Beef about Beef

[vivandorron]

My beef is that whatevever beef I buy (Sirloin, Topside,Rump etc.) it's invariably tough when cooked at home.

Is it true that the Best of British Beef is supplied to Hotels and Restaurants and the rest of us get the rest of it.!?

If the answer is Yes; the question is " What should we do about it.?

[shaneystar2]

I don't think so ! I've had steak you could sole your shoes with in hotels and restaurants.
It depends really where you buy your meat.Meat from a proper butcher will always be superior to supermarket stuff as they hang it longer and it's often slaughtered locally..They don't attach a piece of fat to it either ! I've cooked allsorts of cuts of beef at home and it's never tough Support your local butcher .Top rib is IMHO the best cut for a roast.Beef needs to have a nice marbling of fat though it to keep it tender,blast it on high for twenty minutes to seal it and then turn the oven down and cook it twenty minutes to the pound and baste it.Let it rest for a good twenty minutes to half an hour before carving.A nice piece of brisket cooked slowly overnight in a slow cooker will melt in the mouth.

[vivandorron]

You are right tonyted SS has got it right.

Today my wife and I bought a piece of Brisket at Sainsbury's for our weekend roast meal, which is always on a Saturday evening, and it was rough.

We must make a detour on Saturdays and try the Butcher in a nearby village to us.

Thanks both......Ron.

[shaneystar2]

vivandorron..my dear old father- in- law always used to pot roast brisket .As a German this was quite an accomplishment !
He always used to cook it when he came to England as it was his favourite and you can't get it there.
Brown the brisket all over in a pan on the hob in a nice bit of dripping and then when it is sizzling hot tip half a pint of water in (just enough to come sort of halfway up the joint) and turn it right down low.Pop a lid and let it simmer for about two hours.You then get lovely gravy which you can thicken and you can bung carrots and shallots,baby potatoes ,celery etc round the meat after an hour or so.It will melt in your mouth !

[indie_chic]

The secret with beef is in the preperation and cooking. I would always buy it from a butcher that gets his supplies locally.
As pointed out even brisket (the worst cut) can be tender. Generally I find its either best cooked very quickly or very slowly.

[vivandorron]

Conversation here is becoming quite interesting,and the replies are worthwhile for me to note for future reference. It appears to me that shaney is really interested in cooking, as is indie_chic. Carry on,please tell me more, I'm really interested because I'm the cook and my wife Viv enjoys most of the meals I prepare, but is not beyond constructive criticism.

[gastwo]

Try Shaneystars recipe for brisket, but instead of water go half and half with red wine!

[Carakeel]

shaneystar, your advice is excellent. I always think that German cooking is so under-rated. Where was your father in law from in Germany? I lived there for many years and so also cook a lot of German recipes. Have you ever had Rouladen? Delicious! German baking is also superb!
Just wanted to emphasise your point about resting the meat.
Resting meat after it is cooked is often overlooked and yet is so important as the juices flow evenly back into the meat, making it tender and juicy at the same time.

[indie_chic]

or beer instead of wine is yummy but if you pot roast put carrots, onions and parsnips in with the stock then puree it all at the end and the gravy is the best too.

[vivandorron]

My wife has now gone to bed and has put in front of me her glass of red wine which she failed to finish.( It wasn't her first)

I don't disagree with you gastwo but I always (so I like to think ) cook better with the wine inside myself, and ,whilst agreeing with Carakeel, it's I need to rest after the cooking.
Perhaps it's now time for me to go to bed!!

[vivandorron]

I would say indie_chic that you are now into German cooking, and I agree that beer is excellent in many cooked dishes; as is cider with pork.

[shaneystar2]

Sorry to highjack your thread ron but just to answer Carakeels Q. My family come from the Nordrhine area a small town between Essen and D�sseldorf. The local cuisine is what we call Gute Burgerliche Kuche ....which is all hearty farmhouse style cooking.Stuff like Schweinebraten ,Sauerbraten and of course Rindsroulladen stuffed with Schinkenspeck and Gurken !!
Hope you all enjoy your Sunday lunch ! Lamb today for us though.

[vivandorron]

shaney....You havn't highjacked my thread. Carry on chatting please....Hope the lamb was good...
.Best wishes..Ron

[jennyp]

A while ago, Heston Blumenthal was on a porgramme on tv where he cooked a piece ot beef at a very low temperature for hours. I tried it & I've never had a shrunken or tough piece of beef since.
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/roastwingribofbee

[vivandorron]

jennyp...I must try cooking meat very slowly at a low temp.
In fact I have been told that a hotel on the edge of our village cooks it beef overnight in the way you have described.........Thanks for your comments.....Ron.

[spudqueen]

If I can find it I always buy Irish beef, it is much tenderer than British Beef.

[daisy48]

Like shaneystar I always boil my beef. Place beef in a large pan with water and an oxo cube and simmer for 2 hours. Or in a pressure cooker for just 20 minutes. You'll never want roast beef again!

[shaneystar2]

Well we have just had our leg of lamb which I cooked on low all night in the slow cooker with some garlic and rosemary. It fell off the bone and was delicious ! Guten Appetit everyone!

[vivandorron]

The question now is "Should I buy a Slow Cooker ? I don't really like some of these modern appliances. But then I was against Microwave Ovens and now woudn't do without the thing.