Braising / Stewing Steak

[Weyland]

I quite often make mince & dumplings, with four veg plus potatoes.

I thought it was time to vary my diet, so I bought a slab of "braising steak" at Morrisons last week, diced it, and made steak & dumplings, with four veg plus potatoes. Four hours in the slow cooker. Perfect.

This week, just for a change, I got "diced stewing steak" at Morrisons, and made steak & dumplings, with four veg plus potatoes. Four hours in the slow cooker. Tough.

So, is there any theoretical difference between braising and stewing steak? Or is it just luck on the day? It's all British, according to the packaging, and the stewing was dearer than the braising.

Slow cookers are wonderful. Discuss.

[sesley]

I use both and both need long slow cooking,try over night for longer,switch it off in the morning,and leave to cool, when you get home from work,put it on again or put into the oven to heat through the falvours will have got concentrated and the meat should be melting in your mouth. I have had my slow cooker for 20 years, i brown it in a pan first,i also cook a piece of beef by browning first then in the pot with salt and pepper,oxo cube sprinkled on and a onion and carrots,no need to add water because the beef will make its own juice, and slow cook over night for about 12 hours,i also steam puddings in it as well.

[Weyland]

Jan 21, 2010 20:14:37 GMT sesley said:

I use both and both need long slow cooking,try over night for longer,switch it off in the morning,and leave to cool, when you get home from work,put it on again or put into the oven to heat through the falvours will have got concentrated and the meat should be melting in your mouth. I have had my slow cooker for 20 years, i brown it in a pan first,i also cook a piece of beef by browning first then in the pot with salt and pepper,oxo cube sprinkled on and a onion and carrots,no need to add water because the beef will make its own juice, and slow cook over night for about 12 hours,i also steam puddings in it as well.

Thank you, thank you.

I do the browning, oxo, seasoning, etc. I was just wondering about the braising/stewing thing. But I will follow your overnight advice. I'm a bit of a slow-cooker novice.

Love the pudding mention as well. Thanks again.

[jean]

Neither 'braising steak' nor 'stewing steak' has any specific meaning - any more than 'frying steak'.

It is much better to buy by the cut if you can persuade the butcher to tell you what part of the animal the meat is from.

Shin of beef is one of the best stewing or braising cuts.

[everso]

I'm reading this at 12.24 am and all this talk of Weyland's beef and dumplings is making my mouth water.

Mr. E. says my dumplings are a joy to behold.

[Weyland]

Jan 25, 2010 0:25:50 GMT everso said:

I'm reading this at 12.24 am and all this talk of Weyland's beef and dumplings is making my mouth water.

Mr. E. says my dumplings are a joy to behold.

Making my mouth water now. But you wouldn't really want the larger type of dumplings to be light and fluffy.

[everso]

Oh, I don't know. The addition of a spoonful of baking powder to the self-raising flour, together with beef or vegetable suet, usually does the trick.

[stephan]

It is much better to buy by the cut if you can persuade the butcher to tell you what part of the animal the meat is from.

Shin of beef is one of the best stewing or braising cuts.

A good butcher is one to support,and shin tastes good--but it does need long slow cooking.

Beware `trendies` who were trying to make ox cheek fashionable-a good butcher feeds that to the dogs-not valued customers

[Weyland]

Jan 25, 2010 12:14:34 GMT everso said:

Oh, I don't know. The addition of a spoonful of baking powder to the self-raising flour, together with beef or vegetable suet, usually does the trick.

That reminds me. Years ago I tried making a substantial supply of suet dumplings (*) and freezing them. Didn't work out. They were perfect at the point of freezing, but a couple of weeks later, after thawing some in the microwave, they assumed the consistency of B&Q heavy-duty wallpaper paste. Same if thawed without microwave help.

Is there a way to successfully freeze/thaw this kind of delicacy? Not joking.

* Calm down, Everso.

[everso]

I think there must be because M & S do a beef casserole with dumplings that can be frozen.

I've never tried though.

[percyplum]

I sometimes mix my dumplings with some diluted ready made horseradish sauce. Delish.

[everso]

Feb 8, 2010 22:54:41 GMT percyplum said:

I sometimes mix my dumplings with some diluted ready made horseradish sauce. Delish.

Ooooh, that sounds good! How much sauce do you put with, say, a 6 oz. flour/ 3oz. suet mix?

[percyplum]

I'm not good at measuring things - apart from Victoria sponge when I make it always to the weight of the eggs - but I suppose one or two teaspoonsful in the mixing water is about right. Depends on how strongly flavoured you want them.

[everso]

Thanks- I may well try it out on Mr.E.