight, but rather, on the thickness of the loin.  While the round might be 16 inches long and 10 inches across, it should flatten out and be about 5-7 inches thick.   At 225ish, figure on about 5 to 7 hours.    Also, instead of having just one big piece of meat on the kettle, you might think about splitting the round right down the middle with the grain.     This will make it easier for you to arrange the meat for indirect cooking and protect it from direct heat and will also make it easier to slice against the grain later.     Cooking time won't be affected by cutting it in half as long as the thickness is still the shortest dimension.


If you can, I'd definitely recommend cooking this at low temps.   I used 225 above for timing, but if you could get down to 200 or even lower, it will be even better.    The lower the cook temp with this cut, the more tender it will be. 


I also have to disagree with Buckie on this one..   If you want to do a sear, do it at the end.  Take the meat to about 120 degrees internal and then roll it around to develop a crust.

[1buckie]

Low end is a way to do it, yes.......the thought I had about pit beef goes pretty high heat, sear first but there's more than one way to skin a cat !!!!

[demosthenes9]

Low end is a way to do it, yes.......the thought I had about pit beef goes pretty high heat, sear first but there's more than one way to skin a cat !!!!

Yeah, definitely more than 1 way to do it.  I'm all good with the high heat sear, I just don't like the results of doing it first.  Too much well done meat on the outer edges. 

[bigds01]

I did a snake to start with but then did indirect heat holding at 225 for 6 hours.  Both came out absolutely perfect.  Thanks for the tips

[demosthenes9]

Glad they turned out well for you.   Bet they were delicious.   Got any pics  ?

[1buckie]

Good Deal !!!!

Pics would be nice if you're able, but just knowing it went well is great !!!!