[Diesmillo Grueso]
This moderately priced roast offers an excellent combination of meat, fat and connective tissue. It's a bit tougher than the premium cuts but has better flavor. Roasted whole, this cut has enough fat and connective tissue to keep it moist, better in both flavor and texture than round roast, but I most often use it as stew meat.
The photo specimen was 8-1/2 x 4-1/4 x 2-3/4 inches and weighed 3-3/8 pounds. Because they are cut from a much larger wholesale chunk of shoulder, chuck roll roasts may vary some in shape, size and amount of fat.
More on Cuts of Beef.
Yes, the fat goes into the soup pot too, as much of the flavor in fat is water soluble. After simmering for 4 to 6 hours, strain the stock and defat it using your gravy separator.
Because I don't mind a steak that's a little chewy, and I do my steaks quite rare which keeps them tender, I sometimes cut one of these in half crosswise, then slice horizontally into steaks. A bit tougher than the premium cuts, but with better flavor.