Beef casseroles – what makes the difference
The key to a great beef casserole is simple, choose the right cut and give it some time to slowly cook. The time part may scare you off, don’t let it, the only part that takes time is the cooking. Preparing a casserole is quick and easy, the oven, the cook top or the slow cooker takes over from there.
It’s the less expensive cuts of meat that perform the best. Chuck and Boneless shin/Gravy beef will deliver great flavour and tenderness. Topside, Round and Blade are good choice if you are pressed for time as they cook more quickly.
Turning an inexpensive cut of meat into a warming, nourishing and flavourful meal can be done in just a couple of hours, Don’t rush the initial stage of browning the meat, it’s important to brown in small batches to maximise colour and flavour.
Follow the following tips to make your beef casseroles even better.
* Matching the beef cut to the cooking time you have available is the most important consideration:
Consider the time you have and pick the appropriate beef cut – choose from Chuck, Boneless shin/Gravy beef – these cuts take about 2 – 2 ½ hours to cook. These cuts offer the richest flavour and the most succulent meat, but they do need long, slow cooking to make them tender. Beef Topside, Blade and Round need only 1 – 1 ½ hours of slow simmering to reach their best tenderness, keep in mind though, they can be tough or chewy to taste if not cooked long enough. Cut the meat into 2.5cm – 3cm cubes, the cubes of meat will shrink as they cook. Keeping the cubes of meat at the same size will give you consistency in texture and flavour.
* Don’t rush the initial stage of browning the meat:
Brown the meat in small batches. Keep the pan at medium-high heat as you cook. You don’t want the beef to stew in its own juices – this happens if the pan is not hot enough or if you try to cook too much meat at once – you’ll get tough dry meat that lacks flavour.
The pan needs to be hot enough for the meat to sizzle but not so hot that it scorches and burns portions of the meat or results in a blackened pan. This will give a burnt taste to the casserole.
* Simmer the casserole gently and taste it to see if it’s ready:
The gentle heat of simmering is used to draw the flavour out of foods. A slow simmer is when small amounts of tiny bubbles rise to the surface of the cooking liquid.
To judge if your casserole is ready simply taste it – the sauce should be rich in flavour and slightly thickened. Whatever the suggested cut of beef, the meat should be tender enough to flake or fall apart easily with a fork. If it’s not done put it back in the oven or on the cook top and simmer for a while longer.
