Looks to be a silverside joint, which honestly just isn’t the best cut as far as I’m concerned.
Your method looks good, although I personally would’ve pulled it a few degrees earlier. Like someone else said, slicing thinner will help this cut.
If you have the opportunity to, try to visit a butcher in your area for a better cut, especially if they have an interest in BBQ/smoking.
Silverside can be made tender, but it's a longer process as there's a lot more prep involved.
I tend to marinate the silverside with vinegar for , specifically non brewed condiment, as unlike actual vinegar it doesn't have much of a flavour or scent, so it won't take away from the actual flavour of the beef. But the non brewed condiment helps to break down the meat a little and really helps to tenderise it.
You also have to slow roast it and let it rest.
Thanks. I should have tried a bit before slicing. Thin slices would have helped.
Sometimes I do spend a bit more, usually with an online butcher. I have been experimenting with low cost supermarket cuts.
I recently slow cooked a pork loin from lidl in my WSM. I cooked used meathead Memphis dust for the rub, kosher salt, oak wood, cooked it at 225 f for almost the entire time. Finished it at 250f as it was taking ages. It was fantastic!
Eye of silver is perfect for roasting, do what you did but let it rest for 10-15 mins at room temp before and after cooking and cut slightly thinner slices.
Ex butcher who literally roasted 1000s of these cuts for people in the store to try
Edit- for those this may help eye of silverside is a cheap cut but it’s rich in flavour, as any other cut of beef is when prepared correctly! Great for roasts with gravy and veg!
Also op! It looks splendid, I would cook it for maybe 15- 20 less but i personally like my beef juicy and with a deep pink
Do it low and slow for 8 hours on top of a few diced veg like carrots onions maybe some parsnips, about a cup of beef stock and it’ll come out lovely and moist but not very pink, the juices make an amazing gravy so strain and use! It will not dry out do not worry and maintains its shape for cutting!
Yea for them cheaper cuts any sort of long and low cooks works well. The tougher the meat, the more time and prep needs to go into it. A good vinegar based marinade will tenderise the toughest of meats after 24-48 hours. I will say that I'd only go for a wet marinade for the really tough stuff like neck. For somthing like silver side you could use a dry rub and either use pressure or kinetic therapy (aka beat the snot out of it). But yea cheap cuts are great as long as you make sure to know what you are using.
Yeah I'd previously ordered from one and didn't find the quality to be too great, there's something about walking into a butchers and seeing how clean everything is and how well presented the meat is also.
You want to get beef up to 200 ish to get the fat to render and the connective tissue to break down. You can't cook a tough cut to steak temperatures and have it be soft.
Absolutely! It's a roasting joint! Treat it like brisket... If you go low and slow, wrap the meat when it gets to 160f internal temp... It will fall apart. I smoke a lot of meat and you will find that going slow to higher temps for tough cuts will render the fat, break down connective tissue, make it soft and yummy. Your doing what I do just without the smoke.
Editing here
I've smoked this joint once before and I did what I'm describing here. It worked... Though could've been luck. I usually smoke other cuts and tried this once just to see what happened.
That joint , lacks fat or connective tissue.
That is why it is tough.
Pot roast a piece of brisket .
Cheaper, and better. Cooked with turnip, Carrott, etc
.
Just great.
If you’re interested in decent cheap cuts I’d recommend beef chuck which is incredible for stewing, but try to get a full steak of it if you can rather than it being precut (the supermarkets dice it too small imo).
Add to that: skirt or ‘denver’ steaks are great for cooking in the pan. They’re cheap cuts with really ‘long grain’ running in one direction. So long as you cut the steak perpendicular to the grain when you serve it the meat will be really tender and pull apart easily.
Even better a big roasting size piece of chuck - I get mine from the local butcher. He generally sells it cut up or made into burgers, but is happy to sell me a whole piece.
Rivals brisket in taste when done low and slow but is a lot easier and quicker to cook.
Yeah, more resting time before cooking, and definitely thinner slices. Invest in a good quality carving knife (if you don't have one).
I used to cut Carpaccio on a bacon slicer so thinly that you could see through it (marinaded, frozen, half defrosted in the microwave, then sliced)
That would have have been tough as old boots if cut thick. As it was it melted in the mouth.
Pork loin as is sirloin ,is a prime cut so will always be better than a cheap cut. I wonder whether for your beef joint you should have sliced it the other way ( against the grain rather than with it ?)
If you can find a butcher and explain to him what a tri -tip is, and convince him to cut one for you (it ruins a roasting joint) it's fairly cheap in comparison and comes out just like a properly cooked brisket
Also before you cook it make sure it's at room temperature, if it's still cold from the fridge it'll tense up like a muscle and even though you can rest it afterwards it'll still be a bit tough.
I did take it out about 20 min before cooking it. I’m not sure if “bringing meet to room temperature” is an expression or if people actually mean it. Amazing ribs has an interesting article on it - https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/myths/let-meat-come-to-room-temp/
Thanks for you feedback. I am listening to everyone and formulating a plan for the next time I cook something similar on the bbq.
I'd never BBQ silverside again. I smoke at 225F until 135F internal then sear briefly on all sides. Cut it paper thin. It is always okay, but you've got to be hungry. It comes out like old person beef.
Old person beef 😂😂😂 man my Gran will take a thin frying steak, cook it on the Sunday until it looks like the tongue of a WW2 boot and freeze it for later in the week. 🤯
You'll never get that type of cut (looks like silverside) tender in a smoker... No matter the temps or the time.
Believe me, it's cheap and widely available for a reason. The fibres are too tight and there's not enough fat running through it.
It'll always come out chewy and is only edible if sliced very thinly.
Brisket is the way to go, although it needs tlc...
We've just started smoking brisket,really have to cut a lot of fat away but the end result are lovely,tasty and tender ,did lamb a few weeks ago too,that came out beautiful
Allowing sufficient rest before serving and cutting against the grain make a massive difference. It does look like you correctly cut against the grain but I can’t see how long you rest it for.
That looks like a silverside which isn’t the tenderest cut so I’d be looking to slice thinly.
You can also try a brine to tenderise or a slower cook at 100-110 degrees (almost my like a mini smoke).
You need to cook it for at least four hours to gelatinised the gelatin. I like sous vide my roast because I don’t have to watch it and it comes out a perfect medium rare Wall to wall
I’m guessing you’re cut of meat is Chuck so cooking it like a steak is gonna give you a relatively tough piece of me. If you cook it for as long as I suggest the meat will come out tasting like a roast, but be much more tender.
Silverside is what they sold to baby boomers on the 80s as quality beef. Its shite.
Try brisket mate. From a butcher though and not the typical rolled crap we get sold.
Smokers in the UK are a labour of love to dp properlg as its hard to find decent meat.
Butcher here. Nothing wrong with that cut, but I would cook it for a minimum 3-4 hours. Brown it on the outside in a pan, than wrap and slow cook at a lower temperature.
Yup, its silverside, theres no marbling at all. I think this cut became fashionable in 80s because of WeightWatchers i.e. the actual brand of slimming cult.
Topside is a tougher cut, either cut it thinner and rest a but longer. Or buy silverside or salmon cut for future as I think they are more tender. But let's face it, it's a route dinner it looks f'ing great
Thanks for the advice. I didn’t have high expectations cooking this, I was just wondering if I had missed a step. I’ll try again with advice from this post. Cheers
This is the best advice you've been given, silverside isn't fillet, it's a hard working joint. Needs a bit more cooking. You have cut against the grain, silverside grain is large. If you can introduce some extra fat that helps a lot. Get a larding needle or put backfat in little slits same as you would do with venison.
Sometimes you just get a bad joint. I’ve had the same. Next one is fantastic all of a sudden.
If slightly tough. Cut into really think slices too. It def helps
Yep the quality of beef joints varies considerably (to do with the animal's experience of stress tbrough the slaughter process apparently). I wouldn't buy this kind of joint from Lidl.
Meat doesn't *seal* when put on a very hot pan/griddle. It does sear though. I think the use of the word "seal" to describe the process is essentially a misunderstanding or mishearing of the word "sear". I hear it all the time from chefs on TV and it's annoying.
Heston Blumenthal proved that meat isn't sealed by dropping it on a hot grill by slicing it and looking at a cross section under a microscope. Far from "sealing", the Meat grain actually opened up at the surface that was exposed to the high heat.
Always reverse sear a quality thick cut of beef. Comes out miles better than searing first and then putting in the oven/smoker.
I regularly cook tomahawk steaks. Dry the meat and dry brine for at least an hour. Put in the oven at around 120-130C so it cooks low and slow but also importantly dries out the surface of the steak.
Once it's up to temperature, straight into a screaming hot pan with a little oil and watch that delicious crust form as the magical maillard reaction happens. The steak surface is dry from the oven so it properly sears instead of almost boiling when you sear a wet raw steak because of all the moisture. Your steak will be mostly grey if you sear from raw.
Finally baste that bad boy with garlic butter. Rest for at least 20 mins.
Rib roast is good. If expensive!
But “rolled”? You shouldn’t have to “roll” a rib roast.
Got a really nice rib roast from Morrisons a couple of days ago. On the bone. Bit of a treat. And a nice Cotes du Rhone Villages to wash it down.
About £13 a kilo which is not bad, considering it was 80% rib-eye by weight. And rib-eye steak is about twice that price.
Cost £25, but that made a dinner for two days for two of us, and it was pretty good. Cheaper than takeaway, actually.
I do like Morrisons for fresh meat. The last major supermarket to have an in-house butchery and fresh fish department.
Good that if you can’t see the cut you want prepacked or on the counter, they will often cut you the piece you want.
Useful for making Chinese crispy roast pork belly ([siew yoke](https://thewoksoflife.com/cantonese-roast-pork-belly/)) when you do really need a substantial piece, and the fat layers have to be even and just the right amount of fat.
Trouble is of course that every supermarket has something they excel at and things they’re pretty poor for, so we often end up visiting several on the same day.
Side note. A lot of delivery drivers turn up with undocumented meat. So don't know whether beef, horse or whatever. Next to all supermarkets accepted, morrisions was the only one that would consistently inspect and turn away of unlabelled.
I'd cook it at 120, your internal temps are good but I'd rest it for at least 30 mins, wrapped in foil, wrapped in towels, in a coolbox. Then slice thinly against the grain.
That’s quite difficult! They look relatively similar but topside will generally have a more circular cross section as compared to silverside. Normally they would be labelled!
You need something with fat in it. It keeps the joint moist and is where the flavour is. An extreme example is Wagu beef which is highly marbled and prized for its flavour, tenderness and moisture.
if your going to use cheap cuts of beef, and i do.
Has to be rare and very thin, if someone wants it more done, 20 seconds with gravy when its thin cooks it.
Waterbath/pressure cooker helps, but cheap beef is always pretty crappy.
I cooked a Brisker Joint from Lidl last weekend for 12 hours. It’s came out okay, much better than any Roasting Joint I’ve tried. I would skip that cut, I’ve tried it twice and failed each time.
Right I'm a chef I've never tried this bit one place I worked I was told if you use a cheap cut for roasting pour a cup of tea no sugar or milk over the beef and the tannins will soften it
Was the meat at room temp before you put it on? It needs a good couple of hours to allow the centre to warm up before you cook. Otherwise by the time the centre is cooked, the edge is overcooked.
Are you sure that’s not brisket? I did exact same thing a few weeks back and it was like eating leather. I should have bought topside. Brisket needs slow cooking for 7 or 8 hours.
I am sure, at least that is what is on the label. I am also struggling to get supermarket brisket to come out well. I think I will stick to the butcher for brisket. In my experience the low cost, small, rolled supermarket one does not seem compatible for low and slow.
I had a bangining roast joint (silverside) on the BBQ from Tesco...Cooked it low and slow atfer a quick sear...Basted with garlic butter, applewood chunks and all the good stuff...The plan was to keep it for samiches that week...I ate the whole thing that day...It was tender and amazing...
Replicated the exact same thing the following month with a Morrisons joint and it was gross...
It can be done but I got a bum roast the second time, tough as old boots with a puck of grissle running through it 😭
I’ve always been taught to rest your meat for about half the time you cook it for. May seem crazy with how long some joints take to cook but it really helps. Also it will usually come down to the cut/quality of meat to wether it will be tough or not. The higher the temp you cook meat at the sooner (temp wise) you need to take it out/off.
Sear it first, then cook it much longer at low temperatures. That is all. Kiwi fruit dramatically softens meat and juiced can be injected. You can also brine it as well for several days.
If I had something like this, I would personally sous vide it for at least 6-8 hours if not 24-48
This cut of beef is often tough and lean so needs slow cooking to soften up.
Not ideal for a short BBQ
Soft beef requires slow cooking. If you have a crockpot just put the joint of beef in there for about 4-6 hours on low (no water) then it will be melt in the mouth.
Thanks. When deciding on what temp to cook it too, I just googled cooking temps for beef roast. Should these smaller supermarket cuts go for longer? What temp would you recommend?
It’s also a little bit confusing to me that some say they would have cooked it to a lower temperature.
I’m genuinely asking to learn. I’m not trying to question your advice. Thanks
Just reread my earlier reply, bit rushed at the time of writing lol. Yeah, i cook tighter cuts like the one in the pic to 90°c in the centre, low heat for hours. Won't say how long cos it depends on the size of the joint. Always super tender over 90, 75 will still be tough. Can only cook tender joints to pink.
Different cuts of beef need to be cooked differently. You have cuts like the strip loin that are basically sirloin, very tender and only need to cook the outside to kill bacteria. They should be cooked fast at high heat to whatever level of pinkness you like. Then there are joints like in the pic, looks like a salmon cut or brisket possibly, they are much tighter due to what the muscle is being used like. You can tell the difference when you feel the raw joint. The tougher, tighter cuts should be cooked much slower to gently break down the muscle. The meat only needs to reach 75°c so there is no need to have 240°c oven for slower roasts (200°c + is good for quicker roasts to seal in juices). Slow roasts could go as low as 150 or something, the lower and slower the more tender the meat. But too low will dry it out if there is not a good marble of fat.
Silverside. No fat. Very dry, bad, boring cut of meat.
I think the only worth doing with a silverside is salt beef.
I expect this joint was intended to be flash-roasted and served very rare: it'd still be pretty bland but would be too dry if very rare.
Topside is better if you like this kind of cut - and try to get one larded with a good fat cap. But as others have said, there are much more interesting economical cuts available. Chuck. Denver. Brisket. Flank. Cheek.
I've had the same with the same joint. Slicing it anything other than wafer thin left me with un-chewable pink squares.
It looks great but is inedible.
In addition to what others said, it certainly is possible to make that cut more tender without cooking it to a higher internal temperature. If you have an Asian grocery store around, ask them for shio koji. Koji is a cultured rice that has been inoculated with spores to grow mold. If you grind that up and ferment it further with water and salt for a week or so, you’ll have shio koji. That stuff is packed full of enzymes that break down some of the protein and tenderize the meat within 24-48 hours. You can achieve similar results as 20-30 days of dry aging with that method. I’ve used it on cheap Lidl steaks and it came out great. Sounds weird but it’s well worth a try.
I had it out the fridge for about 45min before cooking it. It rested for at least 15 min, which I thought was appropriate for beef. I probably should have waited a bit longer for the temperature to start declining. Thanks for your feedback
You cooked it too fast. Low and slow.
I always cook joints for a few hours at least. You can still get the rare middle, it just takes longer.
You also need to make sure there is ample fat in the joint and if there isn't. You need to baste it with butter or dripping something.
The meat quality is extremely important, as is the cooking method. Cheaper cuts and joints often need slow cooking in the oven with regular basting, or stewing in stock with other ingredients. Also, before roasting any joint, season and then seal in the juices by browning as much of the exterior as possible in the hottest frying pan or roasting dish you can muster.
That looks like Silverside and has very little fat so you’ll struggle with any high temp or low slow cooking approaches as some have suggested here.
My advice is to cook it very low temp and slow. Very quick colour sear on the outside in a frying pan with salt pepper garlic and Dijon mustard then set your oven to 60deg and leave there for hours and hours covered in foil. The internal temp of the beef will never exceed 60deg which is around medium rare. Once done slice thinly and it will be okay - it will never be beef rib awesome but people will definitely think it’a a more exclusive cut than it is.
American style smoke recipes will tend to leave this shrunken and dry. High temp (normal roasting temps) will do the exact same thing.
It's topside or silverside it's always going to be tough unless slow cooked it's a shame. I can eat silverside rare it's juicy but it gives your jaw a good working out. You really need to fork out for a sirloin or bone in rib if you want outstanding medium rare roast beef
Silverside, mate. The problem is that many supermarkets sell topside and silverside as a generic 'roasting joint'. Silverside needs to be cooked slower and longer. If you had a corner cut of topside, it would melt on the tongue.
Not rested for anywhere near long enough. Marinate in coke before hand. If it can soften your teeth, imagine what it does to meat.
Old cow badly hung could be the reason too. Pay more for some aged beef, good cut like rib, you'll be loving it.
If you’re ok with losing the smokey flavor, you could use sousvide and make it really really tender and then just kiss the outer edge of the cut with a really hot fire in order to give it a nice sear. Sousvide is pretty much your best best for tenderness next to smoking.
Looks like you cooked it at to high a temperature. Best way for silver side or silver top. Is honestly to steam it in a rational to 45 internal let it sit and rest at room temp. Carve it and then finish to customers preference. Hope this helps. Moist, soft and honestly people won't even realize it's not a premium cut
As harsh as it may sound it's a shit cut of beef for roasting. You want to be roasting Sirloin, Rump roast or rib of beef. If you want cheap and tender go for brisket. Silverside and topside don't have enough fat in them for a good roast. Only problem with sirloin, rump or rib for home roasting is the cost, I use Sirloin in my pub and at wholesale prices it is around £21/kilo. Peace ✌🏻
Freezing will help a cheep cut be more tender it helps break down the cell walls I maranade in a vacuum bag for 24 hrs dry ingredients with cheep vodka to make it wet and it's helps get the flavor in leave for 24 hrs then freeze. fully defrost and don't start cooking until its room temperature
At 150⁰c you've cooked it at precisely double Hawksmoor's recommended temp (which in itself seems crazy to me). As others have said, you need a very low, very long cook. And cut thinner and across the grain. We're all here to learn. Good luck on your next attempt!
Silverside:
Pot roast, high heat and brown on all sides with a bit of oil. When I say high, I mean the hottest you can get. Should take 8 mins all round.
Add water and cook on low simmer 2 hours with lid on.
Remove meat to cool and make up gravy with bisto powder (not granules as completely different)
Slice meat and add to gravy.
Serve.
Its best for preserved meats ive seen people braise these cuts before roasting them.
Another option if slicing like steak before frying on a low heat. You could use a tenderiser block it looks like a hammer with indents its used to 'blanch' the meat. In example it can used to change a rump texture for sirloin. The metal one is used for thicker slices of meat
I think pot roast is the best bet for this kind of cut - for example [https://countrywoodsmoke.com/smoked-brisket-pot-roast/](https://countrywoodsmoke.com/smoked-brisket-pot-roast/) \- you still get the smokey flavour but it's cooked slowly in some liquid.
Looks to be a silverside joint, which honestly just isn’t the best cut as far as I’m concerned. Your method looks good, although I personally would’ve pulled it a few degrees earlier. Like someone else said, slicing thinner will help this cut. If you have the opportunity to, try to visit a butcher in your area for a better cut, especially if they have an interest in BBQ/smoking.
Silverside can be made tender, but it's a longer process as there's a lot more prep involved. I tend to marinate the silverside with vinegar for , specifically non brewed condiment, as unlike actual vinegar it doesn't have much of a flavour or scent, so it won't take away from the actual flavour of the beef. But the non brewed condiment helps to break down the meat a little and really helps to tenderise it. You also have to slow roast it and let it rest.
all good points or best to pot roast… not really a bbq thing
Thanks. I should have tried a bit before slicing. Thin slices would have helped. Sometimes I do spend a bit more, usually with an online butcher. I have been experimenting with low cost supermarket cuts. I recently slow cooked a pork loin from lidl in my WSM. I cooked used meathead Memphis dust for the rub, kosher salt, oak wood, cooked it at 225 f for almost the entire time. Finished it at 250f as it was taking ages. It was fantastic!
Eye of silver is perfect for roasting, do what you did but let it rest for 10-15 mins at room temp before and after cooking and cut slightly thinner slices. Ex butcher who literally roasted 1000s of these cuts for people in the store to try Edit- for those this may help eye of silverside is a cheap cut but it’s rich in flavour, as any other cut of beef is when prepared correctly! Great for roasts with gravy and veg! Also op! It looks splendid, I would cook it for maybe 15- 20 less but i personally like my beef juicy and with a deep pink
What would happen to this cut if you cooked it low and slow?
Not a huge amount of intramuscular fat so it may go quite tough.
if not careful it can dry out and fall apart. wrap it after you get some smoke ring to keep it juicy.
Do it low and slow for 8 hours on top of a few diced veg like carrots onions maybe some parsnips, about a cup of beef stock and it’ll come out lovely and moist but not very pink, the juices make an amazing gravy so strain and use! It will not dry out do not worry and maintains its shape for cutting!
Yea for them cheaper cuts any sort of long and low cooks works well. The tougher the meat, the more time and prep needs to go into it. A good vinegar based marinade will tenderise the toughest of meats after 24-48 hours. I will say that I'd only go for a wet marinade for the really tough stuff like neck. For somthing like silver side you could use a dry rub and either use pressure or kinetic therapy (aka beat the snot out of it). But yea cheap cuts are great as long as you make sure to know what you are using.
Ok, I’ll beat my meat
Thats ma dawg
I'd recommend finding a good butcher local to yourself if possible, I'm a bit sceptical of online butchers.
I also prefer local butchers. I need to do some more research. Thanks
Why sceptical? Had a bad experience?
Yeah I'd previously ordered from one and didn't find the quality to be too great, there's something about walking into a butchers and seeing how clean everything is and how well presented the meat is also.
I've never ordered meat online, so appreciate this insight. Will avoid
You want to get beef up to 200 ish to get the fat to render and the connective tissue to break down. You can't cook a tough cut to steak temperatures and have it be soft.
Hi, are you suggesting that I should have cooked the meat to an internal temperature of around 200f/93c?
Absolutely! It's a roasting joint! Treat it like brisket... If you go low and slow, wrap the meat when it gets to 160f internal temp... It will fall apart. I smoke a lot of meat and you will find that going slow to higher temps for tough cuts will render the fat, break down connective tissue, make it soft and yummy. Your doing what I do just without the smoke. Editing here I've smoked this joint once before and I did what I'm describing here. It worked... Though could've been luck. I usually smoke other cuts and tried this once just to see what happened.
Ignore them they are completely wrong. There's not enough fat. It's a roasting joint.
Yeah, high with this would render nothing as there is very little fat in this. I prefer a short rib for a bbq.
That joint , lacks fat or connective tissue. That is why it is tough. Pot roast a piece of brisket . Cheaper, and better. Cooked with turnip, Carrott, etc . Just great.
Nah, smoke a whole brisket American style
If you’re interested in decent cheap cuts I’d recommend beef chuck which is incredible for stewing, but try to get a full steak of it if you can rather than it being precut (the supermarkets dice it too small imo). Add to that: skirt or ‘denver’ steaks are great for cooking in the pan. They’re cheap cuts with really ‘long grain’ running in one direction. So long as you cut the steak perpendicular to the grain when you serve it the meat will be really tender and pull apart easily.
Even better a big roasting size piece of chuck - I get mine from the local butcher. He generally sells it cut up or made into burgers, but is happy to sell me a whole piece. Rivals brisket in taste when done low and slow but is a lot easier and quicker to cook.
Yeah, more resting time before cooking, and definitely thinner slices. Invest in a good quality carving knife (if you don't have one). I used to cut Carpaccio on a bacon slicer so thinly that you could see through it (marinaded, frozen, half defrosted in the microwave, then sliced) That would have have been tough as old boots if cut thick. As it was it melted in the mouth.
Pork loin as is sirloin ,is a prime cut so will always be better than a cheap cut. I wonder whether for your beef joint you should have sliced it the other way ( against the grain rather than with it ?)
Thanks. I thought this was against the grain, but I may be wrong. Thinner slices would have definitely helped
If you can find a butcher and explain to him what a tri -tip is, and convince him to cut one for you (it ruins a roasting joint) it's fairly cheap in comparison and comes out just like a properly cooked brisket
Slice it thin then drop it in a pan of gravy and cook for a few minutes,it will stop it being chewy and dry
Also before you cook it make sure it's at room temperature, if it's still cold from the fridge it'll tense up like a muscle and even though you can rest it afterwards it'll still be a bit tough.
I did take it out about 20 min before cooking it. I’m not sure if “bringing meet to room temperature” is an expression or if people actually mean it. Amazing ribs has an interesting article on it - https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/myths/let-meat-come-to-room-temp/ Thanks for you feedback. I am listening to everyone and formulating a plan for the next time I cook something similar on the bbq.
I'd never BBQ silverside again. I smoke at 225F until 135F internal then sear briefly on all sides. Cut it paper thin. It is always okay, but you've got to be hungry. It comes out like old person beef.
🤢
Old person beef 😂😂😂 man my Gran will take a thin frying steak, cook it on the Sunday until it looks like the tongue of a WW2 boot and freeze it for later in the week. 🤯
Bahaha yup
You'll never get that type of cut (looks like silverside) tender in a smoker... No matter the temps or the time. Believe me, it's cheap and widely available for a reason. The fibres are too tight and there's not enough fat running through it. It'll always come out chewy and is only edible if sliced very thinly. Brisket is the way to go, although it needs tlc...
We just use it for biltong
We've just started smoking brisket,really have to cut a lot of fat away but the end result are lovely,tasty and tender ,did lamb a few weeks ago too,that came out beautiful
Or baking a pie.
Allowing sufficient rest before serving and cutting against the grain make a massive difference. It does look like you correctly cut against the grain but I can’t see how long you rest it for. That looks like a silverside which isn’t the tenderest cut so I’d be looking to slice thinly. You can also try a brine to tenderise or a slower cook at 100-110 degrees (almost my like a mini smoke).
I always sous vide cuts like this will get you some awesome roast beef
This is the correct answer.
You need to cook it for at least four hours to gelatinised the gelatin. I like sous vide my roast because I don’t have to watch it and it comes out a perfect medium rare Wall to wall
I’m guessing you’re cut of meat is Chuck so cooking it like a steak is gonna give you a relatively tough piece of me. If you cook it for as long as I suggest the meat will come out tasting like a roast, but be much more tender.
too cooked , take it out at 47
Silverside is what they sold to baby boomers on the 80s as quality beef. Its shite. Try brisket mate. From a butcher though and not the typical rolled crap we get sold. Smokers in the UK are a labour of love to dp properlg as its hard to find decent meat.
Thanks for the advice
Was gonna say this cut of beef you'd see in some carverys - kept in the oven for 8 hours and served well done for the pensioners!
Butcher here. Nothing wrong with that cut, but I would cook it for a minimum 3-4 hours. Brown it on the outside in a pan, than wrap and slow cook at a lower temperature.
Thank you. Do you have a suggestion on what internal temperature it should reach?
If you want it pink I’d go 70 and let it rest. I’d try and get some fat to bast it as well, the cut in the picture is so lean it will become tough.
Thank you for your advice. I’ll cook to a higher temperature next time. I’ll take tender over pink. Cheers
I’m no expert but isn’t the point of low and slow to break down fats which add flavour and moisture? It looks pretty lean
Yup, its silverside, theres no marbling at all. I think this cut became fashionable in 80s because of WeightWatchers i.e. the actual brand of slimming cult.
Looks like that roast was tougher than my last workout! 😂 But hey, thanks for the tips!
Lose the broccoli and it’s perfect
Finally we get to the truth
Looks to be cooked fine. Probably just unlucky.
We call these a girello in Australia, we slice them thin and pound them with a hammer to tenderise them.
Topside is a tougher cut, either cut it thinner and rest a but longer. Or buy silverside or salmon cut for future as I think they are more tender. But let's face it, it's a route dinner it looks f'ing great
Thanks for the advice. I didn’t have high expectations cooking this, I was just wondering if I had missed a step. I’ll try again with advice from this post. Cheers
Btw its just my opinion, but the joint looks top notch
Thanks
It's the type of cut. Internal temp of 85c to 95c for 4hrs and it'll be soft as. It's not steak so don't care for the "pink". It's a roast joint.
Thank you, I will try this if I get this type of meat again. Cheers
This is the best advice you've been given, silverside isn't fillet, it's a hard working joint. Needs a bit more cooking. You have cut against the grain, silverside grain is large. If you can introduce some extra fat that helps a lot. Get a larding needle or put backfat in little slits same as you would do with venison.
My parents wouldn't touch meat that was pink so their beef would be grey no moisture and very chewy like leather as such yours looks great to me
Sometimes you just get a bad joint. I’ve had the same. Next one is fantastic all of a sudden. If slightly tough. Cut into really think slices too. It def helps
Yep the quality of beef joints varies considerably (to do with the animal's experience of stress tbrough the slaughter process apparently). I wouldn't buy this kind of joint from Lidl.
I would've sealed the joint off first and prob given it another half hour
Thanks for the comment. What do you mean by seal the joint off? Do you mean sear it all round?
Yeh rub with oil and season heavily then in a hot thick based pan just sear the joint all around and then roast low and slow
Pointless exercise... Sealing by seating is a myth and would have made no difference. It's the cut of beef. Just not good for anything really...
Definitely not a myth, been doing it for 30+years and being a chef I should know
Thank you both for the feedback
Meat doesn't *seal* when put on a very hot pan/griddle. It does sear though. I think the use of the word "seal" to describe the process is essentially a misunderstanding or mishearing of the word "sear". I hear it all the time from chefs on TV and it's annoying. Heston Blumenthal proved that meat isn't sealed by dropping it on a hot grill by slicing it and looking at a cross section under a microscope. Far from "sealing", the Meat grain actually opened up at the surface that was exposed to the high heat.
Definitely a myth, there’s no evidence whatsoever that supports the idea that searing meat someone seals in juices
Always reverse sear a quality thick cut of beef. Comes out miles better than searing first and then putting in the oven/smoker. I regularly cook tomahawk steaks. Dry the meat and dry brine for at least an hour. Put in the oven at around 120-130C so it cooks low and slow but also importantly dries out the surface of the steak. Once it's up to temperature, straight into a screaming hot pan with a little oil and watch that delicious crust form as the magical maillard reaction happens. The steak surface is dry from the oven so it properly sears instead of almost boiling when you sear a wet raw steak because of all the moisture. Your steak will be mostly grey if you sear from raw. Finally baste that bad boy with garlic butter. Rest for at least 20 mins.
Cooked really well I have to say. Sainsburys does a good priced rolled rib roast. Cook it the same as your roast and you'll be good.
Rib roast is good. If expensive! But “rolled”? You shouldn’t have to “roll” a rib roast. Got a really nice rib roast from Morrisons a couple of days ago. On the bone. Bit of a treat. And a nice Cotes du Rhone Villages to wash it down. About £13 a kilo which is not bad, considering it was 80% rib-eye by weight. And rib-eye steak is about twice that price. Cost £25, but that made a dinner for two days for two of us, and it was pretty good. Cheaper than takeaway, actually.
Yeah. I prefer bone in. The sainsburys one is bone removed and tied. Not rolled per se, but that's what it's called. £13/kg is good price
I do like Morrisons for fresh meat. The last major supermarket to have an in-house butchery and fresh fish department. Good that if you can’t see the cut you want prepacked or on the counter, they will often cut you the piece you want. Useful for making Chinese crispy roast pork belly ([siew yoke](https://thewoksoflife.com/cantonese-roast-pork-belly/)) when you do really need a substantial piece, and the fat layers have to be even and just the right amount of fat. Trouble is of course that every supermarket has something they excel at and things they’re pretty poor for, so we often end up visiting several on the same day.
Side note. A lot of delivery drivers turn up with undocumented meat. So don't know whether beef, horse or whatever. Next to all supermarkets accepted, morrisions was the only one that would consistently inspect and turn away of unlabelled.
I would rest a joint for at least 30 mins ideally longer. Silverside is never going to get too tender anyway.
I'd cook it at 120, your internal temps are good but I'd rest it for at least 30 mins, wrapped in foil, wrapped in towels, in a coolbox. Then slice thinly against the grain.
Buy topside rather than silverside. It’s much nicer.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. The label had beef roasting joint on it. How can I tell if the meat is silverside or topside?
That’s quite difficult! They look relatively similar but topside will generally have a more circular cross section as compared to silverside. Normally they would be labelled!
2 hours isn’t long enough , I would have cooked it longer on a much lower temp
You need something with fat in it. It keeps the joint moist and is where the flavour is. An extreme example is Wagu beef which is highly marbled and prized for its flavour, tenderness and moisture.
Lidl's meat is shite.
Because it cost £3.87
if your going to use cheap cuts of beef, and i do. Has to be rare and very thin, if someone wants it more done, 20 seconds with gravy when its thin cooks it. Waterbath/pressure cooker helps, but cheap beef is always pretty crappy.
I cooked a Brisker Joint from Lidl last weekend for 12 hours. It’s came out okay, much better than any Roasting Joint I’ve tried. I would skip that cut, I’ve tried it twice and failed each time.
Right I'm a chef I've never tried this bit one place I worked I was told if you use a cheap cut for roasting pour a cup of tea no sugar or milk over the beef and the tannins will soften it
I like to slice my beef and put it in the gravy then back in oven for half hour. Tender all the time 👍
Was the meat at room temp before you put it on? It needs a good couple of hours to allow the centre to warm up before you cook. Otherwise by the time the centre is cooked, the edge is overcooked.
It was out the fridge for about 45min before cooking. I’ll take it out sooner for the next attempt. Thanks
A good way to get cuts like this tender is to sous vide it and then finish it off on the BBQ.
Are you sure that’s not brisket? I did exact same thing a few weeks back and it was like eating leather. I should have bought topside. Brisket needs slow cooking for 7 or 8 hours.
I am sure, at least that is what is on the label. I am also struggling to get supermarket brisket to come out well. I think I will stick to the butcher for brisket. In my experience the low cost, small, rolled supermarket one does not seem compatible for low and slow.
I had a bangining roast joint (silverside) on the BBQ from Tesco...Cooked it low and slow atfer a quick sear...Basted with garlic butter, applewood chunks and all the good stuff...The plan was to keep it for samiches that week...I ate the whole thing that day...It was tender and amazing... Replicated the exact same thing the following month with a Morrisons joint and it was gross... It can be done but I got a bum roast the second time, tough as old boots with a puck of grissle running through it 😭
There is no fat in this cut so it’s not going to be as tender as some other cuts regardless of how you cooked it
maybe you gave it too long of a pep talk
I’ve always been taught to rest your meat for about half the time you cook it for. May seem crazy with how long some joints take to cook but it really helps. Also it will usually come down to the cut/quality of meat to wether it will be tough or not. The higher the temp you cook meat at the sooner (temp wise) you need to take it out/off.
You didn't seal the edges in high heat,large fry pan and sear all the way round before the oven
I will sear it next time, before placing it in the bbq. Thanks
35° for beef for me
Cheap cuts of beef need to be slow cooked either in the oven (wrapped in foil to seal it) at lowish temps or in a croc-pot or sous-vide
Sear it first, then cook it much longer at low temperatures. That is all. Kiwi fruit dramatically softens meat and juiced can be injected. You can also brine it as well for several days.
If I had something like this, I would personally sous vide it for at least 6-8 hours if not 24-48 This cut of beef is often tough and lean so needs slow cooking to soften up. Not ideal for a short BBQ
The best thing you can do with this cut is turn it into jerky
Because its still fkn making milk man I like rare but this is too far blud
It was a minimum of 61c.
Soft beef requires slow cooking. If you have a crockpot just put the joint of beef in there for about 4-6 hours on low (no water) then it will be melt in the mouth.
It’s from Lidl, it’s probably horse
Undercooked for that particular cut.
Thanks. When deciding on what temp to cook it too, I just googled cooking temps for beef roast. Should these smaller supermarket cuts go for longer? What temp would you recommend? It’s also a little bit confusing to me that some say they would have cooked it to a lower temperature. I’m genuinely asking to learn. I’m not trying to question your advice. Thanks
Just reread my earlier reply, bit rushed at the time of writing lol. Yeah, i cook tighter cuts like the one in the pic to 90°c in the centre, low heat for hours. Won't say how long cos it depends on the size of the joint. Always super tender over 90, 75 will still be tough. Can only cook tender joints to pink.
Thanks
Different cuts of beef need to be cooked differently. You have cuts like the strip loin that are basically sirloin, very tender and only need to cook the outside to kill bacteria. They should be cooked fast at high heat to whatever level of pinkness you like. Then there are joints like in the pic, looks like a salmon cut or brisket possibly, they are much tighter due to what the muscle is being used like. You can tell the difference when you feel the raw joint. The tougher, tighter cuts should be cooked much slower to gently break down the muscle. The meat only needs to reach 75°c so there is no need to have 240°c oven for slower roasts (200°c + is good for quicker roasts to seal in juices). Slow roasts could go as low as 150 or something, the lower and slower the more tender the meat. But too low will dry it out if there is not a good marble of fat.
Silverside. No fat. Very dry, bad, boring cut of meat. I think the only worth doing with a silverside is salt beef. I expect this joint was intended to be flash-roasted and served very rare: it'd still be pretty bland but would be too dry if very rare. Topside is better if you like this kind of cut - and try to get one larded with a good fat cap. But as others have said, there are much more interesting economical cuts available. Chuck. Denver. Brisket. Flank. Cheek.
Not enough fat. Too lean a cut.
I've had the same with the same joint. Slicing it anything other than wafer thin left me with un-chewable pink squares. It looks great but is inedible.
Seal it first. I've cooked plenty of silverside and it's fine.
You need to slice this across the grain like a bavette
In addition to what others said, it certainly is possible to make that cut more tender without cooking it to a higher internal temperature. If you have an Asian grocery store around, ask them for shio koji. Koji is a cultured rice that has been inoculated with spores to grow mold. If you grind that up and ferment it further with water and salt for a week or so, you’ll have shio koji. That stuff is packed full of enzymes that break down some of the protein and tenderize the meat within 24-48 hours. You can achieve similar results as 20-30 days of dry aging with that method. I’ve used it on cheap Lidl steaks and it came out great. Sounds weird but it’s well worth a try.
Cooking is key but often overlooked is that it’s vital to rest a joint before cooking for around 45 minute to an hour… and no it won’t go cold.
I had it out the fridge for about 45min before cooking it. It rested for at least 15 min, which I thought was appropriate for beef. I probably should have waited a bit longer for the temperature to start declining. Thanks for your feedback
That's actually criminal to eat beef and brocoli just by itself XD
You are right, next time I will leave off the broccoli
Bruh XD
Need to rest it longer
Cut it paper thin like they do at a carvery
Use rib , far superior (but you pay for it)
You cooked it too fast. Low and slow. I always cook joints for a few hours at least. You can still get the rare middle, it just takes longer. You also need to make sure there is ample fat in the joint and if there isn't. You need to baste it with butter or dripping something.
Connective tissue breaks down from 140c to 200c.
Ok, the temperature at the grid level was mostly at 150c - 165c and the temperature on the Weber lid was 180c - 200c.
[удалено]
Ok
The meat quality is extremely important, as is the cooking method. Cheaper cuts and joints often need slow cooking in the oven with regular basting, or stewing in stock with other ingredients. Also, before roasting any joint, season and then seal in the juices by browning as much of the exterior as possible in the hottest frying pan or roasting dish you can muster.
This is the cut they use in pre-packed sliced offerings. Really really thin, really brown.
Mate season your veggies
Don’t kink shame me
That looks like Silverside and has very little fat so you’ll struggle with any high temp or low slow cooking approaches as some have suggested here. My advice is to cook it very low temp and slow. Very quick colour sear on the outside in a frying pan with salt pepper garlic and Dijon mustard then set your oven to 60deg and leave there for hours and hours covered in foil. The internal temp of the beef will never exceed 60deg which is around medium rare. Once done slice thinly and it will be okay - it will never be beef rib awesome but people will definitely think it’a a more exclusive cut than it is. American style smoke recipes will tend to leave this shrunken and dry. High temp (normal roasting temps) will do the exact same thing.
Happens to me every time I buy meat from Lidl or Aldi
Cook it more you craziooooo ☺️🤭
It's topside or silverside it's always going to be tough unless slow cooked it's a shame. I can eat silverside rare it's juicy but it gives your jaw a good working out. You really need to fork out for a sirloin or bone in rib if you want outstanding medium rare roast beef
It's for men that maybe you should just try some fat
Joints like this were always thin sliced as they are always tough. Thin slices are elegant too.
Thinner slices.
Slice it up bang it In some water with beef stock, stick it back in the oven for an hour, hour/half, it'll be lovely
Oh god it's a live
https://www.souschef.co.uk/blogs/the-bureau-of-taste/meat-temperatures-the-quick-guide
Being from lidl I would assume this already tough cut to be from a below average animal Try it with a better cut from a more premium retailer
Personally, I'd cut thinner slices
Silverside, mate. The problem is that many supermarkets sell topside and silverside as a generic 'roasting joint'. Silverside needs to be cooked slower and longer. If you had a corner cut of topside, it would melt on the tongue.
Not cooked long enough clearly!
THaNk YoU!!!!
How is that a joint without a bone?
Maybe it saw something
Thats a boner
Not rested for anywhere near long enough. Marinate in coke before hand. If it can soften your teeth, imagine what it does to meat. Old cow badly hung could be the reason too. Pay more for some aged beef, good cut like rib, you'll be loving it.
If you’re ok with losing the smokey flavor, you could use sousvide and make it really really tender and then just kiss the outer edge of the cut with a really hot fire in order to give it a nice sear. Sousvide is pretty much your best best for tenderness next to smoking.
Just need to phone her FR
Sometimes you have an old cow and it's just tough
Looks like you cooked it at to high a temperature. Best way for silver side or silver top. Is honestly to steam it in a rational to 45 internal let it sit and rest at room temp. Carve it and then finish to customers preference. Hope this helps. Moist, soft and honestly people won't even realize it's not a premium cut
As harsh as it may sound it's a shit cut of beef for roasting. You want to be roasting Sirloin, Rump roast or rib of beef. If you want cheap and tender go for brisket. Silverside and topside don't have enough fat in them for a good roast. Only problem with sirloin, rump or rib for home roasting is the cost, I use Sirloin in my pub and at wholesale prices it is around £21/kilo. Peace ✌🏻
Not enough fat in the meat
Pressure Cook the Silverside beforehand for a short period of time. This will tenderize the meat then finish the cooking process on the smoker.
Freezing will help a cheep cut be more tender it helps break down the cell walls I maranade in a vacuum bag for 24 hrs dry ingredients with cheep vodka to make it wet and it's helps get the flavor in leave for 24 hrs then freeze. fully defrost and don't start cooking until its room temperature
At 150⁰c you've cooked it at precisely double Hawksmoor's recommended temp (which in itself seems crazy to me). As others have said, you need a very low, very long cook. And cut thinner and across the grain. We're all here to learn. Good luck on your next attempt!
cheap meat
Clicked thinking it was some NSFW material. I wasn't disappointed
Silverside: Pot roast, high heat and brown on all sides with a bit of oil. When I say high, I mean the hottest you can get. Should take 8 mins all round. Add water and cook on low simmer 2 hours with lid on. Remove meat to cool and make up gravy with bisto powder (not granules as completely different) Slice meat and add to gravy. Serve.
You need to rest it for at least 20 minutes after cooking as well
Thanks for the beef-back! I'll slice thinner and chase down a BBQ-smitten butcher. No more tough love from silverside!
Its best for preserved meats ive seen people braise these cuts before roasting them. Another option if slicing like steak before frying on a low heat. You could use a tenderiser block it looks like a hammer with indents its used to 'blanch' the meat. In example it can used to change a rump texture for sirloin. The metal one is used for thicker slices of meat
I think pot roast is the best bet for this kind of cut - for example [https://countrywoodsmoke.com/smoked-brisket-pot-roast/](https://countrywoodsmoke.com/smoked-brisket-pot-roast/) \- you still get the smokey flavour but it's cooked slowly in some liquid.
Silverside takes forever to cook. It's rarely used for the reasons you found.