Round steaks are inexpensive, but are also known to be stringy, lackluster, and difficult to chew. It takes some work to make the meat more tender and tastier, but with some effort you can get a succulent and delicious grilled steak. Round steaks simply require more attention before cooking than those of the finer cuts. If you have the patience to soften them, season them and cook them slowly, they will turn into a king's meal.
Ingrediants
Portion for serving: 120 g
- salt
- pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Rosemary
- thyme
- Origan
- Onion powder
- Garlic
- Sweet and sour onions
- Shallot
- Fresh aromatic herbs to decorate
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Meat
Step 1. Trim the steaks by removing excess fat and connective tissue
Generally these are the hardest and most difficult to chew parts, so once they are eliminated, the steaks will be softer and cook evenly. Use a small sharp knife and gently slide the blade under the parts of fat and connective tissue to remove them little by little, layer by layer. Do not be in a hurry, so as not to risk tearing or detaching even parts of lean meat.
The steaks are crisscrossed with thin veins of fat that will keep the meat soft and moist during cooking. Trim only the large chunks of fat on the outside, without worrying about the veins in the center of the steaks. The fat inside the meat will melt as it grills
Step 2. Beat the meat to keep it from becoming stringy
Round steaks are tough by nature, but using the meat tenderizer you can make them softer and easier to chew. Beat them until they appear frayed, but still intact. When finished, the meat should be about one and a half centimeters thick.
It is not mandatory to beat the meat, but it is certainly useful to make the round steaks tastier and tender once cooked
Step 3. Season the steaks
You can use a wide variety of herbs and spices to flavor the round steaks. The simplest solution is to sprinkle them on both sides with a pinch of flaky salt. If you want to experiment with new flavor combinations, you can take a cue from these ideas:
- Mix the dried oregano with the onion powder in equal parts, then add a pinch of salt and a finely chopped clove of garlic. The doses depend on the number of steaks and the intensity of taste you want to give to the meat; for convenience you can keep the leftover spice blend for the next few occasions. Experiment to find your favorite combinations.
- Prepare a marinade in a food bag, then add the steaks for flavor. You can use 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, a sprig of rosemary and one of thyme and two cloves of garlic cut in half.
Step 4. Let the steaks rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour
After seasoning them, place them in a food bag and let out as much air as possible before closing it. If you prefer, you can wrap them in cling film or, better yet, use the machine to vacuum-seal food. Put the rump steaks in the refrigerator and let them marinate for at least an hour.
Depending on the ingredients you used to season them, you can leave them to rest in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, to ensure that they absorb the flavors well. Dry ingredients in particular take time to penetrate the meat
Part 2 of 3: Cook the Steaks
Step 1. Create two distinct heat zones
To properly cook the round steaks, the barbecue will need to have two different cooking areas, one at a higher temperature and the other lower. If you are using a charcoal barbecue, arrange all the charcoal on one side. On the other hand, if you have a gas barbecue, light a single burner by setting the flame to a medium level. The area of the grill placed to the right or to the left of the burning burner will act as the "cold side". Once you have created the two distinct heat zones, let the grill heat up well. This will take approximately 5-10 minutes.
Step 2. Remove larger marinade residues from the meat
Salt and seasonings will need to coat the steaks, but if there are any chunks of garlic or whole herb twigs stuck to the meat, you need to remove them, as they could burn and give the dish a sour taste. Check the steaks on both sides and drain any excess liquid before placing them on the grill.
Do not reuse the marinade to drizzle the meat as it cooks
Step 3. Grill the meat on both sides for 60-90 seconds on high heat
Place the steaks directly in the area where the heat is greatest and let them cook for 60-90 seconds, then turn them over to the other side and grill them for the same amount of time. Turn them again using the tongs and continue this way until a brown crust has formed on both sides of the steaks.
Step 4. Move the steaks to the barbecue area where the heat is less intense to cook the meat inside as well
When they are perfect on the outside, transfer them with tongs to the coldest part of the barbecue and cover them so that they cook inside as well. Depending on the thickness of the steaks, this may take 5 to 10 minutes. From time to time, check them to make sure they are not burning and that they are not exceeding the desired cooking point.
Flip the steaks when you think they are about halfway through. To make it easier for you, you can use a meat thermometer to measure the core temperature and turn them when they have reached 38 ° C
Step 5. Wait for them to reach an internal temperature of 49 ° C
Since the rump is a tough cut by nature, it is advisable to eat rare steaks to prevent the meat from feeling chewy under the teeth. Stick a steak in the center with the meat thermometer and wait for the core temperature to reach 49-52 ° C.
- The ideal temperature would be 54.5 ° C, but as the meat will continue to cook for a few minutes even as it rests on the plate, there is no need to wait for it to reach perfect rare rare while on the grill.
- If you don't like meat rare, wait for the thermometer reading to show it has reached 63 ° C before removing the steaks from the barbecue. This will result in medium cooking. If, on the other hand, you like to eat meat only when it is well cooked, bring it to 71 ° C, but knowing that you run the risk of having to chew a lot and with difficulty.
Step 6. Remove the steaks from the barbecue and let them rest for 10 minutes
When the meat has reached the correct temperature, immediately transfer it to a large plate or cutting board. Let the round steaks rest for 7-10 minutes. Cover them with aluminum foil to prevent them from cooling down.
Part 3 of 3: Cutting and Serving the Steaks
Step 1. Cut the steaks into thin slices perpendicular to the direction the internal fibers are oriented
Look in which direction the muscle fibers of the meat are running. The primary and secondary muscle bundles form a network which is generally called "grain" or "texture". Take a sharp knife and cut the steaks crosswise to the fibers. Slice them into thin slices so that they are tender in your mouth.
- This means that if the fibers are running through the meat from left to right, you need to slice the steaks from top to bottom.
- Remember to cut the meat crosswise to the fibers even when you have it on your plate, for easier bites to chew.
Step 2. Place the steaks on the plates and add a sauce and garnish if desired
After cutting the meat, it's time to serve it up. You can serve it as it is or you can combine it with a sauce and a side of vegetables. Grilled or sweet and sour onions go very well with round steaks, as well as peppers, shallots and various herbs. If you like the idea of pairing a sauce with meat, you can consider one of the following options:
- Chimichurri;
- Mango sauce;
- Flavored butter;
- Red wine reduction.
Step 3. Serve the steaks while they are still hot
Grilled meat tastes best when eaten hot. Do not let the round steaks cool too much so as not to compromise their taste and texture. Serve them immediately after letting them rest, for the benefit of taste and sight.
