Roundhouse

I have had some requests for photos of me working. These are from a few months ago when I cut down my first Round (leg) of beef. The Round usually weighs between 80-115 lbs and often requires holding up a good 30 lbs of meat with one hand while cutting with the other, making this one of the most physically demanding cuts to work with.

The Round is where you get Top Round (also known as London Broil or Roast beef), Bottom Round, Eye Round, Sirloin Tip (also known as Beef Knuckle) and a couple of Round roasts. Supporting the frame of a 1200 pound steer is hard work, and as a result these leg muscles have more connective tissue between them and are tougher cuts of meat. Most of the cuts in the Round are delicious as stews and roasts. As the weather warms and those cuts are less in demand, they are usually used for ground meat. The Top Round, Eye Round and Sirloin however, remain marketable cuts year-round. The leg also gives some really nice stock/marrow/dog bones...mmm.

More photos to come soon!

photos by Alison Picard 2009