Now I’ve made my far share of roasts in the oven and the slow cooker, and they come out great, but I’m a guy who loves grilled food, so I wondered can you grill a rump roast?
Well, the answer is yes. Rump roasts are mainly slow cooked in the oven until they are tender, but you can also cook them on your gas or charcoal grill. A rump roast is a rather tough, lean cut of beef which will easily dry out, so the key to grilling it is to cook it low and slow. Marinating it will also help to keep it from drying out.
In order to grill a rump roast that will turn out moist and flavorful, we are going to want marinate it for quite awhile, and also grill it indirect. Another option is if you have a rotisserie attachment for your grill you could use that. Grilling is such a great option for this roast, since a grill will give it that nice char and smoky flavor, that a typical, boring oven baked roast won’t have.
Where is a Rump Roast Cut From
So, where does a rump roast come from? Well, it is a cut of beef. There are eight initial cuts that are made when butchering a cow, which are called primal cuts. The rump roast is cut from the “Round” primal cut, which is the hindquarters or the upper leg of the cow.
As you can imagine, the hindquarters of the cut gets a lot of exercise. A cut of meat that gets a lot of exercise will contain a lot of connective tissue and be tougher. That is why it is recommended that you marinate a rump roast. With all that exercise, it is a lean cut of meat.
For the most part a rump roast will not contain a bone, if it does have a bone it is referred to as a standing rump roast, which you do not see too often. Sometimes at the supermarket you will see the rump roast called a bottom round roast or bottom round oven roast. The rump roast can also be used as a pot roast, but we are interested in grilling today.
What Kind of Seasoning to Use
What kind of seasoning should we use, if any? Since a rump roast is a tough cut of beef it is recommended that we marinate it to help keep it moist, but we can get away without marinating if we pull it off at around medium-rare. In addition to marinade we could also use seasonings.
So if we decide to season, what should we use? I’ve always been one to try to keep things simple and let the flavors of the meat shine through. With that said, just a bit of salt and pepper go a long way. Also if you are a garlic fan, take whole cloves of garlic and cut them in half. Slice little slits into the roast and put the cloves in the slits.
Otherwise if you want to try out a different type of seasoning, try out some of your favorites.
What Kind of Marinade to Use for Grilled Rump Roast
Marinating a rump roast is probably the way to go to ensure that it doesn’t dry out too quickly, and plus it will give it a great flavor. I’ve also seen people that brine the roasts before grilling, although that doesn’t seem to be as common. As far as type of marinade, they sky is the limit. It really comes down to personal tastes.
You can go ahead and get yourself a premade marinade, there are several different kinds. Some might work better than others with a beef roast. I’m thinking something like a garlic & herb marinade or maybe teriyaki. One of my go to marinades has always been a bottle of Italian dressing.
If you want to make your own go for it, there are a ton of different marinade recipes out there. If you don’t have one on hand, here is one to get you started:
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a gallon resealable storage bag and place the roast into the mixture. Seal the bag and turn so that the roast gets completely covered. Put in into the refrigerator overnight. You are going to want to turn the bag every so often so it continues to get coated well and soak up the marinade.
Once you are ready to grill the rump roast, you would just take it out of the marinade and discard it. This is just one, simple marinade that will give the roast a ton of flavor, there are so many others you can try. Even just marinating with some beer and onions and garlic will taste great.
How to Grill a Rump Roast
How do you go about grilling a rump roast? Well, as I mentioned above, since it is a tougher, lean cut of beef it is best to marinate it. The marinade will help to break down some of those tough connective tissues. Low and slow are the way to go when grilling it, and you will want to grill it indirect. Another option is to use a rotisserie if your grill has that option.
You may also be wondering if you can grill it on a gas grill or a charcoal grill. It doesn’t matter, you can use either one, what matter is your grilling temperatures. You will want to set up your gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling over medium heat. Which would be about 300F.
When the roast is done marinating and your grill is heated. Place the roast right over the heat. We want to sear it on all sides first. Place it over the heat for about a couple minutes until is is brown and crusty. Do this for all side, just watch for flare-ups. Some people like to smoke their rump roasts as well, so you can add a bit of smoke if you would like. Hickory and oak wood are some great choices.
Once it is seared move it indirect, away from the heat source, and continue to grill. It will need about 20 minutes per pound. Since this is a tough cut of meat I like to grill it until it is medium-rare, which would be about 135F. Once done, remove it from the grill and let is rest before you slice into it.
How Many People will it Feed
Typically when you find a rump roast at the butcher’s shop or your supermarket the roasts will be about 4 to 7 pounds each. How many people a roast this size will feed depends upon how you are preparing it. Of course if we were using if for stew, it would go a lot further, but since we are grilling it you can probably plan on that you will need 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person.
So, depending upon the size of the rump roast you get you should be able to feed 6 to 10 people, unless you are really hungry. Leftovers are always good too.
How to Serve a Rump Roast
When you take your roast off the grill, you will want to let is rest for a bit. As mentioned above about 30 minutes should do. You want to do this so that the juices redistribute throughout the roast. This will also help keep it from being tough.
The way you slice a rump roast is important to keep it as tender as possible. So, when you are ready to slice it, place it on the cutting board and put your carving fork in the middle of the roast. With your slicing knife, start cutting 1/4 inch pieces across the grain of the roast. Continue slicing up to the fork, then re-position the fork to the back of the roast and continue to slice until you are done.
Slicing the rump roast thin and across the grain help to maximize the tenderness of the roast. Once you are done slicing serve it right away. It is such a delicious cut of beef when it is grilled right. It turns out tender and flavorful when you just follow some of these simple steps.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, a rump roast can be grilled, and doing so makes for a great meal. I always find that grilled meats are so much more flavorful than anything you can do in the oven. The grill just adds that charred, smokey flavor. Sure, most people will put their rump roast in a dutch oven, or braise it, but how about trying something different. Test out some different marinades and seasonings, and see how great a grilled rump roast can be.