Slow Goes It

Slow-low roasting maximizes the taste of a whole beef tenderloin and prime rib roast, but the great secret and value of such a method is that it will tenderize and bring out the beefiest flavors of the less-expensive shoulder, round and rump roast cuts (see "How to Shop for a Slow-Low Roast").

However, not every inexpensive cut of meat or roast found in your grocer's meat case will benefit from this approach. A knowledgeable, customer-friendly butcher can guide you through.

"Buy the right roast, and the roast will do the rest," says Sam Haddad, who heads the meat department at the Giant Food at Cabin John Mall in Potomac. "We sell a lot of what people call pot roasts, but what is best for your Crock-Pot or slow cooker is different than the cut of meat you want to roast in your oven."

Asked which less-expensive cut would work best for the slow-low method of roasting, Haddad reached for a boneless shoulder roast, which is available mainly at Giant stores, and offered to trim it up (and roll and tie it for a better-shaped roast).

Chefs Richard and Swenson and Central chef Cedric Maupillier agree with the choice. Maupillier says that "because the shoulder is richer, with more fat, it needs to be cooked a little longer. Around 138 to 140 degrees is perfect for a medium-rare to medium shoulder roast."

Although the slow-low method takes about 2 1/2 hours per pound at 170 degrees, it won't cost you extra time. A three- to four-pound roast can be placed in the oven to cook overnight. The temperature is so low that nothing will burn, and by the morning, the roast will be done. Let the meat rest on the counter, tented with aluminum foil, while you get ready for work. Wrap the roast and any vegetables tightly, and refrigerate. When you get home from work, make the gravy from the roasted vegetables while the meat is reheating.

Here are tips to keep in mind when slow-low roasting:

- To develop a caramelized crust, sear the roast, either in a dry pan or with a small amount of canola or peanut oil (not olive oil, which may hinder further browning in a low-temperature oven).

- Place the roast fat side up in the pan so it self-bastes.

- Because low-temperature roasting creates virtually no carry-over cooking effect, roast the meat to the desired internal temperature. (In high-heat roasting, the temperature of the meat continues to rise for several minutes after it is removed from the oven.)

- Tent the resting roast with foil and allow 10 to 15 minutes before carving, so the meat's juices will return to the center; slice the meat against the grain.

- Before reheating the meat, slice it thinly. Reheat at the same temperature at which the roast was cooked.

Like any roast, the slow-low variety also provides the makings for other dishes. Chef Ris Lacoste, another big fan of this technique, came up with a terrific two-day recipe for Slow-Cooked Roast Beef Hash With Pickled Peppers and Beer Sauce (available on Recipe Finder at http://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes).

"A roast is the consummate comfort food for supper," Lacoste says. "What could be a better way of making people feel that someone in the kitchen has been thinking and caring about you?"

Steven L. Katz is an author and food writer based in Potomac.