Chewy meat (freeze, vegetable, expensive, buy)

[lubby]

Originally Posted by aquietpath

me, too. I always cook poultry until all juiciness is gone. That's what drippings or gravy are for.

Drippings and gravy do not make dry over cooked meat moist IMO. My husband has always said this. You can still taste how dry the meat is ( or at least we can)

[Mr_Geek]

Originally Posted by lubby

Drippings and gravy do not make dry over cooked meat moist IMO. My husband has always said this. You can still taste how dry the meat is ( or at least we can)

It tastes the same as putting gravy on cardboard.

[TheShadow]

I agree, and it only makes it somewhat less apt to stick in your throat on the way down.

[ralphfr]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

You wouldn't believe how much of a problem ribs are for BBQers cooking for large groups. Everyone has their own definition of the "perfectly cooked rib". Some like to tear the meat off the bone, some like the meat to barely adhere to the bone, and others like to be able to pull a dry bone out of the rib meat. It seems no matter how you cook the ribs, over half of the guests will complain about how they're cooked. The best option is to cook them "competition-style" and tell everyone they're getting to sample competition-style ribs.

I won't even get into the subject of those who complain that the meat is pink. Heck, the pink is on the OUTSIDE portion of the meat!

As long as the ribs aren't soft like they come out of a crock pot I would just be grateful that you served ribs! Maybe hate is too strong a word.

[TheShadow]

Originally Posted by gouligann

If I buy a cut of steak that I know will be chewy if broiled, grilled or fried, into the slow cooker it goes!

I dust both sides in flour, season it: (garlic powder, Seasoning Salt, pepper and Montreal steak spice) fry it lightly on both sides, put it into the bottom of my slow cooker. Then I throw a can of mushrooms on top along with the mushroom juice in the can. Let it cook on low for 5 hours and serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Very tender and yum!

Don't get me started on canned mushrooms! Rubbery and taste like a tin can. Use the real thing, and add them at the last 1/2 hour so they don't turn to mush. Just saying...

[lubby]

Originally Posted by Mr_Geek

It tastes the same as putting gravy on cardboard.

100% agree on this. MY mil thinks if it's dry add gravy nope doesn't work for me.

[aquietpath]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

I don't care for overcooked, dry meat at all. Tough cuts become melt in your mouth with long braising or a shorter time in the pressure cooker or instant pot. In my mind their is nothing worse than a dry pork roast that you have to drown in gravy or it chokes you. The flavor is so much better when they are juicy and cooked properly.

By the way....that red stuff that leaks out of your steak when you cut it (especially if you didn't let it rest) is NOT blood. The steer was drained of blood when it was slaughtered and butchered. That red stuff is MYOGLOBIN. It's a protein in meat that turns brown when exposed to oxygen or when heated to a certain temp. It also flows out as a liquid when hot, leaving the meat dry and brown. Some meats, like pork and poultry, have less myoglobin and are less red as a result.

I've heard this before on previous threads - but my opinion is the same. Myoglobin tastes icky like blood. No thanks.

[Mikala43]

I velveted the meat and have it marinating. It LOOKED right, but I wasn't paying attention to the recipe and put the salt and oil in the egg white mixture.

I didn't think I would do it all today, but I will make it for dinner. Will report back!

PS: ATK had a method for using baking soda, but I didn't try that one.

[Mikala43]

It did turn out very nice... and salty (which I would think dehydrated the meat a tad).

I look forward to trying it again, and doing it right.

[typical_guinea_pig]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

I don't care for overcooked, dry meat at all. Tough cuts become melt in your mouth with long braising or a shorter time in the pressure cooker or instant pot. In my mind their is nothing worse than a dry pork roast that you have to drown in gravy or it chokes you. The flavor is so much better when they are juicy and cooked properly.

By the way....that red stuff that leaks out of your steak when you cut it (especially if you didn't let it rest) is NOT blood. The steer was drained of blood when it was slaughtered and butchered. That red stuff is MYOGLOBIN. It's a protein in meat that turns brown when exposed to oxygen or when heated to a certain temp. It also flows out as a liquid when hot, leaving the meat dry and brown. Some meats, like pork and poultry, have less myoglobin and are less red as a result.

Like you, I love the melt-in-your-mouth texture. And I've been trying to get better at producing it in my own home. I live at almost 6000 feet, and I'm not sure how altitude affects the texture. But I am mostly hit or miss, and I don't know how to improve consistently.

For example, a few nights ago I made a chuck roast in the pressure cooker. It was about 1.5" thick. I browned on all sides, then I did it 30 minutes at 15 psi, let it depressurize, added some vegetables, and did another 15 minutes. Well, the veggies were overcooked, but the roast was sublime. Although perhaps i would have liked the fat or collagen bits to break down even more. But I was mostly very impressed.

Then last night, I pressure cooked some stew meat chunks. I browned them on one side only, hoping not to overcook them. I cooked them for 10 minutes, at 15 psi. Well, disappointing. They were hard little chunks.

I have a large but thin brisket in my freezer. It has no fat cap (why is this??? why can't I find brisket with the fat still on it??). I've never done a brisket. I usually find brisket really dry. But once---just once---I had a shredded brisket sandwich, where the meat was literally shimmering from the fat dissolved into the shreds. It's a fantasy of mine to have this again! Is there any way to get this? If not, how do I cook this almost fat-free large thin slab of meat so I'm not disappointed?

I generally prefer the value cuts of meat over finer steak cuts. I just adore that long-cooked, collagen-rendered, unctuous taste. I find steak kind of boring!

Any advice or thoughts are appreciated!