Pikes Peak Roast Recipe

Because of the area in which it’s situated on the cow, pikes peak contains a lot of small muscles and connective tissues. 

This makes it the least tender of all cuts from the round. So you might be thinking… surely it’s not delicious then?

Quite the opposite!

When correctly prepared, seasoned, and cooked it’ll have an excellent flavor that will rival any other kind of meat!

Today we’re sharing how to make pikes peak roast at home so the next time you find yourself with a pikes peak cut of meat, you’ll know how to cook it to perfection!

How to make Pikes Peak Roast

The ‘Pikes Peak’ is a specific cut of meat that comes from the round of the cow (the behind), quite low down.

We’re essentially going to cook this as a pot roast, it takes quite a long time to finish with a cooking time of approximately 3 hours.

But this is what’s needed to get this cut of meat perfectly tender and flavorful.

Fortunately, once the prep work is done it’s all hands off so you’re free to go about your day while it cooks.

Once you have yourself a 3 lbs pikes peak you’re pretty much ready to go as all the seasonings are from pretty basic ingredients you may already have at home!

Ingredients:

(6 servings)

• 3 lbs of pikes peak roast (heel of round)
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 big carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of red wine (any you’d like, we used Merlot)
• 3 cups of water, divided
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

The cooking process, albeit quite long, is super simple. It just requires you to adequately season and then browns the meat on all sides using a dutch oven. If you don’t have one on hand you can also do this in a pan with very similar results.

After that, we’ll then cook it in the pot to heat up the interior of the meat.

Feel free to add extra seasonings, herbs, and spices at your leisure to make the flavor stronger or richer. This recipe is very much a blank canvas with just basic salt and pepper for you to build upon.

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Step 2: 

Take your cut of roast and wash it briefly with water, then pat it dry using a paper towel.

Step 3: 

Coat generously using salt and pepper, it’s important to coat every side and not just the top, make sure to flip it over and get the bottom too.

Step 4:

Now using a dutch oven, add the oil and heat it on medium-high. Then brown the roast on all sides. Ensure it’s very well browned too as we want that nice, textured outside.

Step 5:

Remove the roast from that pot and store it elsewhere for now. Then add the onions and carrots to that same pot (don’t wash it either, keep those oils/juices).

Step 6:

Cook them in the same dutch oven until they are well done and browned. Then add the garlic and cook it for just 1 more minute.

Step 7:

Next, we remove the pot from the dutch oven, add the red wine and stir everything around, ensuring to make sure we scoop off any veggies that have become stuck to the side.

Step 8:

Add additional salt and pepper to the pot along with 2 cups of water and the 2 chopped tomatoes.

Step 9:

Now place the roast back into the pot with the veggies and wine. Cover it with the pot’s lid and place it in the oven. Cook this for 3 hours which will make the roast very tender.

Step 10:

Once it’s finished cooking remove the pot from the oven, and then remove the roast from the pot.

Step 11:

Add one cup of water to the pot (that’s had the steak removed from it) and blend with a stick blender until everything is adequately pureed. Season it with a little more salt and pepper.

Step 12:

Cut the roast into ¾ inch slices and return them to the pot. Spoon a little of the beef stock gravy over the top of the slices too so they’re completely covered.

You’re done! It’s now ready to serve.

Ingredients substitutions

Pikes Peak isn’t the most common cut of meat in the world. So if you find yourself not being able to easily source one for a good price do not worry!

There are a number of other cuts and types of meat you can substitute it for which, when cooked the same way, are just as delicious and tender!

1. Beef Brisket

While often associated with barbeque recipes and smokers, beef brisket is a cut of meat from the chest/front of the cow that has enough fat and marbling to render down perfectly during the roast.

2. Cranberry juice

Not everyone’s a wine drinker and you may not want to buy red wine just for this recipe.

Luckily there are tons of other great non-alcoholic substitutes which will still help to break down and tenderize the meat in a similar way.

These include pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, lemon juice, and ginger ale.

So no matter what you’ve got lying around in your pantry you can still make a delicious roast!

What to serve with Pikes Peak Roast

This is already a very rich, fulfilling, and hearty meal all by itself.

But if you have friends and family over you might want to serve it with something else to bulk the meal up a bit.

Here are a few of our top suggestions for sides you can serve with your pot roast.

Mashed potatoes

With the pot roast covering the meat and veggies portion of the meal. It’s only right you have a nice delicious and buttery carbohydrate source to accompany it.

You don’t need to get fancy with mashed potatoes either, feel free to just microwave them for a few minutes and then mash them up!

Steamed broccoli

Ideal if you’re looking for a more healthy option, the steamed broccoli can be seasoned similarly to the pot roast to help that consistent flavor profile. A really nice and easy way to bulk up the volume of the meal in a simple and healthy way.

How to reheat Pikes Peak Roast

Pot roast is a fantastic meal to prepare in bulk and eat over the next few days. Thanks to its juicy qualities and rich sauce, it will reheat and retain all that flavor and its tender texture.

How to reheat Pikes Peak Roast in a pot

Add a little water to the pan and let it heat over a medium-high temperature. Once it’s bubbling, add all the juices from the pot roast, and then finally the roast slices. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

How to reheat Pikes Peak Roast in a microwave

Transfer the pot roast to a microwave-safe dish and heat using your microwave’s reheat setting for 30 seconds.

Check the temperature of the roast and if it’s still too cold, continue heating using 30-second bursts until you’re happy with it.

How to reheat Pikes Peak Roast in the oven

Preheat your oven to 340°F. Wrap the roast in foil, if you wish you can add a little more red wine to help re-tenderize it.

Place it in the oven and let it slowly reheat for about 30 minutes.

How to reheat Pikes Peak Roast in an air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F and transfer all the pot roast into the cooking basket.

Fry for about 3-4 minutes and it should be adequately warmed through.

How to store Pikes Peak Roast

Thanks to all the juices and how well we marinated it, you can store this roast in the fridge without worrying about it losing its texture too quickly.

Store in the fridge

Either place in an airtight container or wrap very tightly in aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator. Once stored it should keep for 3-4 days without issue.

Store in the freezer

Place the roast in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze. It will last for around 6 months.

In fact, you can still eat it for up to one year after, but by the 6 month mark, it will start to lose its taste and texture.