Boeuf tenderizer

[Margie]

I buy mainly entrecot steaks or faux filet for grilling or bbq or but have only once had a truly tender steak.

Anybody have any ideas for tenderizing i.e. marinades etc.

I understand it is because in France the meat is not hung as in the UK. I even tried braising beef the other day for 2 hours but the beef was still as tough as old boots!

[Alexis]

All the beef I buy for stews goes into the pressure cooker.  Sometimes they need two blasts!  Rubbish beef here.

The fillet and the tendre fondue beef are the exception.  Long time since I have had fillet - Gilles teeth! - but I quite often buy the fondue on promo and slice it up for Chinese dishes such as beef in oyster sauce.

[Battypuss]

Try marinating overnight in red wine?herbs/onions. Or pineapple juice. Or if you can get it, papaya powder.

 

I agree with the pressure cooker, Alexis!

[opas]

I am not a steak lover ,but the rest of the family are, so it is a regular feature in our house. Now If I am to eat steak it has to be tender, can`t stand all that chewing on the same piece and then nearly choking on swallowing.

Mr O has the knack of choosing lovely meat (normaly in Champion or Leclerc on promo) have just spoken to him on the phone (and it costs enough to say hello...) so will try and remember to ask which steak he buys, and it wont be the dearest either...usually we pay between 5 and 8 euros per killo.

What is the french name for the steak you buy in england called a `feather` steak....`cos  that is the one (just put my brain in gear) he seasalts it and peppers it et voila....its like cutting a piece of cake.

But if it is for casserole or stews,pies etc then Bourgignon beef,browned first added to all the veg etc red wine a touch of tomato passatta and simmer for a couple of hours(once the wine has cooked away and the liquid is boiling) in the winter we have a casserole dish that we put ontop of our wood burner.....and smell the next evenings diner cooking.

Mrs O

[Teamedup]

I like gite noix for stews and things, but I cook it for a very long time and it is tender.

Otherwise I buy filet steak from time to time.

[BruceR]

Remember the French butcher meat differently to the Brits.  Brits cut meat into chunks with the bone in, the French dissect out muscles.  A lot of beef sold in France as "steack" wouldnt be given house room in Britain. The reason is that the French as a rule eat their steaks very rare with a sharp steak knife.  They can get away with offering cuts like bavette which is skirt in English, this is only edible if you smack it into a red hot pan for seconds and sear it, if you want it well done it becomes shoe leather.  If you are buying steak go for something recognisable - entrecote , faux filet or filet and dont overcook it.

For stews dont try and cook it too fast I cook jarret of beef that is the cut nearer the hoof than nerveux and is called shin in English for 2 hours and it falls apart.  You need the casserole to be just ticking over, in our fan oven I do it at 110.

I hope this helps

[Teamedup]

I don't buy jarret any more as I find it glutenous, don't know how else to describe it. There are a couple of other stewing meats that are like that too.

I'll stick to my gite noix and I find that some of the hallal butchers sell really good gite noix and at a good price.

[Dick Smith]

I sometimes buy the big packs of cheap beef in Leclerc or Champion for making beef casserole for the freezer. The first thing is to really carefully brown the meat to seal it, just a few pieces at a time or the pan cools and the meat starts to lose its juices into the pan. Don't be afraid of getting the meat darkly browned and caramelised, unless it is actually burned it all adds flavour. Then I pressure cook it for 20 minutes with stock before adding vegetables and another bash in the pressure cooker (just bring it up to pressure and turn it off, allow to cool). Works reasonably well. I am also planning to make batches of pie filling the same way.