which beef for a stew ..can I use a cheap roasting joint?

sunflowersuffolk

Any advice please. I'm vegetarian but cook my husband a roasting beef joint from Asda (about £7 per kilo) in my slow cooker. I get the largest I can, cook it on High for about 7 hours, and he likes it, says it's very tender. When cool, he slices it, and I freeze portions with the gravy.

Now he wants a stew or casserole with dumplings, a sort of beef hotpot. I look at the price of stewing steak per kg, and it's more than the roasting joint which surprised me.

I want to know what's the best cut to get, hopefully not too expensive. I realise Asda may not be best place to get good meat! Possibly I should go and see the local butcher. Would you cook it in slow cooker?

Thanks for any help.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

Normally the cheaper the cut the better for a stew. I always used to buy brisket when doing a roast dinner and wanted beef. But I have noticed recently that the prices seem to be creeping up on the "cheaper cuts of meat"
It sounds like the beef roasting joint from asda you got is the one I normally buy. I do the same and cook it in the slow cooker until it falls apart. You will get a lot more meat for your money using that in a stew. I've done it quite a few times. Don't let the roasting joint tag put you off.

CapricornLass

Hiya,

The supermarkets tend to sell you 'casserole' steak, all nicely diced up and charge you accordingly. Its definitely worth trying a local butcher. You should be asking for something like shin, shoulder or skirt - all cuts that will need long slow cooking to be really tender, or he may have pre-prepared casserole beef for sale. It should be cut into mouth-sizzd cubes and browned off in a pan in batches before it goes into the slow cooker.

One thing - it can be cheaper to buy it as a solid lump of meat and do the trimming and cutting up yourself , even from a supermarket- that way you aren't paying for someone else to do it. I appreciate that as a vegetarian, you might not be too keen to do this. Would hubby be prepared to do this? (he might do if it means he gets his beef stew!)

sunflowersuffolk

Thanks both of you. I did wonder if that joint could be cubed up and used. It doesn't say what exact cut it is, I'm sure it must be one of the cheaper ones. I normally don't brown it, just put it in whole.

I will ask him if h's prepared to cut it up, as I won't. I am happy to flour and brown it, with some onion I assume.

If not, I'll have a look at the butchers.

Pollycat

I buy large roasting joints - silverside or topside - when they are on offer and cut them up myself.
Slices for braising, large diced for goulash, smaller diced for stews and the scrappier bits for pies.
Then freeze them.
All are cooked in the slow cooker.
All come out very tender.

I've got some very nice diced out to cook tomorrow with tomatoes and aubergine.

buildersdaughter

I usually use shin for a stew - it needs to be cooked very long and slow - ideal in a slow cooker - the gristly bits melt away and it comes out very rich. My butcher sells good quality shin for £9 a kilo. Without a direct taste comparison, I can't say whether it is better or worse value than the Asda meat you have used. I would say that on the odd occasion that I have cut up topside or similar to stew, it has not tasted so good to me - the leaner cuts seem to overcook and taste 'dry'. I've never been able to get the hang of Barolo beef for that reason, and always make my beef Bourguinonne with shin.
I think it just has to be trial and error!

suki1964

I too prefer to get shin for stews, the fat and membranes keep it moist, no turning into dust with dryness

shin on the bone is even better

pws52

I have used a roasting joint when they have been on offer to make stews. I cut it into larger pieces as it tends to disappear into the gravy when cooked for long periods.

I much prefer to buy shin from the butcher but always ask for it to be cut into larger pieces than the ones that are on display. Sometimes they seem so small.

I don’t know whether it is psychological but the shin stew has much more flavour than the joint stew which I find I have to add a bit more ‘flavour’ to but don’t mind when considering the saving.

Nothing like a stew and dumpling dinner! And by adding loads of veg it makes a little meat go a long way!