Stew Meat

About this cut

Cut into cubes from the chuck and other hard working parts of the animal, which is exactly what you want for a long cook. The connective tissue melts down over low heat and thickens everything around it.

Good for

Brown it hard first, in batches, and don't skip that step; it's where most of the flavor comes from. Then low and slow for two or three hours in stock, wine or tomatoes. Stew, beef and barley, goulash, pot pie filling.

From our kitchen

Browned hard, in batches, before anything else goes in the pot. That step is the difference between stew and boiled beef.

Dry the cubes, salt them, and brown them a handful at a time so they sear rather than steam. Then onions, carrots and garlic in the same fat, a spoonful of tomato paste, red wine to deglaze, and stock. Lid on, 300 degrees, two and a half hours, with potatoes in for the last forty minutes. Bread and butter, and it's better the next day.

Storage

Arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and keeps about a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or quick thaw it in a bowl of cold water. Once it's thawed, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 2 to 3 days.