"Sheldon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Nov 3, 12:23?pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>> I followed basically Marcella Hazan's recipe for Beef Barolo,
>> with a 3.5 lb grass-fed rump roast. Her instructions were
>> that the braising liquid come up 2/3 the way the sides of the
>> roast, and I chose a 300 degree oven for 4 hours. (Her
>> recipe said 350 for 3 hours, so I figure that's about the same).
>> At the 3-hour point it was starting to look a little done so I
>> reduced heat slightly.
>>
>> The result was good, fork-tender, but (to me) too dry. (Some
>> of the diners declared it perfect.) In my esitmate, the free-range
>> meat cooked a little faster than typical, and so while it got
>> tender and everything, most of the gelatin had leached out of
>> the meat into the surrounding liquid and was lost so there was
>> no squishy tenderness, just flaked meat.
>>
>> Or perhaps this grass-fed free-range rump was low on connective
>> tissue to begin with?
>>
>> In any case it was not a disaster, but I'd like to perfect the
>> technique for next time. I'm thinking less total cooking time,
>> and a smaller dutch oven (Le Cruset) so that more of the
>> liquid is confined into the roast.
>>
>> Steve
>
> There is no such animal/designation as free range beef because all
> beef is free range... I've never heard of steers raised in a cage,
> maybe Japanese beef. Perhaps you should try a different cut, like
> chuck, rump is not the best choice for braising if what you want is
> moist meat. Chuck contains more connective tissue but it tends to
> break up when slicing... rump is more solid and tends to slice easily,
> unless over cooked, then you have sawdust.
>

How about eye round? That is generally a good braising meat.
Free-range beef? Somebody got taken if the price was higher.
Free-range veal maybe? That's um, well beef.