Tenderizing Meat

[sfreeman8]

What does everyone use to tenderize "shoe leather?" Foster son bought a steer and, as my on son stated, "I made a roast in the crock pot all day and it was so tough, I could stretch it 2 feet! It was like an accordion, snapped right back into shape!" Foster son's wife made a steak to test. It bounced when she dropped it after trying to chew a piece for 15 minutes!

He offered us some meat. I took a roast and made it in the crock pot the same day our son did and it was really good, so we were offered more. I took what may be tender eye roast, and cut some up into stew meat but I don't think we want to try any steaks. I'm thinking about  a 24-hour marinade and then beating it to death would help.  Hubby just wants to grind it all up into burger.

Anyone else ever have the problem of shoe leather meat and what did you do?

Thanks.

[Penwoir]

I don't know a lot about the different cuts of meat but I do know that specific cuts like Chuck, works best for slow cooking. It has to be covered in some kind of sauce or gravy and you should really cook it low (350 degrees) for about 3 hours or preferably more. The longer you braise the meat, the less chewy it becomes. I add potatoes and veggies to add flavor, also bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns. Any old kind of beef stock would suffice - even from a cube.

[catchow]

I agree, if its that bad Id probably grind it into burger.

My mother always did this, and I do too, with a tough piece of meat, take a small plate, and beat flour into the meat with the side of the plate making hashmarks # into the meat, flip it over, and do the same thing, beat it till you almost cut through the meat

[sfreeman8]

I agree, if its that bad Id probably grind it into burger.

My mother always did this, and I do too, with a tough piece of meat, take a small plate, and beat flour into the meat with the side of the plate making hashmarks # into the meat, flip it over, and do the same thing, beat it till you almost cut through the meat

Come to think of it, I used to do that with a regular hammer! Of course, I'd cover the meat with plastic wrap or something that the hammer wouldn't touch the meat.

BTW, the guys have 300 lbs. of meat they're now turning into hamburger....but because we are the luckiest family alive, the grinder died after 100 lbs.