Hot water secret: Unlock perfectly tender stew meat
An aromatic and warming meat stew is the perfect addition to the fall-winter menu. However, the dish can only be considered successful when the meat pieces melt in your mouth. So, how do you get closer to perfection? Pay particular attention to the type of water you use to cook the meat.
5:03 PM EDT, October 5, 2024
Marinades, piercing, and long simmering are essential techniques that will certainly help achieve tender and delicate meat. However, all these efforts can be in vain if you pour cold water over the seared and ready-to-simmer meat. Why is that?
How to make sure the meat in the stew is tender?
Preparing an aromatic stew with tender and delicate meat pieces is quite an art, but knowing a few rules can bring you closer to perfection. First, it’s worth searing the meat pieces on all sides. This way, they will gain more flavor. The seared meat should be simmered gently with aromatic spices. It's best to hold off on adding salt until the very end, as salting the contents of the pot too early can make the meat tough.
Long simmering over gentle heat allows the meat to become tender. It’s also worth treating the meat with a marinade beforehand. You can read more about meat-tenderizing marinades below:
Only use this type of water for cooking meat in the stew. Otherwise, it will be tough and stringy
Usually, seared meat is cooked with water (or broth) to become tender through prolonged simmering. However, the temperature of the water added to the pot with the meat is of significant importance. It’s not about using a thermometer to measure the exact value but about remembering one rule.
The water you use to cook the seared meat in the stew should be hot. Pouring cold water over the warm meat will only make it tough and stringy, while warm, even hot water, is key to achieving meat that melts in your mouth.
