why is my mince always chewy????

[migola]

FFS have just made spag bol for kids, DH tested it (I'm veggie) and said like he always does, it's nice but it's a bit chewy . It's good quality mince so where am I going wrong?

you need to cook it for hours and hours.

ahaaaaaa. thank you AYC. So will have to find something else for their dinner then .

Won't it dry out if I cook it for hours? Don't want to put loads of stock in because of salt content (even though i'm using low salt stuff). More tomatoes I guess?

Cook it for ages. All day in a slow cooker if you can.

I use passata for spag bol, 2 cartons plus a carton of water. Can be topped up if it gets to dry with more water.

don't have a slow cooker.. shall I transfer it to a casserole dish and put it in the oven or keep doing it in the saucepan on the hob
I'm a bit about my inability to make spag bol! (I do a mean quorn one though

I agree with those who have said it has been cooked too quickly.

I thought one of the membership rules of MN was one had to own a slow cooker :o! As long as you have a lid on your saucepan it shouldn't dry out!

Keep doing it in the saucepan, ours gets done in the saucepan one tin of tomatoes and the tin rinsed out with water then 4 hours minimum of cooking.

LisMcA. I don't own a mooncup either, will I be booted out?
ok, will add another can of tomatoes & some water, pop the lid on then cook some more
thanks all

I agree with supersalstrawberry - in the stove, slow cooker ok but you can build up more water and really you need to evaporate the water.

Because its in a tomato sauce dont over brown, it just needs a good mix - I have seen my mum fry the hell out of so that every morsal is brown - this isnt necessary, it kills all the taste and texture.

If you cook top quality mince (matured beef) too long its looses its bite too and mushy.

I do just over 2 hrs in oven.

Yes, overbrowning dries it out, I made one the other day and browned it briefly but not till it all went to separate grains IYSWIM, then cooked it with passata for half an hour, it was very soft.

Adding some milk at some stage is supposed to make the mince soft too but have never tried it, you would have to google for how to do it.

thanks. I think I do overbrown it too then. I can cook, honest
Anyway, I cooked it on the hob for a further 2 hours and DH said it was delicious (and he wasn't being polite!)

Do you know what cut of the animal the mince comes from?

How do you know it's good quality?

I use minced topside, and I find an hour's simmer will produce spag bol that is praised by family and guests.

god I have no idea toad! Am assuming it's good quality because it's Sainsburys Soooo organic lean mince
have also used mince from local butchers in the past.