Oven roasted Rump

Oven roasted Rump is the preferred way of making this cut — it's easy and the result is outstanding. Rump is not the natural cut I would make a roast beef with. Sirloin would be my first choice, but in terms of value for money, Rump is the big winner — it's half the price of Sirloin and the taste is just as good. Rump comes from the lower back of the cow. It's a relatively big steak, about 3–4 kilos, and divided into 2 parts. Close to the tail there's a pointed part also called the rump cover — Brazilians call it Picanha, and this part has a large fat cover on top. It's great on the grill and for long, low-temperature barbecue. The bigger, round part is great for oven roasting, minute steak, Viennese steak, and Carpaccio. The most important thing about every steak is that it needs to be well aged at the butcher's shop (between a week and 3 weeks). Without that, you'll end up with a chewy steak that's not easy to eat. Despite the butcher's confirmation that the cut was well aged, I take it for a final test in my fridge, keeping it on a rack for 2–3 more days. If the cut has drained a serious amount of blood, it means the aging isn't what it should be — I recommend keeping it until it stops dripping blood, but no longer than a week. Regular non-commercial refrigerators are usually set to 4°C/40°F, so we can't age meat at the ideal temperature of about 2°C/35.5°F, which keeps the meat from rotting while still breaking down the muscles and draining the blood. Another important note for an oven roasted Rump steak: let it rest at least 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven. That way, when you cut it, the juices aren't all drained out and you end up with a much more tender and flavorful steak. As for cooking time — that's up to you, everybody likes their steak a bit different. Keep in mind that the rump cut isn't an even, round piece, so the sharp edges will be well done while the middle will be medium to medium-rare depending on your cooking time. That means everybody gets their favorite.

Some guidelines for oven roasted Rump

In general, cooking time is about 15 minutes of oven roasting per 1lb/450g of meat. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer and checking the inner temperature after 40 minutes to avoid a well-done steak (unless that's your thing). Here are the inner temperatures to hit your perfect roast. Rare: 120°F/49°C Medium: 135°F/57°C Well done: 155°F/68°C Oven roasted Rump is not a forgiving method because of its low fat percentage, so it's important to be accurate. Overcook it and you risk a chewy steak with very little juice.