"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>I finally approached this 13-lb monster with my sharpest knife. I used the
>long skinny one.
>
> I used the "alternate method" shown in the pdf file in this link:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/cxq8z6
>
> It ought to be called the "common sense method" since you just follow the
> seams.
>
> I am roasting the center with an herb rub, slicing it thinly for
> sandwiches.
>
> http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Herb-Ru...st/Detail.aspx
>

Following up my own post because I have no shame:

The center roast done as above, rubbed with the herb paste is AMAZING! I
used four fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder, smashed and chopped.
After an hour the roast was 145 degrees F, which says "rare" on my meat
thermometer, so I put it back in for maybe 20 minutes since my husband will
not eat rare meat. It sat and cooled while we ate potroast below, and when I
sliced it, it was tender and juicy, with a single vein of mostly melted
gristle running horizontally across the bottom third. Easily trimmed out of
each thin slice, and now we have this very tender, moist, flavorful and LEAN
seasoned sandwich meat! FOR 1.99 A POUND.

I also made pot roast with chunks of the side of this thing. Browned hot and
high and fast in a generous dollop of olive oil in a deep pot on the stove a
few pieces at a time, then returned to the pot with maybe a cup of water,
added pepper and onion powder, covered and when it boiled turned it to the
second notch above low in my electric stovetop and left it for two hours.
After two hours I dumped in a pound of baby carrots, lifting the meat up and
placing it on top of the carrots so they would benefit from the dark beefy
juice. I turned the pot up again and when it was going well, covered and
turned it down, peeled and chunked four russet and put them in on top for
the last 40 minutes, topping with salt and pepper.

For gravy I tried something new--to me, at least. I poured most of the
liquid off of the pot (fat, vegetable juice and all) in to a small sauce pan
and made a slurry of corn starch and cold water, rather much corn starch in
two juice-sized glasses, and stirred them in the boiling liquid. It is
really good, just a bit of salt and pepper and I had a dark brown, beefy
gravy with no lumps, not too thick, kind of clear looking instead of creamy
as flour does. Poured in into a microwavable gravy boat/storage unit so we
can heat and pour as we want it.

Broc and cheese on the side, very nice, the broc chopped, frozen nuked until
done then sprinkled generously with shredded sharp cheddar.