Dried up Beef.

Curry_Queen

If it's a smallish joint I seal it in a pan on the stove-top before putting in the oven, but if it's a large joint then I do as DFC has mentioned above and give it a 20 min blast on gas 8/9 in the oven before turning it down to continue cooking.


Ooooh all this talk of beef is making me :drool: ... we've not had a beef joint in ages as it's a real treat for us these days

Debt_Free_Chick

Dunkyboy wrote:

Thanks for all these suggestions, we will be beefaholics by the time we get through all of your ideas. When you suggest sealing in the juices before putting in the oven, how do you actually do this please.

My own view is that this is a bit of a misnomer ... you won't completely seal the juices in as they will evaporate, eventually.

Our oven is a Fan oven and does tend to cook things too quick, so maybe we are over compensating by giving things less time to cook, or maybe we can have even less heat but increase the cooking time, it's sooo confusing.
Thanks again..

Go for the lower temperature and longer cooking time.

I've actually cooked a perfect rib of beef in the slow oven of an Aga, overnight! This is an oven designed to keep things warm or for slow cooking a pot-roast, or baking a meringue. No idea of the temperature as Aga cookers learn to cook by instinct

Cullumpster

I never cook my meat by weight and it's always perfect

Just bung it in the oven in a deep tray with it half full of water, a couple of chopped onions and a crushed garlic clove.
Cook your spuds in a different tray.

After the meat comes out (I usually cook for about 45mins - 1 Hour) it will be juicy and lovely, use the water and drain the onions/garlic, shove a couple of spoonfulls of bisto and boil till thick.
:drool: my b/f is a fussy booger and will not eat meat that is even slightly pink bu i do, so i slice his first and bung it in the tin with the gravy ( He doesn't know and everone's a winner) Hehe Wicked face smiley

Cullumpster

OOhh sorry folks, forgot to say that i also cook my chicken this way as well ,obviously not pink though and it's always perfecto

Debt_Free_Chick

Yes, cooking in water will work. But you will actually end up with broiled/steamed meat, rather than roasted. The meat will still release its own moisture and you'll lose the dripping (if beef) into the water.

Roasted meat that's dry and tough has probably been cooked for too long, at too high a temperature ... or it could be inferior quality to start with

competitionscafe

Curry_Queen wrote:

The only problem is that I can't get poultry (he sells Kelly poultry in the shop) by mail order as he gets his stock the day after he sends out the online deliveries, which is a shame.

For chickens I can recommend the Label Anglais ones (also in Essex):
http://www.labelanglais.co.uk/

They even trust you enough to send you your chickens first and then when you have received and are happy with your order you post them a cheque.

For Beef, Higher Hacknell is highly recommended, they do poultry etc too but I have only tried their beef and lamb:
http://www.higherhacknell.co.uk/

I did try Graig Farm once (they have a great range) - unfortunately there was a mess up with the delivery (couriers fault not Graig Farm's) and the order arrived 3 days late. The products looked good but by this stage they were in no fit state to eat (smelly too!) and had to be thrown away (what a waste!). Graig Farm gave me a full refund and apologised but I was not brave enough to try them again as I don't trust their courier!

Unfortunately I had exactly the same problem with Jimmy's Farm (3 days late and summer too - really did smell!!) again I got a full refund without question (they offered a refund or to send the goods again but I took the refund). These are the only 2 times I have had problems with internet orders for fresh meat. I really wanted to try Jimmy's sausages too - they sound delicious.

If you want another option, then both Swaddles and The Organic Farmers Market do dairy (milk, cheese, eggs butter, yoghurt) + fruit, veg etc - Swaddles also does the only chicken stock I have ever bought that tastes as good as homemade! What both of these companies do (and what I suggested to Jimmy and Graig Farm to do) is stick a big yellow sticker on the box which says "Fresh Food, must be delivered today, DO NOT return to depot" and also the customer and the senders telephone numbers to call if there is any problem with delivery. I got a Swaddles order last week (stocking up the freezer) and had one of their large chickens too which was absolutely delicious (roasted last Sunday) - not cheap though!

Swaddles: http://www.swaddles.co.uk/

The Organic Farmers Market: http://www.theorganicfarmersmarket.co.uk/
(Offer of free delivery and free gift on orders over £30 until 31 Oct)

foreverskint

Also if you have a fan oven reduce the given temps by 20o. For instance if given is 170 it needs to be down to 150, and yes cooking times are also usually reduced in a fan oven. In my the temp is supposed to be even throughout, so the bottom shelf is as hot as the top.
Top tip for the most delicious joint of beef other than those given above is to rub mustard powder all over the joint before cooking, and it will flavour the meat beautifully, make if even more beefy, and give delicious juices for gravy.
On the point of supermarket beef, the only one I buy beef from now is sainsbury's. From the butchery counter. It's not cheap, but the last two pieces of topside from there have been perfect.
#HTH

Curry_Queen

competitionscafe wrote:

For chickens I can recommend the Label Anglais ones (also in Essex):
http://www.labelanglais.co.uk/

The Organic Farmers Market: http://www.theorganicfarmersmarket.co.uk/
(Offer of free delivery and free gift on orders over £30 until 31 Oct)

That poultry one looks very reasonable, so that's one to bear in mind, and I also found another Essex based one when I was looking earlier Chickenfarm.co.uk ... which then led me to discover an excellent butcher not a great distance from me who actually stocks their chickens, as well as other locally-farmed meat that I do know has an excellent reputation! In fact funnily enough, I think I might even know the owner!

That organic farmer's market one - I remember looking at that a few months ago (may even have been posted here when we discussed organic produce way back) and they actually source their meat from places like Well Hung and Higher Hacknell etc which is how I think I found them in the first place. They do have a great range of produce though and the free delivery is certainly worth thinking about as some of these places aren't cheap, especially if you like to shop around a bit like me LOL!

Thanks for those anyway, a great help :T

competitionscafe

Sadly the Organic Farmers Market has gone out of business (maybe all those free delivery offers?!) But I got an e-mail today from Graig Farm about their new range of (organic) Spanish charceturire (Chorizo, panceta, jamon, etc) which sounds yummy, plus they have other interesting options like wild boar, mountain mutton, goat , etc so I am tempted to give them another try - did anyone ever get round to ordering from them?

http://www.graigfarm.co.uk/charcuterie.htm