Recipes

[Zhills]

I often buy a chuck steak for stew.  Like the flavor.  Never had it not get tender enough.

[RedTop]

I don’t think you cooked it long enough.   

[Nightowlz]

If you are simmering on the stove top it can take 5-6 hrs ++.

I always make it in the pressure cooker now since it takes less time.

When I made it on the stove top in a stock pot I would simmer the meat in stock or broth most of the day until almost tender before I added the potatoes, carrots etc. I would simmer until the veggies are tender. 

I always browned the meat first, removed from pan to brown the onions before putting the meat back in the pot with the liquid to simmer. Sometimes I would add some red wine.

[Pook]

I don't use regular stew meat as I have found it always tough.  I use an English cut roast and cut it up and it's always melt in your mouth tender.

[Kachina624]

@Shanus   Two words....PRESSURE COOKER.

[Shanus]

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@ECBG wrote:

@Shanus So sorry you had that problem.  Crock pots break down tough meats with moisture and heat and do best for about 5 hours on low.  A splass of wine or a little beef broth will help break the stew beef if you'd like a little richer flavor and is great with a few mushrooms added.  I do put my carrots and onions at the beginning (they contribute moisture), add woreschire, a drip of soy sauce, and add the potatoes about the last two hours.

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@ECBG  Thanks for all the advice, but think I’ll just go back to the meatball idea w/ same veggies and seasonings. At my age, don’t want to start purchasing additional kitchen equipment....

[sfnative]

@Shanus

I agree with @Kachina624 , in that if you have a pressure cooker, that's the way to go and is also great in terms of energy use.

You didn't mention what else beside the meat was cooking with it.  However, as a few others have mentioned, I don't purchase "stew meat" either.  Purchase a more expensive cut, then when cutting pieces, make sure you're cutting across the grain of the meat.

Trimming off excess fat is in my wheelhouse, as well as adding one container of Whole Doods low sodium beef stock, with 1/2 c. red wine.  Water is always added, if necessary, as cooking continues.  My favorite vessel to use is my Lodge dutch oven, because I can brown the  meat nicely in it, before adding everything else.  "Everything else" also includes herbs of my choice in a cheesecloth bundle and vegetables (which I add later).  At hour 3 (on fairly low heat on the range) I add carrots and parsnips and any other root vegetables.  45 minutes prior to serving add potatoes and 2 onions, which have been sauteed in olive oil until limp, 3 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper and anything else like thinly sliced fennel I might want to add to change it up a bit.  I usually serve sometime after hour 4 in the pot, but only after tasting, and may choose to thicken things up with a bit of an arrowroot slurry.

[sunshine45]

i agree with the ladies who said 2 hours is not at all enough time for a stew. a good stew should develop for several hours.....nothing under 3 for sure. i like using a chuck roast and i cut it into large chunks. it is better and more flavorful with a little bit of fat attached to it.  i like cooking it in a dutch oven or a covered roaster in the oven and put it on around 325 or 350. i always dredge the meat in flour and seasonings and sear it on the stove first. i then deglaze that pan with red wine or beer and put all of the "yummies" into the pot with the meat. add plenty of onions, some garlic,  your favorite vegetables, potatoes. make a brown gravy to pour on top of it once it has cooked for a while and has created some juices.

[EatWell]

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@Shanus wrote:

I usually make beef stew recipes substituting meatballs for stew meat. 

Yesterday tried it w/ stew meat and after 2 hrs. on low temp in oven (after dredging in flour and browning on stove), the meat was still tough.

What am I doing wrong?

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@Shanus

Cook it for 4-6 hours at 225 degrees.

Have you tried making bs in a pressure cooker?

Beef stew meat is usually over priced.

Buy a chuck roast and cut into cubes yourself.

Good luck.

[novamc1]

@Shanus

I doubt any of the suggestions posted here in response to your original question require "purchasing new kitchen equipment". 

The cut of meat (I prefer chuck roasts for stew), the length of cooking time and whether you add some liquid to the pot are what make the difference between tender and tough.

You can achieve the same results--even with stew meat-- in a slow cooker, oven or stovetop as long as you do moist cooking, long and slow. 

Good luck with the next try!