Beef roast, rump is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 38 recipes to get you started.

What is beef roast, rump?

A rump roast is a lean, economical beef roast cut from the bottom round, the muscle at the back of the hind leg above the rump. It is one of the cheaper roasting cuts, and that low price comes with a catch.

The hind leg works hard, so the meat is firm and full of flavor but very lean, short on fat. With almost no marbling to keep it moist, a rump roast dries out fast and turns chewy if you overcook it even a little.

Cooked with care, though, it carves into clean, tender slices and stretches a long way for the money.

How to Cook It

A rump roast can go two ways, and the choice matters more than with a fatty cut.

Roast it dry only if you want it rare to medium-rare. Sear it hard, finish in a low oven, and pull it at 130°F (54°C); take it past medium and the lack of fat leaves it dry and tough.

The safer route for a lean rump is low and slow in liquid.

Braised as a pot roast or simmered for hours, the same firm meat goes meltingly tender. That is why rump is the classic cut for German Sauerbraten, where days in a sour marinade and a long braise turn it silky.

Cut into chunks, rump holds its shape through long cooking, making it solid stewing meat for a Beef Stew with Bouquet Garni or a rich Beouf Bourguignon.

Whichever way you cook it, slice it thin and across the grain. On a lean, fibrous cut like this, thin slicing against the grain is what separates tender from chewy.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Rump's lean, beefy flavor takes well to bold and acidic company: red wine, vinegar marinades, mustard, garlic, and plenty of onions. Acid does double duty here, both flavoring the meat and helping tenderize a firm cut.

The big mistake is treating a rump like a tender roast and cooking it to medium-well. Without fat to lubricate it, it dries out and goes stringy, which is exactly the reputation cheap roasts get from being cooked too long.

The second mistake is rushing a braise. A rump pot roast needs hours to soften; pulled early, it is firm and dry instead of tender.

Substitutes

For a lean dry roast, a beef eye of round roast or top round behaves almost identically: lean, firm, best served rare and sliced thin. Use them the same way.

For braising and pot roast, a beef chuck roast is actually more forgiving, since its extra collagen and fat make it harder to dry out, though it shreds rather than slicing into neat pieces.

For stew, almost any tough cut works; the rump's value is that it gives lean, sliceable meat where chuck gives richer, softer meat.

Buying and Storing

Look for a rump roast that is deep red and fine-grained, with whatever marbling you can find, since on this cut every bit of fat helps. A cap of fat on one side is worth keeping; it bastes the meat as it cooks.

Figure on about ½ pound (225 g) per person, a little more if you want leftovers for sandwiches.

Keep raw rump on the bottom shelf of the fridge and cook within three to five days, or wrap it tight and freeze for up to a year. Sliced thin, cooked rump makes excellent cold roast beef for sandwiches and keeps three to four days.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find beef roast, rump: Beef roast, rump is usually found in the meats section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Beef roast, rump is a member of the Beef Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

烤牛肉，臀

British (UK) term

Beef roast, rump

en français

rôti de boeuf, la croupe

en español

asado de carne de res, la grupa

How much does beef roast, rump weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 piece, cooked, excluding refuse (yield from 1 lb raw meat with refuse)	320 grams
3 ounce	85 grams
1 roast	1139 grams

Related

Beef Products

Recipes using beef roast, rump

There are 38 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 38 recipes