Ball Tip Roast (small) Sous Vide

Ball Tip Roast is rich in connective tissue. Connective tissue is primarily constructed of collagen, which is difficult to chew. The good news is, collagen can be broken down via the long term application of heat. Even better, collagen breaks down into gelatin, which is unctuous and delicious. Traditionally, cooking techniques like braising and stewing are used to make tough cuts of beef, like ball tip roast amazingly tender and yummy. We have had little choice in the 'doneness' of ball tip roast, as braising and stewing require high temperature cooking over a long period of time. With the availability of sous vide, we can take advantage of persistent, accurate low temperature cooking to achieve unique results. Since we know that collagen starts to break down in the 130F range, we can utilize sous vide over a longer period of time to break down collagen while keeping ball tip roast medium-medium rare. This technique can make inexpensive cuts like ball tip roast similar to premium cuts of beef. This cut can generally be cooked at temperatures in the medium-rare - medium range for many hours and up to three days. It is not advised that you go below 130ºF with this type of cut. We went for 141ºF with this roast to achieve a melt in your mouth texture. Salt roast well, wrap and refrigerate overnight. If desired use butchers twine to tie up roast into uniform shape. Season with favorite seasoning (we used Kirkland Organic No-salt Seasoning from Costco, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper), drizzle with olive oil and seal in Sous Vide cooking bag with 2 tablespoons butter. Cook at 141 degrees F for 3 hours. Remove roast from Sous Vide bath and bag. Sear roast at very high temperature on all sides on a cast iron skillet, griddle or in a frying pan. Let rest 10 minutes, slice to your thickness preference and enjoy!