Rump Roast - Do the Rumpty Rump

One of the many great outcomes of the Year of Meat is the number of roasts I get to make.  Earlier this week, I had actually chosen a different cut to make.  But then I was looking at the remaining cuts, and I realized that I still had 7 beef roasts alone still to go, not even including the pork, veal and lamb ones.  And with winter (finally) coming to a close, "roast season" is nearing an end, only to return again late next fall.  When the weather is nice, I plan to be outside grilling and smoking as much as possible.  Sure, I can roast outside, but I can't grill or smoke inside.  So, there is a bit of a natural sequencing that should occur with my 40 some odd remaining cuts.  And that order commences with getting some roasts done while the weather is still wintry.

So, let's talk Rump Roast.  Like many other cuts in this Year of Meat, I have never bought a Rump Roast.  I have never cooked a Rump Roast.  In fact, I don't think I've ever ordered Rump Roast in a restaurant.  I would assume that I had it at some point when I was young and my Mom would simply generically tell me that we were having "a roast".  First, let's be clear, Rump Roast is not an expensive cut of meat.  And there is a reason for that.  That said, if you prepare a Rump Roast correctly (which thanks to Emeril (click here), I did), and have a quality cut from Paulina (which I did), it can be a delicious meal.

My wife is a big Emeril fan and she had previously put together his "Essence" seasoning from scratch.  So we used that along with some salt and pepper and put a rub on the roast.  In a dutch oven, with hot olive oil, I seared all sides of the roast to build a bit of a seal for the flavor (about 4 minutes per side).  Into the oven set at convection roast at 275 degrees, it cooked for about 1:45 until the internal temperature got to about 130 degrees.  On the side, I made the simple rice in Emeril's recipe, and served with a side salad.  This was basic "meat and potatoes" but we used rice instead of potatoes.  But it was inexpensive, sizable and delicious.  Nothing overly fancy in terms of flavor profile, just a simply delicious straightforward meal.  A solid thumbs up from me.

17 down, 42 to go!