Lismore Grass Fed Highland Beef and Shearling Lamb

                                                                                  How to Avoid tough dry meat

A moist tender stew or casserole results from attention to several details of procedure, the most important rule:- Never let the meat interior get anywhere near to the boil. "A Stew Boiled is a stew Spoiled" attributed to Mrs Bridges from Upstairs Downstairs

• Keep the meat as intact as possible to minimise fluid loss from the surface

• Brown the surface of the meat very quickly in a Hot pan so the inside of the meat warms only slightly. This kills any microbes on the surface, and creates flavour.

• Start the pot with the meat and cooking liquid in a cold oven, the pot lid ajar to allow some evaporation, and set the thermostat to 200ºF 93ºC so that it heats the stew to around 120ºF 50ºC slowly over 2 hours.

• Raise the oven temperature to 250ºF 120ºC so that the stew slowly warms from  to 180ºF 80ºC.

• After an hour, check the meat every half hour, and stop the cooking when it is easily penetrated by the tines of a fork. Let the meat cool in the stew, where it will reabsorb some liquid.

• Should the liquid need to be reduced by boiling to improve consistency and flavour. Remove the meat first.

• Remember it only takes a moment at the boil to dry out a good stew, so when reheating bring the liquid alone to the boil briefly then reduce the heat and add back the meat to warm through.