I had the best stew today...whats the trick in getting the meat soo tender?

Question

Everytime i make it the meat gets all stringy :(

Answer 1

Take your stew meat and toss it into a ziploc baggie with flour seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder and seasoning salt. Shake well to coat meat. In heavy bottomed pot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brown meat (in batches if necessary). Remove meat from pan, add 1 tbsp. more oil and add chopped onion, celery and sliced carrots. Cook 7-10 minutes until onions are translucent and beginning to turn golden. Pour 2 cups of hot water or beef stock into the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom to start the sauce for the stew. Return meat to pan, adding 4 cups water and 1 small can tomato sauce, seasonings and preferred vegetables (potatoes, turnips, corn, peas, etc.). Turn stove to medium-low, and cook over the low heat until meat and vegetables are tender.

Answer 2

Cook the meat in a Crock Pot.
Don't put in very much water, it with make water
while covered and cooking.
Season it. You can make your stew here to.
Let the beef cook to how you like it.
I would take the cooked beef out, cube it. put it aside.
Drain the fat off the juices in the Crock Pot.
Add beef bullion and water to the beef juices.
Cook the potatoes, then softer veggies in it. until done
Make the gravy in one corner. Mix it.
Then add the cube beef . Stir it in.
Season as you like again to taste.
You mention stringy. Are you cutting your meat
against the grain? If not that will make it stringy.
Cut the meat across. Not up and down the long
way. Hope this helps.
This made me hungry.

Answer 3

its not hard at all... put a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy pan over med high heat. lighly coat the beef with flour. Brown the beef on all sides. Stick it in the crock pot all day... the longer you cook it, the more tender it will be. I'd slice an onion to go in the crock pot too... it will add flavor and help your house smell better while the beef gets tender and cooked... a few hours into the process, stick all your veggies in... add spices ect. I usually use a couple of packs of instant brown gravy mix too... but thats kinda the easy way out.. I guess you only asked about the meat.

Answer 4

brown the meat to seal in the juices before stewing. also, once you bring the contents of the pot to a boil, reduce to a low heat and let it simmer until it's done. That should help keep the meat tender.

Answer 5

Minimum 3 hours cooking time for the meat. Vegetables go in during the last hour.

Answer 6

after ya done the veg and gravy
Fry the meat up first until its a little brown
add the meat in cook it on low until the meat softens usually 1-2 hours : )

Answer 7

needs to be cooked low & slow. low temp, slow cooking, long time cooking makes the most tender meat. try and rush it, and it will never be as good. also buy good quality meat. don't necessarily buy the pre cut stew meat...roasts are cheaper and you can cut it up yourself and save money and have a better cut of meat.

Answer 8

Like I mentioned to you before with the goat a pressure cooker is the best thing it you don't have a lot of time it can make bones melt in your mouth ( know I have done Oxtail & could eat the bones they we so soft)...or you could use a slow cooker..put your meat veggies seasoning in before you go to bed/work by time you get up or get home every thing is ready to eat & soooo tender.

Answer 9

I usually throw the raw meat into sauces and let it simmer VERY slowly. In the case of beef, I tenderize the hell out of it first and simmer it raw like everything else. Seems to work pretty well.

Answer 10

try to sear the meat in all side then put them in your broth and cook slowly the trick is to brown the meat so all the juices stay in the meat