# Beef Bourginon advice



## Dommi35 (Nov 29, 2012)

Hello

I am not much of a cook but I made beef Bourginon following a recipe online. I used beef shin pieces soaked overnight in some nice red wine wine. I cooked it in the oven on gas mark 1/4 for 7 hours.

It was my first attempt & even though the sauce flavour was tasty the meat had shrunk a lot into small pieces and seem fatty in places (soft jelly type fat) which i didn't like. 
I had envisioned it having large juicy tender pieces of meat in it 

What did I do wrong?
What meat cut do you advise?
Should I have used a higher heat to break down the fat?

I appreciate advice from some beef stew pros!


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2012)

Beef shin doesn't have large juicy tender pieces of meat in it.  I make this dish with boneless chuck roast cut up into 2" pieces.

Gas mark 1/4 = 225ºF, too low to do the job.  I'd go with gas mark 3 (325ºF) next time.  

I assume the pot contained more ingredients than just meat and wine and you just didn't list them.


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## Addie (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Hello
> 
> I am not much of a cook but I made beef Bourguignon following a recipe online. I used beef shin pieces soaked overnight in some nice red wine wine. I cooked it in the oven on gas mark 1/4 for 7 hours.
> 
> ...


 
You answered your own question. *Beef Stew* is made with meat that is less tender. That is why it is braised. The next time use a cut of *Chuck* meat. One that is specifically meant for a beef stew. If in doubt, ask the butcher. He can lead you to the right cut. It isn't so much the temperature that breaks down the fat and meat, as the liquid and long slow cooking. Low and slow is the way to go for a beef stew. 

Go the beef meat recipes here on DC, and you will find some excellent recipes for beef stew. Along with recommendations for the right cut of meat. 

Oh, and welcome to DC. You are a brave person for a self confessed novice cook to try such a dish on your first outing. You are going to love it hear.


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## Dommi35 (Nov 29, 2012)

Hi Andy,
thanks for reply. 
yes I had fresh herbs, mini onions/mushrooms, garlic, stock and the juice from the marinade (which contained 1 bottle of decent red wine). The recipe said shin or chuck so I asked the butcher at sainsburys. I had picked up some beef stew packs but she said they wouldn't be right for slow cooking. She didn't know what Chuck was but sold me the shin (which looked dark and tasty).
The recipe was for stove cooking but I was advised to slow cook so I googled and it said gas 1/4. If I had used gas 3 how long would I cook for?


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## Dommi35 (Nov 29, 2012)

Addie- thanks too. Next time I'll find somewhere that sells chuck and knows what it is! lol
I'll check out the recipes on the site too


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Hi Andy,
> thanks for reply.
> yes I had fresh herbs, mini onions/mushrooms, garlic, stock and the juice from the marinade (which contained 1 bottle of decent red wine). The recipe said shin or chuck so I asked the butcher at sainsburys. I had picked up some beef stew packs but she said they wouldn't be right for slow cooking. She didn't know what Chuck was but sold me the shin (which looked dark and tasty).
> The recipe was for stove cooking but I was advised to slow cook so I googled and it said gas 1/4. If I had used gas 3 how long would I cook for?



2-3 hours.  Chuck is from the front shoulder of the steer.


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## jennyema (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Hi Andy,
> thanks for reply.
> yes I had fresh herbs, mini onions/mushrooms, garlic, stock and the juice from the marinade (which contained 1 bottle of decent red wine). The recipe said shin or chuck so I asked the butcher at sainsburys. I had picked up some beef stew packs but she said they wouldn't be right for slow cooking. She didn't know what Chuck was but sold me the shin (which looked dark and tasty).
> The recipe was for stove cooking but I was advised to slow cook so I googled and it said gas 1/4. If I had used gas 3 how long would I cook for?




Something labeled "beef stew meat" is probably ONLY right for slow cooking. A quick google suggests that chuck is widely avail in the UK so I would suggest finding someone else to sell you meat.

It's also better to cook it in the oven to avoid scorching


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## Addie (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Hi Andy,
> thanks for reply.
> yes I had fresh herbs, mini onions/mushrooms, garlic, stock and the juice from the marinade (which contained 1 bottle of decent red wine). The recipe said shin or chuck so I asked the butcher at sainsburys. I had picked up some beef stew packs but she said they wouldn't be right for slow cooking. She didn't know what Chuck was but sold me the shin (which looked dark and tasty).
> The recipe was for stove cooking but I was advised to slow cook so I googled and it said gas 1/4. If I had used gas 3 how long would I cook for?


 
Sounds like she had some shin bones she wanted to get rid of. And I can't imagaine anyone who sells meat, not knowinig what chuck is. Find a store that knows their product. The next time a butcher tells you, "I don'tknow what that is," run out the door.


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## Dommi35 (Nov 29, 2012)

Addie said:


> Sounds like she had some shin bones she wanted to get rid of. And I can't imagaine anyone who sells meat, not knowinig what chuck is. Find a store that knows their product. The next time a butcher tells you, "I don'tknow what that is," run out the door.



lolol! 
She was young & very enthusiastic. She had recently trained and was so keen to help & very excited about using her new sharp knife. She chopped my meat up beautifully...
I will definitely use a real butcher next time though


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## Dommi35 (Nov 29, 2012)

I've been looking online for 'chuck' steak and no supermarket seems to sell it. I'm happy to use a butcher instead but was wondering since there are so many cuts sold in supermarkets would any of the following be alternative names for 'chuck' ?

1. Braising steak
2. casserole beef
3. stewing steak


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> I've been looking online for 'chuck' steak and no supermarket seems to sell it. I'm happy to use a butcher instead but was wondering since there are so many cuts sold in supermarkets would any of the following be alternative names for 'chuck' ?
> 
> 1. Braising steak
> 2. casserole beef
> 3. stewing steak



Chuck is called braising steak in the UK.


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## PhilinYuma (Nov 29, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> I've been looking online for 'chuck' steak and no supermarket seems to sell it. I'm happy to use a butcher instead but was wondering since there are so many cuts sold in supermarkets would any of the following be alternative names for 'chuck' ?
> 
> 1. Braising steak
> 2. casserole beef
> 3. stewing steak



Yes, "braising steak" would definitely do it, so would "seven bone" (though it never looks much like a seven to me and is usually covered over by meat in English markets) blade and the upper part of the "thick rib". Those who criticized the Saintsbury butcher must have missed the fact that she was English or not be aware that the cuts on a British cow are very different from those in the U.S. See:
http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-british-cuts.jpg
http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-american-cuts.jpg
wot I half inched from a U.K. site
Cheers


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2012)

PhilinYuma said:


> ...http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-british-cuts.jpg
> http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-american-cuts.jpg
> wot I half inched from a U.K. site
> Cheers



Both diagrams show the chuck.


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## jennyema (Nov 30, 2012)

PhilinYuma said:


> Yes, "braising steak" would definitely do it, so would "seven bone" (though it never looks much like a seven to me and is usually covered over by meat in English markets) blade and the upper part of the "thick rib". Those who criticized the Saintsbury butcher must have missed the fact that she was English or not be aware that the cuts on a British cow are very different from those in the U.S. See:
> http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-british-cuts.jpg
> http://www.hub-uk.com/images020/beef-american-cuts.jpg
> wot I half inched from a U.K. site
> Cheers



It's Sainsbury's.  Which obviously means the poster is in the UK.

Which I knew when I criticized the butcher for telling the OP that stewing beef isn't good for long slow cooking.  And about not knowing what chuck is.  Although chuck is also called "braising steak" in the UK, it's also called chuck and a trained butcher should know that.

Point proven -- like Andy said -- by both diagrams you posted.


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## PhilinYuma (Nov 30, 2012)

@ Jennyema & Andy M: My apologies for leading you astray. I posted the two links because they were convenient and because they show the many difference between English and US cows; the former do not have a tenderloin,for example, and because I didn't realize that the technical use of Chuck on the English cow, could be used to imply that the young woman at Sainsbury's was ignorant of her trade or dishonest (trying to palm off surplus stock).
My BGD (beloved granddaughter) is, at 18, already an accomplished cook and we went meat shopping together in Asian markets as recently as Thanksgiving. She is also becoming a good researcher, so yesterday, I sent her an Email package on this topic, including the thread, a 1970's English recipe that called for chuck steak and a reference to braising steak, and asked her to come up with a good short argument on whether or not the young woman at Sainsbury's was ignorant/badly trained, or whether she had no way of knowing what a chuck steak was from her training. This morning I got three links. She had googled Sainsbury's main site and entered "braising steak" in the search box, which gave 20 hits, and "chuck" which gave zero hits. 
What a nice use of Occam's razor! I have a tendency to think that the more references I have the better and try to  overcome the opposition by weight of numbers, but this easily accessed reference cuts to the chase and. short of writing to the head of Sainsbury's butcher school, answers the question, which is not "does anyone in England know what chuck is?" but "should a Sainsbury trained butcher know what chuck is?".
Cheers


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## Dommi35 (Dec 4, 2012)

PhilinYuma said:


> cuts on a British cow are very different from those in the U.S. See:



No wonder I'm confused...


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## Dommi35 (Dec 4, 2012)

Thanks everyone so much- I appreciate your time & responses...
This thread has been really interesting & have learnt a lot. 

I have looked at supermarket websites here in the UK and can't find chuck. However I find lots of packs of meat such as this one (picture posted- £7.00/kg).

I do wish they'd actually say what cut it is...as it would make life easier...
Can anyone out there tell by looking at it?


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## Dommi35 (Dec 4, 2012)

This one looks nice too & it says 'braising steak'...£8.60 a kilo...and it looks less fatty...so I wonder if it's better?


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## Addie (Dec 4, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Thanks everyone so much- I appreciate your time & responses...
> This thread has been really interesting & have learnt a lot.
> 
> I have looked at supermarket websites here in the UK and can't find chuck. However I find lots of packs of meat such as this one (picture posted).
> ...


 
I would say you  have what we call chuck." That is what you should have used.


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## Dommi35 (Dec 4, 2012)

Addie said:


> I would say you  have what we call chuck." That is what you should have used.




Addie, which one do you mean? The first or second picture?


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## Addie (Dec 4, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Addie, which one do you mean? The first or second picture?


 
The first one on the left.


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## Addie (Dec 4, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> This one looks nice too & it says 'braising steak'...£8.60 a kilo...and it looks less fatty...so I wonder if it's better?


 
The braising steak would make a great pot roast with veggies. Pot roast is similiar to your beef stew. stew. You could also cut it into bite size pieces for a stew.


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## jennyema (Dec 4, 2012)

The first picture could be chuck.  More marbling.

The second picture looks like round steak to me.  You can use that too but it's generally not as flavorful.


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## jennyema (Dec 4, 2012)

CHUCK STEAK


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## jennyema (Dec 4, 2012)

ROUND STEAK


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## Dommi35 (Dec 5, 2012)

Never heard of round steak in my life- so many cuts...! 

Thanks again everyone...am going to be on the look out for chuck (together with it's marbling).


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## Andy M. (Dec 5, 2012)

Chuck is cut from the front shoulder.  Round from the back end of the steer.  If a butcher doesn't recognize the name 'chuck' you can describe where it comes from.


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## Dommi35 (Dec 5, 2012)

Just read online that braising is more tender and for quicker cooking, whereas stewing steak is for slow cooking. Pretty much all supermarket meat sold in packs here (other than grilling steaks) are either labelled stewing or braising so at least now I know I need to pick stewing...and look for marbling effect which indicates chuck.

I can also use an independent butcher but over here there aren't many.....you do have to go out of your way...most people buy their meat at the supermarket in pre packs..


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## jennyema (Dec 5, 2012)

Dommi35 said:


> Just read online that braising is more tender and for quicker cooking, whereas stewing steak is for slow cooking. Pretty much all supermarket meat sold in packs here (other than grilling steaks) are either labelled stewing or braising so at least now I know I need to pick stewing...and look for marbling effect which indicates chuck.


 
"*Braising*" means to cook something for a very long time at a relatively low temperature in some liquid in a covered pot. Low and Slow.

Stewing essentially means the same thing. A stew is cooked using the technique called braising. So is pot roast.

And from the look of the cut of meat you posted as "braising," it looks tough and lean.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 5, 2012)

The difference between stewing and braising is that braising describes slow-cooking a fairly large piece of meat (generally at least 2-3 lbs.) and sometimes vegetables, while stewing is slow-cooking meat and vegetables cut into bite-size or slightly larger pieces. Tough cuts from the shoulder or rear end are suitable for this; they're tough because they are used by the animal more than tender cuts, such as those along the back.


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## Kayelle (Dec 5, 2012)

In your original post you said: 



> It was my  first attempt & even though the sauce flavour was tasty the meat  had shrunk a lot into small pieces and seem fatty in places (soft jelly  type fat) which i didn't like.



Just so you know for the future, shin meat is full of connective tissue and what you thought was fat was actually that "jelly like substance" of connective tissue. I don't like it either but apparently it's used much more often in the UK for stew.
That being said, it sounds like the young butcher was not off the mark with her recommendation.


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## jennyema (Dec 5, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> The difference between stewing and braising is that braising describes slow-cooking a fairly large piece of meat (generally at least 2-3 lbs.) and sometimes vegetables, while stewing is slow-cooking meat and vegetables cut into bite-size or slightly larger pieces. Tough cuts from the shoulder or rear end are suitable for this; they're tough because they are used by the animal more than tender cuts, such as those along the back.


 
Whole chickens are commonly stewed.  Sometimes with no veggies.


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## Andy M. (Dec 5, 2012)

I've heard a few descriptions of the difference between stewing and braising.  

The large piece of meat vs. bite-sized pieces is one.  The other is that stewing involves meat (and veggies) being fully submerged in a liquid where braising involves the meat to be only partially submerged.

We've run into the imprecise nature of cooking terms before.  After all, it's called a pot roast but it isn't roasted, it's braised.  A whole chicken is roasted but a cut up chicken is baked even though they're but cooked with dry heat.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 5, 2012)

As Andy said, it can be imprecise. This is one thing I learned in the short time I was in cooking school; not that that means it's the definitive definition, but it works for me


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## puffin3 (Dec 29, 2012)

Shoulder chuck is what I use. Of the two ends of the cut tell your butcher you want the end with the most fat. 'Low and slow' at 200 F is perfect. Any higher than 212 F and the protein strands in any meat will turn into rubber bands. Shoulder chuck has the perfect ratio of connective tissue to fat. Juicy delicious large two inch plus chunks and whole mushrooms the same size. Good for you making sure you added a good wine and not cheap 'plonk'.


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## Gravy Queen (Jan 1, 2013)

For the OP in the UK . For this type of dish use stewing steak or braising steak and cook it on a slow heat for a good 2 hours in the oven . I seal it first by frying it in batches and then put it in your pot , no need to soak overnight in wine first . I use Julia Childs Boeuf Bourgignon recipe . You should be left with a dark rich stew and the meat should be very very tender .


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## jennyema (Jan 1, 2013)

puffin3 said:


> Shoulder chuck is what I use. Of the two ends of the cut tell your butcher you want the end with the most fat. 'Low and slow' at 200 F is perfect. Any higher than 212 F and the protein strands in any meat will turn into rubber bands. Shoulder chuck has the perfect ratio of connective tissue to fat. Juicy delicious large two inch plus chunks and whole mushrooms the same size. Good for you making sure you added a good wine and not cheap 'plonk'.



Since all chuck comes from the shoulder of the cow, it's unnecessary and potentially confusing to call it "shoulder chuck.". That would be akin to a "leg shank."

Also you may potentially confuse people by saying "Low and slow' at 200 F is perfect. Any higher than 212 F and the protein strands in any meat will turn into rubber bands.". That suggests that actually cooking meat at a temp above 212 will ruin meat, which is absolutely false.  A final internal temperature of 212 no matter what temp you cook at may be undesirable but its fine to cook meat at much higher temperatures.

I agree that a stew like BB is best made with a flavorful cut like chuck that benefits from a nice long braise.  I do mine at 275.


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## puffin3 (Jan 2, 2013)

jennyema said:


> Since all chuck comes from the shoulder of the cow, it's unnecessary and potentially confusing to call it "shoulder chuck.". That would be akin to a "leg shank."
> 
> Also you may potentially confuse people by saying "Low and slow' at 200 F is perfect. Any higher than 212 F and the protein strands in any meat will turn into rubber bands.". That suggests that actually cooking meat at a temp above 212 will ruin meat, which is absolutely false.  A final internal temperature of 212 no matter what temp you cook at may be undesirable but its fine to cook meat at much higher temperatures.
> 
> I agree that a stew like BB is best made with a flavorful cut like chuck that benefits from a nice long braise.  I do mine at 275.


 I ought to have put a '/' between shoulder and chuck. It may confuse people to use the word "cow" which implies all beef comes from a "cow". When properly used the word 'cow' is used to describe a female bovine creature. Beef 'cattle' is more accurate IMO.
 I think 'sous vide' demonstrates there is no need to roast/cook/stew/braise any meat/protein at any higher heat than the desired finished temperature. A quick sear after the sous vide process adds to the appearance and flavor.
'Low and slow' IMO is the future of cooking meat especially. The science/logic behind the method can not be disputed. With the cost of protein going up more people or making an extra effort to roast that $40 piece of protein  to perfection.
350-450 F oven settings turn the exterior to leather and ironically more often than not leave the meat that is actually in contact with bones deep inside a bird/haunch/roast etc. at unsafe temperatures. This isn't a 'theory' or an 'opinion', it's a cold hard scientific fact. Hence 'sous vide'.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 2, 2013)

puffin3 said:


> I think 'sous vide' demonstrates there is no need to roast/cook/stew/braise any meat/protein at any higher heat than the desired finished temperature. A quick sear after the sous vide process adds to the appearance and flavor.



I've never cooked sous vide, but I assume the cooking and searing need to be done in different pans?



puffin3 said:


> 350-450 F oven settings turn the exterior to leather and ironically more often than not leave the meat that is actually in contact with bones deep inside a bird/haunch/roast etc. at unsafe temperatures. This isn't a 'theory' or an 'opinion', it's a cold hard scientific fact. Hence 'sous vide'.



Interesting. I've been roasting poultry, beef and pork at 350+ degrees F for years and as long as it isn't overcooked, it doesn't end up with a leathery exterior or unsafe interior.


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## jennyema (Jan 2, 2013)

puffin3 said:


> 350-450 F oven settings turn the exterior to leather and ironically more often than not leave the meat that is actually in contact with bones deep inside a bird/haunch/roast etc. at unsafe temperatures. This isn't a 'theory' or an 'opinion', it's a cold hard scientific fact. Hence 'sous vide'.


 

It's certainly _not_ a "fact" 

If your protein is leathery on the outside and raw on the inside from roasting at 350, you can only blame your cooking skills, not the temperature of the oven.


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## puffin3 (Jan 2, 2013)

Sous-vide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Touch your thermometer to the surface of, say a turkey, that's been in the oven at 350 F for a few hours. Guess what it will read?
My last post on this thread. I've expressed my opinion. I'll stay with 'low and slow' and that's a 'fact'.


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## pacanis (Jan 2, 2013)

GG, I just posted a link in your profile. I didn't want to post it here or we'd get more OT than we already have.


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## taxlady (Jan 2, 2013)

jennyema said:


> It's certainly _not_ a "fact"
> 
> If your protein is leathery on the outside and raw on the inside from roasting at 350, you can only blame your cooking skills, not the temperature of the oven.


+1


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## CharlieD (Jan 2, 2013)

I like to use cros cut shank, that's the part of the leg, chuck or short ribs. I like to have a little bone in the meat becasue it adds good flavor to the stew. Here are some picks.

Hm, how do I add comments to the pictures?

1. Cross cut Shank.
2. Short ribs.
3. Chuck roast.

Those are very good for any stew including the fancy Beef Bourginon


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## puffin3 (Jan 2, 2013)

pacanis said:


> GG, I just posted a link in your profile. I didn't want to post it here or we'd get more OT than we already have.


 I looked in my profile but didn't find your PM.


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## CraigC (Jan 2, 2013)

puffin3 said:


> I looked in my profile but didn't find your PM.


 
Probably because you aren't GotGarlic. But if you want to see the link, find a post by GotGarlic and click on the user name


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## puffin3 (Jan 2, 2013)

'So Sawly'. ;P


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## Dommi35 (Jan 11, 2013)

I just want to say an enormous thank you to you all for posting here. I've actually saved this whole thread into a document and am sending it to my pals too. I've found all the info on meat cuts very informative....

especially to learn that not all beef comes from cows! lol!

I'm looking forward to cooking more with beef...


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## Dommi35 (Jan 11, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> The other is that stewing involves meat (and veggies) being fully submerged in a liquid where braising involves the meat to be only partially submerged.



I've just read the same- have been researching online as I'm enjoying this new learning experience!. Stewing involves covering the meat with liquid and using stove top. Braising is more a form of steaming, with little liquid, and done in oven.


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2013)

Dommi35 said:


> I've just read the same- have been researching online as I'm enjoying this new learning experience!. Stewing involves covering the meat with liquid and using stove top. Braising is more a form of steaming, with little liquid, and done in oven.



Either can be done on the stove top or the oven.  What goes on inside the pot is the determining factor, not the heat source.


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## Savannahsmoker (Jan 11, 2013)

Very interesting and good post.


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## Cerise (Jan 11, 2013)

I have made Boeuf Bourguignon using (rump) roast, trimmed & cut into 1-2" pieces in the slow cooker.  Comes out great.


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## taxlady (Jan 11, 2013)

Cerise said:


> I have made Boeuf Bourguignon using (rump) roast, trimmed & cut into 1-2" pieces in the slow cooker.  Comes out great.


Do you have a recipe for that that you would be willing to share? That's exactly what I was planning on for Sunday, but I am very new to using a slow cooker.


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## puffin3 (Jan 14, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Do you have a recipe for that that you would be willing to share? That's exactly what I was planning on for Sunday, but I am very new to using a slow cooker.


 JC suggests using a 'chuck' (shoulder) and getting the 'tender' end of the muscle. 
I've made 'BB' using all sorts of cuts and IMO the very best is the 'tender' part of the 'chuck'. It has just the right ratio of connective tissue to meat so the pieces have a succulent texture and taste I've never had with any other cut. Not too 'fatty' but not too dry.
Rump roast, IMO does not have enough connective tissue (collagen) to make it 'unctuous'. It's from the opposite end of the animal than the 'chuck'. It's dry even when braised for a long time.


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## taxlady (Jan 14, 2013)

puffin3 said:


> JC suggests using a 'chuck' (shoulder) and getting the 'tender' end of the muscle.
> I've made 'BB' using all sorts of cuts and IMO the very best is the 'tender' part of the 'chuck'. It has just the right ratio of connective tissue to meat so the pieces have a succulent texture and taste I've never had with any other cut. Not too 'fatty' but not too dry.
> Rump roast, IMO does not have enough connective tissue (collagen) to make it 'unctuous'. It's from the opposite end of the animal than the 'chuck'. It's dry even when braised for a long time.


Thanks for the reply. I was getting worried that the rump roast was going to to dry out. In _The Way to Cook_ JC writes to use "stew meat".

Now I'm wondering what to do with that 3 lb chunk of rump roast. It's from a 1/3 of a cow that my MIL gave us. Most of that meat has been less tender than the same cut from the grocery store.

I guess I can make "pounded beef" with some of it and grind the rest.


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## Cerise (Jan 14, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Do you have a recipe for that that you would be willing to share? That's exactly what I was planning on for Sunday, but I am very new to using a slow cooker.


 
First, cook a few slices of bacon in a skillet & cut it into 1-2" pieces, and let it drain on paper towels. Trim & cut the meat into about 2" cubes & brown in batches on all sides in a skillet. Use tongs to turn the meat. A fork will puncture the meat & dry out. You can brown your carrots & onions (seasoned w/ s&p) if you like. Add it to the slow cooker along with 10 oz of beef broth & 2 cups of burgundy, a bay leaf, minced garlic, thyme, & tomato paste. Add your mushrooms during the last 45 minutes of cooking. The cooking time depends on your cooker. I check after about 4 hours.


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## taxlady (Jan 14, 2013)

Thank you Cerise.


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## puffin3 (Jan 14, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Thanks for the reply. I was getting worried that the rump roast was going to to dry out. In _The Way to Cook_ JC writes to use "stew meat".
> 
> Now I'm wondering what to do with that 3 lb chunk of rump roast. It's from a 1/3 of a cow that my MIL gave us. Most of that meat has been less tender than the same cut from the grocery store.
> 
> I guess I can make "pounded beef" with some of it and grind the rest.


 I'd do a 'low and slow' and long braise with it. Then I'd refrigerate it and slice it very thin and use it to make sandwiches with and/or served with a tasty gravy,  mashed potatoes and peas and carrots. Pretend you are eating at a busy 'truck stop'. I really do enjoy that meal at a truck stop. I know this might sound like I'm a snob but round roasts and rump roasts should be used to make ground beef.


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## Cerise (Jan 14, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Thank you Cerise.


 
You're welcome.  My pleasure.  Also, I change it out from time to time.  Add some Herbs de Provence if you like, Pinot noir, and/or chestnuts or cubes of butternut squash.  It's a departure from the original, but I like to make it my own.


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## acerbicacid (Jan 14, 2013)

I have only just come across this and I think the first picture posted by Dommi35 is shin of beef.    Also the picture posted by charlieD, the cross cut shank, looks like what we call shin or leg in the U.K.   It isn't often sold on the bone though.

I always use braising steak for bourgignon.


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