Help Please on cooking Diced Beef

binnie

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, didn't know where to place it.

Anyway today my dad is coming for tea and I have some diced beef, and onion and a jar of stroganoff.
I'm not the best of cooks and have no time or money to go and get anymore ingredients.
I haven't even flour...

What I want to know is how to cook my diced beef without it going hard.
I have quickly browned the diced beef on other ocassions, then transferred it into a casserole dish and put the stroganoff sauce on top of it with onions.
Cooked it for about an hour, but it's always rock hard.
I have an electric fan assisted oven.

Anyone give me any tips please on how to get the beef nice and soft.

:beer:

stephel

I would put it all together in the oven for about an hour and half on about 160 -170.it should be tender then because you are cooking it slowly.

binnie

Thank you Stephel,
Never thought of that, doh!.
Will let you know how I get on.

LoneRifle

In my experience, you'll need to have plenty of liquid and plenty of time over low heat. Your one hour cooking time is actually sufficient, but you do need water. Alternatively, marinate with acid-based (vinegar or lime juice) marinade over a long period of time (at least two hours) to break down the tough muscle, before using.

Baking soda also helps, but be careful to either not add too much, or wash it off before use.

kivsy

Simple, bung it all in the slow cooker (if you have one) for about 6 hours - lush!!!

Any

binnie wrote: »

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, didn't know where to place it.

Anyway today my dad is coming for tea and I have some diced beef, and onion and a jar of stroganoff.
I'm not the best of cooks and have no time or money to go and get anymore ingredients.
I haven't even flour...

What I want to know is how to cook my diced beef without it going hard.
I have quickly browned the diced beef on other ocassions, then transferred it into a casserole dish and put the stroganoff sauce on top of it with onions.
Cooked it for about an hour, but it's always rock hard.
I have an electric fan assisted oven.

Anyone give me any tips please on how to get the beef nice and soft.

:beer:

That is because diced beef is cheap cut of meat and you need to cook it for long, not for short - it will go hard on the beginning and the lenght of cooking softens it. And for it to cook you need liquid.

You can start cooking in casserole dish... fry the onions first, then add the beef and then water and cook on low heat for an hour or more if possible until the meat softens up. Then you add the stroganoff jar and cook through (I am supposing that when you say "jar" it's flavoured liquid with mushrooms etc?)

Edit: Oh, and don't go too heave on the water... if it is too watery before you put that jar in it will end up with no taste what so ever. I would put about an inch and half over the level of beef... and it should reduce slowly over the cooking time while still having enough water for the cooking process.

That is if I am supposing you have one of those liquid jars for quick cook and not casserole powder. That is because the casserole powder is much stronger as it is supposed to be put in on the beginning and cook in it - jars usually are supposed to be used with better meat for quick cooking...

berniesmaster

kivsy wrote: »

Simple, bung it all in the slow cooker (if you have one) for about 6 hours - lush!!!

lol, thats about as creative as i get!

binnie

Thanks all of you. Well it turned out ok. I cut the meat into smaller pieces, browned it off in the frying pan. Then put some onions and the meat into a casserole dish, put in the jar of sauce, and cooked it on 160 for 1.5 hours.
It was delicious.

I didn't use any water though, just the jar of stroganoff sauce from Asda.
Dad said it was very tasty.
:j