Getting 'round the Terms

• In the culinary world, the "round" of the beef is a polite way of saying "rump." The round, or rump, refers to the upper rear segment, a large area from which various cuts are taken. One of them is the part closest to the sirloin area, therefore known as the "tip" of the round. A "beef round tip" can refer to either the larger cut known as the beef round tip roast, or the smaller-size portions taken from it, known as beef round tip steaks.

Try the Tri-Tip

• One good candidate for replacing a round beef tip is a tri-tip roast, which comes from the sirloin part of the beef, near the rump. The roast is fairly flat, and can be cooked in one piece even on the grill, or cut into steaks first. In either case, leaving the fat on during cooking -- especially when grilling -- will keep it juicier. Buying the fattiest tri-tip roast you can find will also help keep this naturally lean cut from becoming too tough.

Rump in the Night

• Because they both come from the same basic section, a rump roast can sub for a round tip roast, depending on what you are cooking. Whether it comes bone-in or boneless, rump roast is tougher than the round tip. Use it to pinch-hit for round tip roast when you are cooking pot roast. The moist cooking methods associated with cooking a pot roast are a better choice for tougher cuts than dry oven-roasting is.

Steak Your Claim

• If you're looking for meat to substitute for just the steak portion of round beef tip, consider top sirloin steak, eye round steak or top blade steak. Of the three, top sirloin is probably the most versatile. The eye round steak is from the rump section, and may therefore be on the tough side. A blade steak is from the shoulder, or "chuck" section, but is not as tough as some other chuck cuts. With any of these substitutes, marinating overnight will help tenderize the meat for dry-heat cooking, while braising the steaks also promotes tender meat.