How to Cook a Chuck Cross Rib Steak

Co-authored by Sasha Reyes and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 18, 2022 References

It's easy to confuse a cross rib steak with other popular steaks but there's a big difference. The chuck is a primal cut, which just means it's the large area of the beef that the steak comes from. Since it's from the chuck, the cross rib steak is actually quite tough so you can't treat it like a ribeye or T-bone steak. Instead, cook the boneless chuck cross rib steak in the oven until it becomes meltingly tender—you'll see why it's such a popular inexpensive cut!

1

Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C).

Lower your oven racks so you can fit a Dutch oven in it. It's a good idea to do this before your oven gets hot so you're not handling hot oven racks.^{[1]
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- If your oven is small, you may have to remove one of the racks so you can fit the pot in.
- Want to make your chuck cross rib steak in the slow cooker? Once you season and sear the meat, just place it in your slow cooker and turn it to "Low." It usually takes around 6 to 8 hours for the meat to become tender.

2

Heat 3 US tbsp (44 ml) of oil in a Dutch oven.

Pour the vegetable oil into the pot and turn the burner to medium-high. The oil will start to shimmer once it's nice and hot. If you don't have vegetable oil, it's totally fine to use canola or sunflower oil.^{[2]
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- Don't skip the steps of starting your chuck cross rib steak on the stove. Searing it in the pot before you roast the meat gives it incredible flavor and a crispy exterior. And the best is that it only takes a few extra minutes!

3

Cook the meat for 5 minutes on each side.

Lay a 3 to 4 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg) chuck cross rib steak in the hot pot. You'll hear it sizzle as it sears. Go ahead and cook the meat for 5 minutes so it becomes a rich, brown color. Then, use tongs to carefully flip the meat over and cook it for another 5 minutes.^{[3]
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- You can use a piece of chuck that's up to 5 pounds (2.3 kg), but you may need to add extra cooking time.^{[4]
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- There's no need to move the meat while it sears. All you're doing is creating a flavorful crust that will season the meat while it roasts in the oven.

4

Season the beef with an onion soup packet, broth, and butter.

Sprinkle 1 onion soup packet over the meat. Then, pour 2 c (470 ml) of beef broth in the pot. Cut 4 tablespoons (56 g) of butter into small pieces and place them on the meat. The spice packet, broth, and butter give a lot of flavor to the beef and keep it tender while it's cooking.^{[5]
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- If you don't want to use broth, substitute ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of dry red wine and 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (350 ml) of water. Then, add 2 beef bouillon cubes to the pot.^{[6]
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- Don't have dry onion soup mix? No worries—just mix together 2 tablespoons (17 g) of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons (2 g) of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) of dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon (17 g) of salt, and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of pepper.^{[7]
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5

Bring the broth to a simmer.

Keep the lid off of the pot so you can see when the broth starts to boil. Since you're not cooking the chuck cross rib steak completely on the stove, you just want to get the broth hot before you put the meat in the oven.^{[8]
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6

Cover the pot and put it in the oven.

Turn off the burner and place the lid on the Dutch oven. Slip on oven mitts and put the pot into your preheated oven.^{[9]
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7

Roast the meat for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Cook the chuck cross rib steak until it's just starting to become tender. If you stick a fork into the meat, you should get some resistance. This is how you know it's time to add vegetables to the pot.^{[10]
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- Don't want to roast veggies with your beef? No problem—just cook the meat for around 3 1/2 hours total.

8

Add chopped potatoes and carrots to the pot.

Cut 1 lb (450 g) each of carrots and potatoes. Chop them into 2 in (5.1 cm) pieces so they cook evenly and arrange them around the beef in your Dutch oven.^{[11]
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- You can use Yukon gold potatoes for rich, creamy flavor, or go with red-skinned potatoes if you prefer a subtle sweet flavor.
- Feel free to use whatever vegetables you like! Add chopped celery or onions, for instance.

9

Cover the pot and cook for it 1 1/2 to 2 more hours.

Pop the pot back in the oven and cook the meat until it's completely tender. To test, insert a fork to see if the meat pulls away easily. Then, stick the fork into a vegetable to see if it's as soft as you like.^{[12]
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- Remove the chuck cross rib steak as soon as it's meltingly tender. If you leave it in longer, it will continue to cook and can dry out.

10

Transfer the meat and veggies to a serving platter.

Use tongs and a slotted spoon to move the meat to a platter. Then, use a knife and serving fork to slice the beef into thin pieces. Spoon the roasted vegetables on the side of the platter and serve it all with sauce from the Dutch oven.^{[13]
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- If you've got leftover roast, put it into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Community Q&A

Question

Is cross rib steak tough?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Because the cross rib steak comes from the shoulder of the cow, which is constantly used, it's considered a tougher cut of meat. However, if you cook it properly, you can have a tender, juicy steak. The trick is to sear both sides of the steak really well in a Dutch oven for about 5 minutes apiece. Then, add broth and seasoning to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Remove the pot from heat, cover it, and put in the oven to roast for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325 °F (163 °C).
Question

Is cross rib roast the same as prime rib?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

No, they're actually from entirely different parts of the cow! The name "cross rib roast" is actually a bit of a misnomer. The cross-rib is actually from the shoulder of the cow, which is constantly used by the animal, so it's a much tougher and leaner cut of meat. Prime rib is cut from the "best" section of the rib and is super tender, which is why it's also usually much more expensive. However, just because a cross rib roast is tougher, doesn't mean it can't be delicious. It's a great cut for a pot roast or a stew.
Question

Is cross rib roast good for stew?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Yes! It's actually a great cut of meat for stew. Because cross rib steaks come from the shoulder of the cow, they're much tougher than more expensive cuts like ribeye and prime rib. However, you can cook them in a stew to make it tender and delicious. Cut up the steak into smaller chunks and sear the chunks to add some color and char to them. Then, add them to your stew and let them cook for at least an hour so the muscle fibers break down and become much more tender.