'Dry' stewed meat - why?

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Dried out meat is usually the result of boiling it or not enough liquid. I
always brown stewing meat, remove it and deglaze the pot with a bit of wine
and some broth. I thicken the liquid a but, then put the meat back in,
making sure there is enough liquid to cover the meat. Cover it and pop it
in the oven for 2-3 hours.

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Suggestions/solutions welcomed!

Jo

Do you sear the stew beef first? I've found that makes a big difference
in whether the meat is dry or not.

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long

Yes, stews can easily be overcooked... the trick is to stop the
stewing/braising as soon as the meat becomes tender... even though
cooking in liquid further cooking will drive the moisture out of meat
until eventually the meat will disintegrate same as over cooked
potatoes... dintcha ever notice how initially stew liquid increases,
it's liquid from the ingredients... mammal flesh is about 75% water.

Henhouse said:

.... it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

If coq au vin turns out dry you must be cooking it far too long.
Remember that original recipes for this dish called for a large, old
rooster. Stewing in red wine was the only way to deal with this tough
old bird. Nowadays you are likely to be making the dish with a
smialler, younger chicken (or chicken thighs, the way I like it), so
the cooking time is drastically reduced. Using large chicken thighs,
for example, I (barely) simmer it for about 40 minutes.

To be more complete, my normal method is to make this dish the day
ahead. Refrigerate, remove congealed fat from the top, reheat over low
medium flame just until it's all heated through. -aem

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Suggestions/solutions welcomed!

You're overcooking the meat. Moist cooking methods aren't
a guarantee that meat won't end up overcooked, and therefore
dried out.

The cut of beef you're using makes a big difference. Some
cuts can be cooked a relatively long time (chuck, for instance).
Some are less forgiving of overcooking and will dry out
at a much lower internal temperature (many round cuts).
Once meat becomes dried out it's not reversible.

In short: cook until just tender, then stop.

For stew this is easy to test. It's already in nice,
bite sized little pieces. Taste it and see. For whole cuts
you can also check the internal temperature with a good
probe thermometer.

--
Reg

Reg said:

You're overcooking the meat. Moist cooking methods aren't
a guarantee that meat won't end up overcooked, and therefore
dried out.

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Chicken does get an unpleasant texture
when stewed too long. I have never appreciated braised pork, but I often
make beef stew and lamb stew, and I have never had it over cooked. As long as
there is enough liquid and it is cooked at low heat it is likely to be
tender. We start it off on the stove and then pop it into the oven for 2-3
hours and then we either have it right away or cool it and then heat it again
the next day for an hour or more. That is a lot of cooking time, but my
stews are tender..... now . I have made the mistake of boiling them. That
is a sure way to ruin the meat.

Quoted message said:

The cut of beef you're using makes a big difference. Some
cuts can be cooked a relatively long time (chuck, for instance).
Some are less forgiving of overcooking and will dry out
at a much lower internal temperature (many round cuts).
Once meat becomes dried out it's not reversible.

In short: cook until just tender, then stop.

For stew this is easy to test. It's already in nice,
bite sized little pieces. Taste it and see. For whole cuts
you can also check the internal temperature with a good
probe thermometer.

--
Reg

Dave Smith said:

Reg said:

You're overcooking the meat. Moist cooking methods aren't
a guarantee that meat won't end up overcooked, and therefore
dried out.

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Chicken does get an unpleasant texture
when stewed too long.

I think you read it backwards. I said moist cooking methods are
*not* a guarantee that meat won't end up overcooked.

--
Reg

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Suggestions/solutions welcomed!

Jo

One way to prevent this: add the cooking liquid HOT. Another way: keep
the stew just below simmering point, no bubbles. I have been using both
methods recently, with excellent results.

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

According to Heston Blumenthal, the key here is cooking at much lower
temperatures and for a shorter time (presumably lower and faster than
your "low and slow"😉. See a couple of his articles, the latter of which
deals specifically with coq au vin, among other things:
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,823136,00.html>
<http://education.guardian.co.uk/staffroom/story/0,,773426,00.html>.

Victor

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Suggestions/solutions welcomed!

Jo

Agree with the others who've mentioned overlong cooking or boiling as
culprits, but think you also have to blame variations in the meat
itself. I've been cooking up beef stews for decades using the same
basic technique (dredge 1" cubes in flour, brown in uncrowded batches,
then add liquid of choice...)and have noticed over the last few years
that the cut I use - chuck - is far more likely get dried out,
tasteless and tough than it used to be.
Think it's a byproduct of the changes in quality of beef available at
the major markets like Albertson's & Safeway. Now that the big markets
have gone over to self-named "select" grades and the farmers have bred
leaner beasties, I'm seeing more and more shoe leather in previously
successful recipes. Am also seeing a lot more water exude from the
meat during the browning process...enough to make me wonder if the
stores aren't injecting it without telling us.
The difference really came home to me last week after I picked up a
very reasonably priced blade chuck at a small local market & made beef
stew with it. The store's part of chain with maybe half a dozen
outlets in rural areas of Oregon - nothing fancy, but they do buy
their meat locally. Stew was terrific - the meat was richly flavorful
and tender as all get out - with none of that watery nonsense. I think
I'm finally done with the culinary crapshoot of buying beef at the
chain stores - have never gotten a bad chuck roast from the little guy
& he's going to get my business from now on.
Nancy T

ntantiques said:

Henhouse said:

I'm in the middle of making Irish stew (again), and it reminded me of a
problem I've encountered from time to time, most notably with coq au
vin, but also with certain beef stews (never with lamb). Sometimes the
stewed meat turns out dry - despite having been cooked long and slow in
liquid. It's as though it loses all the moisture from fat, if you see
what I mean. Am I cooking it for too long, or not adding something
vital, or perhaps just using the wrong cut (although I can't see how
that can be the case with chicken cooked on the bone, really)?

Suggestions/solutions welcomed!

Jo

Agree with the others who've mentioned overlong cooking or boiling as
culprits, but think you also have to blame variations in the meat
itself. I've been cooking up beef stews for decades using the same
basic technique (dredge 1" cubes in flour, brown in uncrowded batches,
then add liquid of choice...)and have noticed over the last few years
that the cut I use - chuck - is far more likely get dried out,
tasteless and tough than it used to be.
Think it's a byproduct of the changes in quality of beef available at
the major markets like Albertson's & Safeway. Now that the big markets
have gone over to self-named "select" grades and the farmers have bred
leaner beasties, I'm seeing more and more shoe leather in previously
successful recipes. Am also seeing a lot more water exude from the
meat during the browning process...enough to make me wonder if the
stores aren't injecting it without telling us.
The difference really came home to me last week after I picked up a
very reasonably priced blade chuck at a small local market & made beef
stew with it. The store's part of chain with maybe half a dozen
outlets in rural areas of Oregon - nothing fancy, but they do buy
their meat locally. Stew was terrific - the meat was richly flavorful
and tender as all get out - with none of that watery nonsense. I think
I'm finally done with the culinary crapshoot of buying beef at the
chain stores - have never gotten a bad chuck roast from the little guy
& he's going to get my business from now on.
Nancy T

Nancy, where in Oregon are you? I'm in Hillsboro and am looking for a new source of good
meat. Safeway is going downhill, they used to be good, and my next choice, Costco, is
borderline, but I'm hoping for an improvement.

I, however, really would like some good grass fed beef locally grown.

--
Rick R
[email hidden]
replace default with com to email

RoR said:

Nancy, where in Oregon are you? I'm in Hillsboro and am looking for a new source of good
meat. Safeway is going downhill, they used to be good, and my next choice, Costco, is
borderline, but I'm hoping for an improvement.

I, however, really would like some good grass fed beef locally grown.

Quoted message said:

--
Rick R

We're east of Eugene/Springfield and the little grocery store where
I've been getting the good chuck is Select Market in Walterville. They
have a limited selection, but everything I've tried has been superior
to Safeway & Albertsons. The downside is that their Italian parsley
looked like it had been dragged behind a truck when I was in there
today.
There's only one "quality" independent butcher shop in Eugene (Long's)
but so far I've been disappointed in their meat - have found better
filets at Costco. Am also looking for a good source to tide me over
until the Saturday farmers market opens again in the spring. Ran
across a website you might find helpful - lots of OR organic/grass fed
producers listed who sell retail - might help you locate someone up in
your neck of the woods.

http://www.eatwild.com/products/oregon.html

Nancy T

ntantiques said:

We're east of Eugene/Springfield

Wow! That's good to hear. When I fly into Or, I arrive in the Eugene
airport. An ex-niece in law (that I'm still friends with) lives in
Eugene... maybe I can connect all the dots the next time I visit.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

Thanks all for the help - I think it's the 'cooking too long' that's the
problem - I'm always paranoid that the meat'll be tough, and probably
overcompensate as a result. I mnight also have been guilty of boiling
from time to time, having a *very* unreliable, ancient electric cooker...

Thanks again!

Jo

sf said:

ntantiques said:

We're east of Eugene/Springfield

How far east? i grew up in "Sweet Home" Oregon. Dont let the name fool
you , small oregon red neck town. At least when i was living there in
the 50's & 60's.
---
JL

Quoted message said:

Wow! That's good to hear. When I fly into Or, I arrive in the Eugene

airport. An ex-niece in law (that I'm still friends with) lives in
Eugene... maybe I can connect all the dots the next time I visit.
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

Joseph Littleshoes said:

sf said:

ntantiques said:

We're east of Eugene/Springfield

How far east? i grew up in "Sweet Home" Oregon. Dont let the name fool
you , small oregon red neck town. At least when i was living there in
the 50's & 60's.
---

Still is. But the name is kinda cool.

--
Rick R
[email hidden]
replace default with com to email