The Cut Of Meat Boar's Head Uses For Its Roast Beef

Walk into several American grocery chains, and you'll often spot Boar's Head deli products for sale. The brand offers cured meat sourced from a wide array of proteins and cuts, including several types of roast beef. This meaty favorite is sold in versions like a Seasoned Filet, a London Broil Top Round, as well as a low-sodium option. The beef is sold both rare and well-done, with several styles of labels covering the offerings. Yet despite the many options, Boar's Head predominantly employs one cut for its roast beef: top round.

This cut stems from the round primal, a lean region of beef surrounding the hind legs. Opposed to the underappreciated bottom round cut, which comes from the leg's exterior, top round is sourced from the cow's inner thigh. A few of Boar's Head roast beef offerings are specifically cap off top round. This term signifies that the cut's surrounding smaller muscles are removed, producing a lean cut of beef. Low in fat, but relatively uniform in composition, top round is among the most affordable cuts of beef.

A common choice for roast beef, it's no surprise such a cut is employed by Boar's Head. The meat's composition equates to consistency, with subtle tweaks in seasoning and preparation yielding the roast beef varieties. So, as a standard type of meat from a deli giant, you can expect a classic experience with Boar's Head roast beef.

For its top-round products, Boar's Head uses USDA Choice-graded beef, a second tier of meat just below prime. Largely, the quality difference between the two grades comes down to the marbling composition, which plays a lesser role with the naturally lean round. A properly executed slow-roast technique is what produces tender roast beef.

Boar's Head sells the cut with several flavored options. The seasoned filet goes heavy on black pepper and garlic for flavor, while the London Broil (a widely used alternate name for cap off top round) relies on an undisclosed blend of savory spices, as well as onion and garlic. The brand also sells a Londonport option — not specified to be cap off — which comes marinated in port wine and mustard. And for a milder roast beef option, there's also a low-sodium cut, flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper. Generally, the meat is prepared to a medium rare, unless noted otherwise. So when paired with the best roast beef sandwich bread, it'll make a nice hoagie.