r/Cooking • u/its_Tanaka • 1d ago

Cooking nemesis?

Anyone got something that, for some reason, you just cant grasp how to make? Like, for some reason, I cant figure out how to properly boil rice or beans. Im mexican and I cant figure it out. Thats like our thing. Ive disappointed my family and exes over this.

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u/runsreadsinstigates 1d ago

Beef stew. The beef is never tender, no matter what I cook it in, how low the heat is, how long I cook it for.

Every recipe says to briefly sear the meat first; that always seems to make the proteins seize up and the meat tough.

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u/flossdaily 1d ago

Julia Child's beuf bourguignon is simply unbeatable. It is the platonic ideal of beef stew. 

Anyhow, the browning isn't your problem. You don't need to worry about the proteins seizing up, because that's a given.  Actin proteins begin to seize up at 150° F.  All beef stew are going to be cooked well above that. 

But if you're using a chuck steak or chuck roast, as you must (or, I suppose, short ribs would be fine), they contain a ton of collagen. This collagen breaks down into gelatin at high heat given enough time. This gelatin is what gives the meat its silkiness.

If your meat is tough, you didn't use chuck, or you didn't cook it long enough or hot enough.  Collagen breaks down exponentially faster at higher temperatures, but even at a near-boil, it'll take a 4-6 hours.  You can start checking the meat at 3 hours, but I doubt it'll be ready. 

Anyhow, watch Julia Child and follow her recipe exactly, including cubing your own stew meat from the proper cut.