BUTCHER'S CUT
of the
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCHNEUR MENAKER
T HAN B R T R
Rib
BY NAFTALI HANAU
EVEN B E
TE
Top
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Pro tips: 1. Bring roast to room
H
ere’s a trick you need to know for the holidays: You don’t have to order a “brisket” to serve what we all think of as brisket. That is, a delicious, sweet-and-sour braised piece of gently marbled beef. Nestled on the top of the rib is a roast that fits this description perfectly — and, some might say, is even better than brisket itself. A whole brisket has a larger, leaner flat first cut and a smaller, more marbled section called the second cut. Cooking both to perfection can be tricky. What do you do if everyone prefers the marbling on the smaller second cut but all that’s left is the first cut or vice versa? Top of the rib is your answer. Top of the rib is a roast with uniform marbling throughout that falls roughly between the first and the second cut brisket in terms of tenderness and marbling. In addition to the evenness of the marbling, which makes it easier to cook and serve, it also has a richer, beefier flavor; think of the flavor of a chuck steak versus that of ribeye. They’re both good — but the chuck and the top of the rib just give you more beefy goodness.
temperature, so it cooks more evenly and gets a perfect sear. 2. For the liquid, a
How to cook top of the rib roast:
combination of broth,
The ideal technique is braising.
How much roast per person?
You can follow any brisket or braising recipe for roast, replacing with top of the rib. Start by searing to build up flavor. Next, sauté vegetables such as onions and carrots with your preferred seasonings and tomato paste. Then, add the meat, partially cover with liquid, cover tightly and braise at 300°F, until meat is tender.
wine and water works well.
Top of the rib roasts are generally about 2-4 pounds each, although you can find larger or smaller ones occasionally. We generally recommend you plan on ½ pound per person for a hearty main dish and leftovers or ⅓ pound per person if you are serving other meat dishes at the meal.
OCTOBER 2019
Fleishigs
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