What Is A Clod Roast, And Is It As Expensive As A Chuck Roast?

In an episode of the Destination America show "BBQ Pitmasters," the judges gave the contestants 10 hours to cook a 20-pound clod roast. As the pitmasters sweated and stressed, one judge harrowingly remarked, "The beef shoulder clod I think is an ultimate challenge because there are so many different muscles within it."

If you've never worked with it before (and chances are the average home cook probably hasn't), the clod roast comes from the beef chuck — a large cut from the primal of the steer. The two main sub-primal cuts of the beef chuck are the chuck roast and the clod roast. Chuck roast (aka pot roast or chuck roll) comes from the back shoulder, specifically the long section of meat between the ribs and backbone. Chuck roast is a large cut, clocking in at roughly 20 pounds and rippled with rich marbling. 

Clod roast (aka arm or shoulder roast) is a leaner cut than chuck roast, also weighing around 20 pounds. Clod roast is the part that forms the cattle's outer shoulder bulge, making it even more muscular and tough than the chuck roast. Chuck roast may already be a budget-friendly cut, but clod roast tends to be even less expensive due to the time-intensive cooking it requires and its leanness. At H-E-B, clod roast is priced aty $4.49 per pound, while chuck roast costs $6.21 per pound. That extra cooking time can be oh-so worth it to spare your grocery budget without compromising on hearty flavor.

Clod roast comprises five different muscle groups, two of which are so tough that they typically get used for stew meat or ground beef. These two accessory muscles are often referred to as the "clod lifter meat" and the "nose." The scapula is removed by the butcher to make the clod roast a boneless subprimal. If that sounds like a lot of firm tissue, that's because it is.

As our aforementioned "BBQ Pitmasters" judge remarks in the episode, "Beef shoulder clod is one of the cheapest cuts off a cow, short of the tail and the hooves. It's too much of a working muscle to have a lot of fat in it. You find a lot [of fat] in your premium briskets." This firm, chewy area may be packed with connective tissue, but clod roast has a deeply savory, rich, beefy flavor that can be transformed into something delicious with a little patience.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, clod roast performs best when cooked low and slow to soften those fibers. This cut is ideal for stewing, braising, crock pot cooking, or slow-roasted in another one-pot format. To help the meat soften as it cooks, trim off any excess fat and silver skin. Rubbing the surface of the clod roast with some tenderizing seasonings, hitting it with a pre-cook marinade, or cooking it in a liquid brine can also help this tough, affordable beauty achieve maximum tenderness.