To appreciate the taste and texture of beef without too much fat, try smoked bottom round roast. Additionally, it’s incredibly easy on your pocketbook, which is always a plus!
The main drawback to this meat is that, if not cooked properly, it can become tough. You’ll have no trouble cooking up a delicious dinner every time if you follow these specific guidelines!
We’ll cover the basics of Smoked Bottom Round Roast. From seasonings to dry brining, smoking, and important notes to make preparation as simple as possible!
Smoked Bottom Round Roast is a slow-cooked roast made from the bottom round cut. It’s a very lean cut of meat with little marbling, meaning that if you cook it too hot or don’t wrap it in foil, your roast will be tough.
It is best served sliced thin, which makes it perfect for sandwiches, and could also pair excellently with other smoked side dishes.
What is beef bottom round?
Beef bottom round is a whole muscle cut that comes from the cow’s hind leg and rump. It contains part of the top round, eye round, and bottom round.
The leg muscles are constantly loaded. This is why bottom-round cuts are leaner and tougher. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on your tastes and preferences.
Because this cut of meat is very hard, the best way to cook it is low and slow with the sous vide method. Yet, with enough knowledge and the right dry brine, you can smoke this cut of meat and turn it into a tender and tasty dish.
The difference between bottom round and top round
Beef bottom and top round are best cooked with long, slow cooking methods such as braising, sous vide, baking and smoking. The low-fat content of this cut makes it dry out easily, so it benefits greatly from the moist heat of these methods. Yet, there are some differences in these cuts, which we will explain now.
Firstly we need to explain how these cuts get their names. The whole prime round is always placed with its outside part on the bottom of the butcher’s table and its inside part on the top. That is how these cuts get their names “bottom” and “top.”
To the differences now. The bottom round has far more exercised muscle, which is the primary distinction. As a result, it is leaner and has less fat. Here, the particular flavor of beef is much more noticeable.
Since the top round is not as thoroughly processed, it has more fat marbling and is softer.
The heel, eye, and flat of the bottom round could be purchased individually or as a complete. The top round is frequently sold entire or cut in half.
We’ll need the entire bottom round for this recipe.
Where to find bottom round roast?
Since this cut is hard to sell, many grocery stores don’t carry it, and if they do, it may not be displayed in the meat case. This means that you will probably need to go to a butcher shop. You can ask your butcher and order a whole cut of the bottom round for you.
If you cannot find the bottom round locally, you can try purchasing one from an online meat store. Before ordering, make sure the store ship overnight so you get your meat fresh.
The perfect wood
What is the best wood for smoking a bottom round is a subjective theme. You can use virtually any kind of smoke wood. Every type of wood has its own unique properties, so you might find different flavors depending on the one you use.
We personally enjoy oak with our smoked bottom round roast. But many types of woods will work well! Try a few to see what works for you.
You can also check our complete guide for smoking with woods and dive deep into the best practices of smoking.
Dry brine
Since this cut is very lean, it benefits greatly from dry brining. This process will help the meat retain moisture, which in turn helps with flavor and tenderness.
As a rule of thumb, you need half a tablespoon of kosher salt for every pound of beef. This means that for a 2-pounds cut, you’ll need a full tablespoon of salt.
Apply the salt evenly on the surface of the beef and let it sit in the fridge. Dry brining needs at least 3 hours of marinating before you start cooking your roast. It would be great if the bottom round could stay in the refrigerator overnight.
The perfect temperature and time
The perfect times and temperatures for smoking a bottom round vary depending on the doneness you want to achieve.
For this recipe, you’ll need around 40 minutes of smoking per pound of meat at 225°F. This means that a minimum of 80-90 minutes of smoking time is necessary for a two-pound cut.
The ideal internal temperature for a medium-rare smoked bottom round roast is 130°F – 135°F. Always use a digital probe thermometer to check the doneness of your cut.
Some tips
- Before you begin smoking, make sure the beef cut is at room temperature.
- Smoke it using indirect heat, don’t grill or sear the roast directly over the flame.
- Lean cuts of beef shouldn’t be cooked past medium doneness because you will cook out most of the juices and flavor. Be sure to let your bottom round rest for 15-20 minutes before serving it.
- The best way to carve this cut is into thin slices across the grain.
- Follow these steps, and your next dinner gathering will be a great success!
My favorite smoked beef bottom round recipe
The bottom round, smoked low and slow with oak wood, is tender and delicious. Because this cut has low marbling, it benefits from dry brining before cooking and smoking.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb beef bottom round
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- yellow mustard
For the rub:
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon hot chilly powder
Preparation
- Start by dry brining your meat: season the surface of the bottom round with a thin layer of kosher salt. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or, if possible, overnight.
- Set up your smoker for indirect cooking, fire it up, and let it preheat to 225°F.
- Combine all the components for the rub in a bowl and mix well until fully incorporated.
- Remove your beef from the fridge and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess salt.
- Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard on all sides of the roast, and then generously season it with the rub
- Add the smoking wood to the coals and put the beef on the smoker racks.
- For best results, smoke until the internal temperature reaches 130°F – 135°F, or about two hours.
- When ready, remove the roast from the smoker, wrap it in foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
- Cut in thin slices against the grain before serving.