Meat Lesson - Shoulder Roast

Meat Lesson – Shoulder Roast

The next section we are going to be looking at is the shoulder area. This is still part of the chuck primal and this area is made up of some of the finest cuts of meat for grilling, frying or long slow cooking. Tenderized steak, minute steaks, stroganoff, cubed beef, stewing meat, London broil, would also come from this area.

I will be starting with the largest shoulder muscle (Point number 4 on the chart) which we call The Shoulder Bolo. This boneless cut of beef is a smooth, solid cut large enough to serve 8 – 10 people. It is a very lean cut and as a result many butchers use this cut to make rare roast beef for their deli section.

Most chefs would say that this heavily exercised muscle should be braised or cooked in liquid. However, if spiced and dry roasted in a hot oven, allowing it to remain rare in the middle, it makes the most wonderful beef roast. To further enhance this roast’s wonderful taste and texture remember to slice it against the grain and very thin.

The recipe I have therefore chosen to share with you, follows this method of cooking perfectly. It is called ‘Shoulder Roast in a Peppercorn Jacket with Yorkshire Pudding‘. Yorkshire Pudding, can be best described as an unsweetend baked batter traditionally served with roast beef and gravy. It’s a very popular Sunday lunch favourite in Great Britain. This, served with roast potatoes, crunchy broccoli and glazed carrots is a real winner in our home!