Cuts · Roast
Top Round Roast
Lean pot-roast cut. Great for slow-cooker shredded beef sandwiches.
$35.00 each
avg 3–4.5 lb
About this cut
Top round comes from the round primal — the upper rear leg of the steer — and it's the section that does the most walking work on the animal. That gives it a pronounced grain, very little intramuscular fat, and a beefy, almost mineral flavor. Top round is the cut that built American deli roast beef, the slow-cooker shredded-beef sandwich, and the Italian "girello" tradition of olive-oil-poached cold roast.
Why Piedmontese matters here
Lean cuts from commodity breeds famously dry out: top round is the cut grocery-store recipe cards politely call "challenging." Piedmontese top round side-steps that problem because the muscle fiber is finer and holds onto moisture through a longer cooking window. Slice it thin against the grain and you get the roast-beef-sandwich texture you remember from a real deli — not the rubbery slabs the supermarket calls roast beef.
How to cook it
Recommended method (medium-rare roast)
Sear all sides, then roast at 325°F until internal hits 130°F (about 60–75 min for a 3 lb roast). Rest 15 minutes. Slice paper-thin against the grain.
Alternate method (slow-cooker shredded beef)
Sear, then 8 hours on low in stock + onion + garlic. Pull and shred at 200°F+ internal. Reserve the broth for sandwich dipping.
Internal temp targets
- Sliced roast: 130°F (medium-rare, recommended)
- Shredded: 200°F+ (collagen has converted)
- Avoid the middle ground: 140–180°F is where top round gets tough
Want this in your freezer?
Subscribe and we'll let you know the day top round hits the catalog.