For upkeep-conscious home cooks, using stew meat in recipes is a slap-up way to stretch a dollar!

From soups and stews to stew meat is cooked low and boring until fork-tender. It's perfect for countless recipes but how do yous know what meat is the all-time?

A steak and cubed stew meat on a cutting board.

What is Stew Meat?

Stew meat mostly comes from the tougher, larger parts of animals like cows, elk, deer, or pigs. Beef stew meat typically comes from the large shoulder of a cow, more commonly called "chuck". But roast, elevation and bottom round, tips, and even steak can be used every bit stew meat.

When purchasing beef stew meat at the store, information technology tin can often be a mixture of bits and pieces left over from cutting upwardly larger cuts of meat into steaks and roasts.

Many home cooks adopt to use chuck because it is consistent in cooking time and texture and the results are tender and juicy!

What Kind of Meat For Beefiness Stew?

For beef stew, in that location is no better cutting of meat than chuck! Purchase a thick chuck pot roast and cut it into chunks for the best tender flavor.

Chuck roast is a tougher cut of meat than sirloin or rib roast which actually benefits from force per unit area cooking or slow cooking making the best beef stew! Pressure cooking or wearisome cooking breaks downward tough fibers so the beefiness pieces become melt in your mouth tender.

Stew Meat is also a expert option for the decorated and budget-conscious cook. As beef stew meat tends to be a mixture of bits and pieces some bits can accept a unlike texture when stewing.

In the prototype below, the meat on the left is chuck and has consistent texture and marbling throughout, the meat on the correct is purchase stew meat of which some is very lean. I definitely discover that chuck is the best for a stew recipe.

Stew meat cubed on a cutting board

How to Cook Stew Meat

Browning in flour adds to the flavor and tenderness of stew meat.

  1. Cut pieces of stew meat into even-sized portions. Remove any large pieces of fat.
  2. Place them in a basin with seasoned flour and toss to evenly coat.
  3. Saute them in a niggling oil or butter (bacon grease adds extra flavor) until browned.

Tips for Browning Stew Meat

  • Use butter or oil to coat the pan.
  • Chocolate-brown beefiness in small batches for best results.
  • Exercise not overcrowd the pan or the juices will keep the beefiness from forming a crust.
  • Do not stir the beef, permit a deep chaff to form before turning.
  • Add together liquid to scrape whatsoever brown $.25 (deglaze the pan) and add together them to your recipe. These brown bits are full of flavor.

How to Make Stew Meat Tender

Almost beef stew meat comes from the tougher cuts, but that doesn't hateful it has to turn out tough!

Low and slow is the name of the game hither. Be sure to have adequate liquid in the pot, goulash dish, crockpot, or Instant Pot and cook it for the required fourth dimension outlined in the recipe! This volition ensure the best texture and flavor.

If your stew meat is tough, it most ofttimes needs MORE fourth dimension.

Recipes using Stew Meat

  • Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
  • Beef Tips & Gravy
  • Hungarian Goulash
  • Crockpot Beef Stew
  • Beef Stroganoff Soup
  • Like shooting fish in a barrel Homemade Beef Stew
  • Beefiness & Guinness Stew

Stew Meat on a cutting board with writing

Close up of Stew Meat with writing

beef Stew Meat on a cutting board with a title

before and after cutting up beef for Stew Meat

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and cocky appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday abode melt!

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