Beef cut: where it is, price, recipes
Top round / inside round
The big lean muscle on the inside of the thigh: the source of everyday steaks, thin escalopes and most carpaccio. With no fat to hide behind, it punishes overcooking.
- Pan-seared
- Roasted
- Raw
$8/ lb
- In French
- Tende de tranche
- US side
- Top round
- Where it sits
- Round. Poire, merlan, araignée: three grilling gems hidden in the round, rare because they are small.
- Tenderness
- 3/5
- Flavor
- 3/5
- Marbling
- 1/5
- Price
- $8 / lb ·
- Actual size
- ~30 cm
Compared with its neighbors
Compared with Pear cut, Top round / inside round is less tender (3/5 vs 5/5), milder (3/5 vs 4/5), leaner (1/5 vs 2/5) and costs $5 a pound less.
Compared with Merlan cut, Top round / inside round is less tender (3/5 vs 5/5) and costs $5 a pound less.
| Cut | Tenderness | Flavor | Marbling | Price | How to cook it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top round / inside round | 3/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | $8 / lb | Pan-seared, Roasted, Raw |
| Pear cut | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | $13 / lb | Pan-seared, Grilled |
| Merlan cut | 5/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | $13 / lb | Pan-seared, Grilled |
