The Best Cut Of Beef For Pot Roast, According To Julia Child

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As simple as it seems to make at first glance, there are plenty of mistakes that can ruin a pot roast before you know it. The humble Sunday dinner staple is only at its best when the beef has a melt-in-your-mouth texture that comes from being braised in flavorful liquid for an extended period. Proper cooking techniques help achieve that succulent result, but if you start by using the wrong cut of meat, forget it. There are a few cuts of beef that do a pot roast justice, but if you want the best, look no further than the gem Julia Child recommends in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" –- rump roast.

Child's rendition of pot roast features classic French cooking techniques and, to be honest, a lot of babysitting the dish. But even if you want to take the easy route and make it in a slow cooker, you can still come away with a knockout dinner. Most of the work is done for you once you select the right cut of beef as the star of the show.

Rump is a cut of beef from the hindquarter of the animal, which is actively worked. As a result of all that exercise, the rump features lean, compact muscle tissue. Just like brisket is a bad choice for the grill, a rump roast won't come out tender when cooked quickly with high heat. Yet, by braising it slowly, the tough muscle fibers break down, creating a tender, mouthwatering bite.

Rump may be the best cut of beef for pot roast, according to Julia Child, but it's certainly not your only option. In "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," Child lists alternatives that qualify as acceptable when rump can't be found. They all share one characteristic that makes them ideal for pot roast: they are tough cuts that benefit from a low-and-slow cook.

One cut that should be accessible in most grocery stores is chuck. Like under blade steak (a budget-friendly meat for pot roast), chuck is adjacent to the shoulder. Since the shoulder gets exercised about as much as the hindquarters, chuck also consists of tough muscle fibers that need to cook slowly in order to become tender. When rump isn't available for a pot roast, chuck is a fantastic option.

Other cuts Child recommended in lieu of rump are sirloin tip, top round, bottom round, and eye of round. Like rump, these all come from the back of the steer near the hip. Just guess what they all have in common. That's right, because they come from an area that does a lot of work, they are all lean, tough cuts that are perfect for a showstopping pot roast dinner. Still, if you want the best, follow the advice of a culinary legend like Julia Child and pick up a rump roast for a first-rate dish.