Culotte Roast

Culotte Roast © kvalifood.com

Culotte is one of the most popular cuts of beef for oven roasting. The fat cap is scored in a diamond pattern, the roast is cooked at a falling temperature, and sliced thinly across the grain. A simple pan gravy is made from the roasting tin.

Ingredients

Yields 3–4 servings

  • 1 culotte, approx. 750 g
  • salt, pepper

Gravy

  • 3–4 dl stock (or red wine)
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • optionally 1–2 tsp flour

Sides

  • halved baked potatoes
  • green beans

Directions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 435°F (225°C). Score the fat cap in a fine diamond pattern without cutting into the meat. If the fat is thin at the front, a little extra crinkle fat can be attached with skewers. Rub the roast with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Roasting

Place the culotte on a rack over the roasting tin. Put it in the middle of the oven at 435°F (225°C) for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 320°F (160°C) and roast for a further 15–20 minutes, until the core temperature reaches 133°F (56°C). Grill the fat cap for the last few minutes if it has not turned golden. Remove the roast and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Gravy

Deglaze the roasting tin with stock and optionally red wine. Strain the juices into a saucepan and add the bouquet garni. Simmer over low heat for 5–10 minutes and skim off the fat. Thicken if needed with flour stirred into a little cold stock, added while whisking. Cook for 5 minutes.

Serving and carving

Slice the culotte thinly across the grain from the wide end. The grain changes direction in the culotte — adjust your angle as you go. Serve with baked potatoes and green beans.

Notes

  • Remove the roast at 131°F (55°C) — carryover cooking will raise the core temperature further during resting
  • The diamond scoring must go sharply through the fat but not into the meat
  • Slow roasting at 160°F (70°C) for 5 hours gives a different, very tender result
  • The grain in the culotte changes direction — cut thin slices and adjust the angle as you go