Cooking question: What beef cut am I looking for?

I eat mostly veg, so here goes: If I want a shredded texture for beef, what cut should I ask for?

more information: when you can take 2 forks and pull the beef apart pretty easily (after it's cooked) and it looks like small, straight ropes?

I think in pork, they call it "pulled pork" and for beef the term is "brisket"? I heard it takes 8 hours to cook??

Hmmm, not sure of the cut, but it sounds like something you'd do in the slowcooker. Brisket I think is slow cooked.

Whenever I'm doing something like that I just buy the cheapest boneless cut I can find and put it in the slowcooker all day on low (or half a day on high). When it easily comes apart with the forks it's done.

You could use a roast for that, you just have to cook it long enough that it falls apart. I would use a slow cooker for that. It takes about 6 or 7 hours on low for two small pork roasts. I regularly cook chicken and pork in my slow cooker until it falls apart. I use plenty of broth in there, too. I like the Kitchen Basics broths because they contain no chemicals. When I am done cooking the roast and there is broth left over, I freeze it so I can use it as a soup base later.

Look for something labeled pot roast, chuck or shoulder roast

A chuck roast or English roast, but yea it will take 6-8 hours to cook.

Agreed. Definitely any of the cheaper cuts, and then long slow cooking.

A brisket is a type of cut, you can shred that.

to me, brisket does better sliced. I would go with a pot roast type of cut like a chuck... cook it long enough and it will pull apart with a fork.

Any of the above would work great. I prefer brisket, because I love it's flavor the best. With any of these cuts, a low and slow braise is going to be best. Some stores actually label meat as 'braising' meat on the package. Slow cookers are nice for these tougher roasts. 8 hours of so on low in a slow cooker would be excellent. Do you have a recipe already?

I agree, brisket is better for slicing that shredding. Roasts tend to be better for that and usually a little cheaper than brisket cuts are.

We've put a small roast in the slow cooker and cooked it all day - when you cut it most of the time is almost just shredded itself it was so tender.

You would however want to stay away from eye of round, or round roast. They will turn out really dry and have no flavor at all. Any cheaper cut of meat that you would use for pot roast would work fine do however try not to have to much surface fat marbleing is fine but surface fat would make the meat to greasy.

Good luck with your recipe.

You shouldn't have to use a fork either. Let the meat cool so its not hot to the touch and shred with your fingers!

Originally Posted by whiteforest

A chuck roast or English roast, but yea it will take 6-8 hours to cook.

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hi all: so i discovered bhg.com has a shredded beef instruction page - it favors chuck pot roast and makes 6 cups of all-purpose shredded beef. it seems simple so i thought i'd share it with you http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/shred...master-recipe/

Originally Posted by AddieBee

to me, brisket does better sliced. I would go with a pot roast type of cut like a chuck... cook it long enough and it will pull apart with a fork.

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thanks. that's what i'll do. i also remember years ago ordering brisket at 2 separate restaurants and 1 came to me shredded, the other was sliced (and I thought "huh?" and was disappointed and confused) ... interestingly, bhg.com has brisket listed as an alternative - one page says to cook it in beer and bbq sauce for bbq beef sandwiches http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/tangy-barbecue-beef/ which isn't exactly my cup of tea - but it's helpful to see it mentioned

Originally Posted by esrgirl

Some stores actually label meat as 'braising' meat on the package. Slow cookers are nice for these tougher roasts.

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thanks for the tip esrgirl, and thanks to everyone