Quick Cooking Tip #2

In my opinion the meat today leaves much to be desired. I buy organic, local grown and grass fed as often as possible, but sometimes - due to budget restrictions, lack of access to good meat and a slew of other issues, you're just stuck with the meat from the grocery store. Here's a little trick that was shared with me on how to make any cut of meat a little less tough. It works quite well too. This also works for pot roasts and other larger pieces of meat.

Quick Cooking Tip #2: Working with Tougher Cuts of Meat

I prefer locally raised, organic or grass-fed meat when it is available and fits the household budget. Sometimes that isn't what I can buy, and sometimes the cut of meat on hand is simply tougher than I would like. That can happen with purchased meat or with animals raised at home. Instead of assuming a tougher cut has no place at the dinner table, think about how its muscle structure and the cooking method affect tenderness.

Cuts with more connective tissue often benefit from moist heat and adequate cooking time. A pot roast, for example, may become more tender when cooked slowly with a little liquid and a covered pan than when treated like a lean steak. Thin pieces can sometimes be pounded gently to even their thickness before cooking, while meat destined for a stir-fry may be easier to chew when sliced thinly across the grain. Those methods are useful because they change how the meat cooks or how the finished fibers are experienced.

Choose the Method for the Cut

A lean, tender cut should not automatically be cooked for hours until it dries out, and a hard-working roast shouldn't necessarily be treated like a quick-cooking steak. Check the cut, thickness and amount of connective tissue before deciding what to make. Meat from older home-raised animals may behave differently from supermarket cuts, and using a suitable method can help you get more from the animal you've worked to raise.

For a pot roast or stew, give the liquid and heat time to soften connective tissues. For smaller pieces, trim as needed and cut across the grain after cooking. If you're using a mechanical tenderizing method, clean the equipment carefully afterward, and follow the cooking temperatures appropriate to the meat and preparation.

Using More of What You Buy or Raise

Part of homestead cooking is knowing what to do with the food already available, rather than buying a different cut for every recipe. A tougher roast can become a hearty meal with vegetables, while slices of leftover cooked meat can be used later in another dish. Choosing the right method helps prevent disappointment and makes the original purchase or raising effort more useful.

The original video below shares a tenderizing trick I was given years ago. I've kept it as part of the article while adding this broader explanation of practical cooking methods. What do you prefer to do with a cut of meat that needs more time to become tender?