Stewing Beef...How To Make Tender

Hippeechiq

Hmmm - I like the idea of a slow cooker, but I'm just not sure it would get used.

It's unfortunate, but I totally dislike the taste of frozen and reheated meat/meals, and so I never "batch" cook anything to freeze and have at a later date.

The only thing I eat that's been cooked and frozen is Onion Tart & Cheese & Lentil Loaf - neither of which have meat, and also, once defrosted I eat them at room temperature, so even they aren't re-heated.

And as I'm only cooking it for the 2 of us (the two adult children eat different meals to us for complicated and personal reasons) I'm not sure a slow cooker would come into it's own, IYKWIM?

I do have a top oven, and I also have a combination microwave oven, which can be used as a microwave, microwave + convection, or just convection, which is an even smaller space to heat than my top oven. Still seem a lot of leccy to use for 2 people. If I could cook a double batch and freeze one, life would be so much simpler, lol

Thanks for the info on the cooking times of various cuts of beef I bought a couple of packs of rump steak on offer at £idls a couple of weeks back, as I thought that it may not take so long to cook as stewing steak - or have I got that completely wrong?

rachbc

braising or stewing rump would be a waste of a decent cut imho - sure its not the tenderest of steaks compared to say a fillet but it makes up for it in flavour and I love it griddled rarish - a few minutes each side depending on how thick it is and how you like it done

xxvickixx

I really struggle getting beef tender enough when I do a stew. I have to admit though I never put alcohol in mine as I consider it a waste, but if it would help tenderise the meat then I'd be willing to try. Any suggestions for cheap booze to use? Asda smart price lager/cider? I am loathed to use wine for cooking!

And I did try with the slow cooker and like someone else said before I just find the flavour not as good as oven/hob as you don't get the reduction as much.

claret1980

I recently did a beef tagine - it is nicer with lamb, but the lamb was too expensive.

Recipe and pictures are on my blog...... which I can't link to as I'm new! It's an adaptation of an AWT recipe on BBC website.

It's not a cheap meal if you don't have the spices in, but otherwise it doesn't work out too bad, and it's certainly good enough when entertaining.

valk_scot

xxvickixx wrote: »

I really struggle getting beef tender enough when I do a stew. I have to admit though I never put alcohol in mine as I consider it a waste, but if it would help tenderise the meat then I'd be willing to try. Any suggestions for cheap booze to use? Asda smart price lager/cider? I am loathed to use wine for cooking!

I don't think the alcohol does anything to reduce the cooking time, it just enhances the flavour. As such I certainly wouldn't use lager of any type for cooking as really it won't add much to the taste. Cheap cider would be slightly better but even then it still tastes rather meeh. Buy real cider with some taste, not the firewater kids use to get drunk as cheaply as possible. Or a tin of Guinness or stout, or think about it....how much does one glass of wine cost? If even that's too much just use water, an OXO or stock cube and a squirt of tomato puree. It will taste much better tbh.

meritaten

I used a pack of stewing beef from Aldi last night - the pieces werent cut that big (an inch or so square) and i didnt just sear them, I darn near cooked them through! as I only had two hours to cook them! did them with part cooked onion, carrot and celery and deglazed the pan with water and added a bovril cube.
put it all in a casserole and in the oven at gas 6 and two hours later the meat was tender and the gravy was lovely!

xxvickixx

valk_scot wrote: »

I don't think the alcohol does anything to reduce the cooking time, it just enhances the flavour. As such I certainly wouldn't use lager of any type for cooking as really it won't add much to the taste. Cheap cider would be slightly better but even then it still tastes rather meeh. Buy real cider with some taste, not the firewater kids use to get drunk as cheaply as possible. Or a tin of Guinness or stout, or think about it....how much does one glass of wine cost? If even that's too much just use water, an OXO or stock cube and a squirt of tomato puree. It will taste much better tbh.

Thanks Val, no I meant using alcohol to tenderise the meat rather than for flavour. Our budget allows us one bottle of wine a week and I would very much resent putting a whole glass in a stew lol!

Hippeechiq

rachbc wrote: »

braising or stewing rump would be a waste of a decent cut imho - sure its not the tenderest of steaks compared to say a fillet but it makes up for it in flavour and I love it griddled rarish - a few minutes each side depending on how thick it is and how you like it done

I know what you're saying, and I wouldn't ordinarily use rump steak for a casserole :eek: but I walked especially to £ilds to buy it and when I got there, it wasn't the best looking steak I've ever seen. Then again it was only £2.24 for 400g, so I don't know what I was expecting! lol. Full price it was only originally £4.49, which is still incredibly cheap for steak.

Anyway - I thought it should at least be better quality beef than stewing steak, so I bought a couple of packs with a view to casseroling them.

My recipe calls for Gu!ness too, but I though it might make for a slightly bitter casserole, so I bought a bottle of Newca$tle Brown instead. Used half and drank the rest.

I freeze red and white wine for cooking, and freeze it in small 60ml pots with lids. Some I fill, some I half fill. This way, I have the makings of 30/60/90 & 120ml depending on what the recipe calls for.

I only have a few recipes that call for wine, but I always keep a running stock of 3 red and 3 white at any given time, so that even if I don't have any in the house, I still have wine available to me, without having to go out and buy a bottle especially. Which, if you're hard up - as I am - it's a good way of doing things, as I don't always have the spare money for wine.

I hear what you're saying xxvickixx! lol. I just always freeze that last little bit in the bottle. Yes, I do begrudge it, as I love my wine, but it does add a wonderful depth to dishes.

oldandhappy

I bought a Slow Cooker and...............the smell coming from it 4 hours later turned what should have been a great meal for us into Mr Fox & Co food. Stewed steak with onions and ale seemed to be the perfect mix but it sure turned me and other half off them forever.My daughter love thems... I know huge amounts of people love them but not for me. Like some of the posters...stewing steak low oven 3-4 hours in a gravy or oxo mix...perfect for casseroles pies and freeze for quicker stews even.Dianne

Farway

Not tried beef & ale in slow cooker, but notice Lidl have Oyster stout [similar to Guinness] for £1.19 a 500ml bottle

I will try it soon, but for anyone wanting to try out a booze & beef this could be a good deal

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/10054.htm approx 3/4 down the page on right