My slow cooked beef is tough as old boots - what am i doing wrong?

[nikki1978]

I am using cubes of stewing steak and cooking for 8 hours on low in stock etc but the meat is horrible and tough when it comes out. I am going to make one tonight and want to make sure it is edible so if anyone can let me know where I am going wrong I would appreciate it! I have some casserole steaks to use today which I was going to cut up and slow cook in stock and ale.

Might be the cut of meat?

Sometimes very lean meat can be a bit tough I find.

(Logical if you think about it, all hard muscle, whereas a bit of fat running through it makes it wobbly and soft....like me really )

Cook it on "High" for at least three hours and then turn it down for another 4+ hours. Sounds like you've got the rest of the beef that I bought in the winter (beef = old donkey). I thought it would never cook. Also you could try marinading it in a bit of red wine overnight. That should wake it up a bit.

I don't have all that much experience cooking beef but the cut shouldn't matter (within reason) AFAIK -- Stew beef tends to be not a great cut.

The trick in all the recipes I have ever used (for beef Burgundy and other beef stews or gulasches) is to brown the meat on the stovetop first. It should really get brown even a bit black in places is OK. If the pieces are big it doesn't matter whether they cook through. The long stewing will ensure that it is thoroughly cooked, but if you don't brown the outside adequately it will be like shoe leather. The one time I didn't do this right it was not good to eat at all and otherwise all my beef stews are delicious!

I don't use a slow cooker but assume that the same problem would arise. . . HTH.

Thanks. I ran out of time to use the slow cooker so am going to do it in the oven. Yes it does make sense to brown it first - I wasn't doing that so I guess it wasn't holding it's juices in.

Fingers crossed!

I disagree - slow beef expert & breeder. Using a cut that is too good, say hardly contains any fat or gain will be horrible. It will be dry and have a horrid texture and taste. The proper slow beef needs to be brisket/LMC/shin etc. If it was cubed from say the tougher side of the silverside then it needs a much quicker cook.

I dont always brown my meat as its only for asthetics and makes no difference to taste. Sometimes it can come out looking pinkish if not browned. If cooked in a dark liquid then I find not browning it perfectly fine. Nothing to do with 'sealing it' as this is incorrect.

I use my own beef and also have found that using the cubed beef isnt suitable for slow long cooking. I would rec buying a joint (as listed above and cube it yourself) you need the fat and grain.

I made beef in red wine, and beef in guinness today, both with pieces of shin from my butcher that I cut up myself. Both cooked for about 1.5 hours at 150degrees, browned the meat for both, as that gives it a nice flavour and helps to flavour the veg too. Both turned out absolutely gorgeous.

If you're buying your beef from a butcher, I strongly recommend asking for their advice on suitable cuts and cooking times/methods

Using a slow cooker!!! SOrry, never got on with mine and find the oven so much better.