Stew beef, overcooked or undercooked?
If my stew beef is tough (it's been on a small flame in liquids for about an hour), does it mean that it is overcooked, or undercooked?
Best Answer
Generally speaking when speaking of "stew beef", the meat will break down more the longer you cook it. I often make shredded beef for tacos out of that cut by simmmering it for a few hours or more. At 1 hour, I'd say it was undercooked.
For example: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Main/Beef/recipe.html?dishid=1772
In there he recommends using stewing beef, browning it first and then "... stew until the meat is tender and can be cut with a spoon. This will take at least an hour and a half."
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Quick Answer about "Stew beef, overcooked or undercooked?"
Generally speaking when speaking of "stew beef", the meat will break down more the longer you cook it. I often make shredded beef for tacos out of that cut by simmmering it for a few hours or more. At 1 hour, I'd say it was undercooked.How do you know if stew meat is overcooked?
Beef for slow-cooking will become overcooked at a much slower rate. It will take around an hour to become tender, and then will become even more tender for several hours if cooked low enough. It will be overcooked when it falls apart too much or becomes dry in texture. Test with a fork or taste it throughout cooking.Can you overcook stewing beef?
Yes, it is possible to overcook a beef stew. As much as we like the idea of a stew that sits on the stove all day long, too much time will result in dry beef and mushy veggies. It depends on how much stew you're actually making, but the sweet spot is about 2\u20133 hours.Is chewy beef overcooked or undercooked?
Undercooked steaks fail to melt the fat in the beef and are quite chewy. Additionally, undercooked beef might cause an upset stomach or even food poisoning. Overcooked steaks burn through all the fat and end up being hard, dry, and chewy.Huge Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Beef Stew
More answers regarding stew beef, overcooked or undercooked?
Answer 2
It sounds as if you have not rendered all of the fat properly. The fat needs to melt slowly and coat the protein molecules in the meat. The protein molecules will unwind (denature) during cooking, and then attach to each other (coagulate). The fat will coat them and keep them from clumping together in a tough bundle.
Your cooking technique of a slow simmer is correct, but this takes a long time. On high in a slow cooker or on a stove-top I'd say about 4 or 5 hours. On low in a slow cooker you need 8 to 10 hours.
In short, it's not about getting it done from a food safety perspective (although you should), it's about make sure all the tissues break down.
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