Going to the grocery store and trying to pick out a good Chuck Roast can be confusing, especially when labels seem to be changing all the time on the packaging. Well, at least I have found that to be true between all the different Publix stores I visit. So, one day I decided to get the truth from the horse’s mouth, “the butcher” regarding what is the best slow roast out there. His answer was the Chuck Roast. Chuck Roasts are also called Pot Roast most of the times. Chuck Roasts are excellent for slow cooking unlike your Sirloin Tip Roasts which will dry out if cooked too long. It’s hard to overcook a Chuck Roast because of all the fat that is marbled into it.
Normally, I do not eat meat, poultry, or pork. I can’t call myself a total vegan because there are exceptions that I can’t bypass. One of those is a good Italian beef sandwich. Growing up in Chicago, being Italian, and living in Florida, occasionally I just have to have one. The best and simplest way to make an Italian beef is in a slow cooker. The best meat to use is a Chuck Roast.
Most times I will ask the butcher to cut me a fresh piece if I do not see a good Chuck Roast piece in the meat aisle. However, whether I do that or just look in the meat aisle myself, I still remember what I was told to look for in a good Chuck. Here are three tips for picking out a good Chuck Roast.
l. Look at the furthest date out on the label if you are choosing from the meat section.
2. Look for a good eye in the meat. The eye is like a curved part of the roast separated by a large marble of fat. The larger the eye is the better the flavor of the total Chuck Roast. My butcher told me that the piece could be considered a separate steak piece similar to a Rib- Eye Steak. However, it is not as tender as a Rib-Eyed steak, but at the same time it is the tenderest part of the Chuck Roast. You can see in the attached picture where the eye is in the roast. In this picture the eye is the lower one third curved section from the bottom of the roast. If you can’t find it, just ask your butcher where it is.
3. Look for about twenty per cent of fat marble to 80% of total meat. The more fat you have after that, you will not be getting your money’s worth. The reason is because once the fat is cooked down your meat will shrink.
The great part about using a Chuck Roast is the fact you can use it in a slow cooker. For busy people, it’s a wonderful appliance.
Ok, now that you know how to select that Chuck, let’s put it too good use. Get your slow cooker out and make some Italian Beef. Purchase a 4 lb Chuck Roast with a good eye. In 3 cups of water, add 1 teaspoon each of; salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, onion salt, garlic salt, and a package and a half of Zesty Italian good Seasons Salad dressing mix. Then, chop one large sweet onion and one large green pepper. Take all that and put it with your roast in the slow cooker. Add at least one cup of the juice of Pepperoncini peppers. You can add some of the peppers for more of a kick. Cook for about 24 hours. Tweak it between garlic salt and Pepperoncini peppers. Then sauté some sliced green peppers in some olive oil for a few minutes and put it in the slow cooker for about an hour. It will shred easily with a big fork. Serve on crusty Italian Bread. And mangia, mangia!
