Tenderizing Tough Beef page 2

[Paleobird]

Our 1/2 a cow was his last of the season, which is why it was aged only 2-3 days. And yes, it is very strangely butchered, to say the least. Typically I give the butcher an order of instructions as to how I want it cut. That didn't seem to be possible here. And Never have I had such tough meat. But this method does get it eatable. I said slow cook it. Isn't that the same as putting it in a slow-cooker. Do that if you prefer.

We won't be buying from him again.

So it was Eden Tropics? I am finding the meat I got from them to be wonderfully flavorful but very tough. The slow cooker and some broth are the way to go. The packaging left a lot to be desired too. I lave some large lumps of "mystery meat" in my freezer. Since I bought some goat, some lamb and some beef, it's hard to even tell which animal any one lump is much less what cut.

[Paleobird]

Hope that was helpful and sorry about to hear you got a bum steer.

*Groan*

[jchamberlainhome]

I love beef bar-b-que - take the chunks and do a nice pan sear for a quick outside cook, then toss all these chucks into a big bowl, mix in some liquid smoke, hickory seasonings, garlic, and some tomato sauce. Cook it for 5-6 hours at 200-225 degrees.

Now you can chop it up, mix up bar-b-q sauce, and cook it again for an hour, Don't need bread or anything else.

[JoanieL]

I have a question about ground beef. I love lean ground beef or bison for burgers and I usually get 95/5 or 96/4. High heat, no flip if I use my griddler, one flip if I use a pan. Juicy, tender, and yummy.

Last night I was experimenting with lean ground beef to make meat muffins - sort of meat cups filled with different things like tomato, egg yolk, cheese, jalapenos, etc. The first batch came out pretty tough. I turned the heat up for the second batch and that improved it a bit.

Is there anything I should add to the ground beef to get it moister, or should I just play around with raising the heat until I get the right consistency? Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Him]

*Groan*

Exactly the reaction that comment deserved.

I bet Cryptocode got the other half of the same animal you and my parents split.

I made ribs from that animal for dinner tonight. I used same cooking technique I've used for ribs in the past. They were delicious, but they also came out very dry...much drier than I expected. There may have been a technique issue (I let someone else tend the food while I was at work) but there was also less fat than I anticipated. In hindsight I should've added fat and more moisture. The meat pulled apart easily but the connective tissue was hard. Net result? Yeah, it was tough. Kinda beef jerky tough. I'd completely blame the cook except I've followed the same process with other ribs and enjoyed more tender results.

The bones (including both picked clean and left over) are in a pressure cooker now preparing for a soupy sequel.

[Paleobird]

I bet Cryptocode got the other half of the same animal you and my parents split.
Yeah, it was tough. Kinda beef jerky tough.
The bones (including both picked clean and left over) are in a pressure cooker now preparing for a soupy sequel.

Sounds like it given that Cryptocode said it was the "last of the season". Remember they were leaving for Egypt when we did our deal? There may be something to the idea that it did not get aged long enough.
The bone marrow and broth have both been great, the best flavored I've ever had.