How to Make Bottom Round Roast Melt in Your Mouth

Home cooks have long grappled with turning tough, affordable cuts of meat into delicious, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meals. The French devised a solution long ago: braising. This slow, moist-heat cooking technique can transform a bottom round roast into something beyond merely palatable. As long as you use a heavy-bottom casserole dish that distributes heat evenly and a low oven temperature, there's almost no risk of burning the meal. All you need is a few hours -- mostly hands-off time -- to let the tough connective tissue of the roast break down and the muscle fibers absorb the flavorful braising liquid.

Things You'll Need

Paper towels
Salt and pepper
Casserole dish with lid, heavy-gauge
Cooking oil
Knife
Aromatics

Red wine or stock
Spatula or cooking spoon
Vegetables and strainer (optional)
Herbs and spices
Instant-read meat thermometer
Skillet (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes.
Dry all of the surface area of the bottom round roast, using paper towels. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy-bottomed casserole dish that has a tight-fitting lid -- but don't put it on yet -- over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add just enough cooking oil to coat the bottom. Swirl the oil to cover the bottom of the dish.
Place the bottom round roast into the casserole dish and sear one side until it begins to brown. Turn the roast and sear all the sides for similar coloration. Remove it from the vessel and reserve it nearby.
Saute coarsely chopped aromatics in the casserole dish. Mirepoix -- a combination of celery, carrots and onion -- is often used. Garlic, shallots, leeks or scallions also work well.
Pour a few cups of red wine or stock into the casserole dish. Use enough to ensure that the bottom round roast, when returned to the vessel, will be approximately one-third to one-half submerged, but no more.
Deglaze the casserole dish by scraping all the bits cooked onto its bottom and sides, using a spatula or cooking spoon. These caramelized remnants are packed with flavor.
Put the bottom round roast back into the casserole dish. Add vegetables such as diced potatoes or string beans for additional flavor, if desired. Add in any complementary herbs and spices, if desired. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Put the lid securely onto the casserole dish and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook the bottom round roast for about 2 hours, turning it over once halfway through the cooking process. Cook it until it's fork-tender. Verify the internal temperature has reached at least 145 F at the center, using an instant-read meat thermometer.
Strain any vegetables or herbs, as necessary. Pour the wine or stock into a large skillet if you want to reduce it further for use as a sauce. Simmer it over medium-low heat, adding unsalted butter for richness. You can also thicken it with a slurry made from mixing equal parts all-purpose flour and water.

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