Brilliantly flavorful tender meat!

This is a recipe I got from Lidia Bastianich... For all you foodies out there... You know who she is

IF you happen to have a cut of steak or Lamb that is a little tough... Lets say a blade steak, this recipe will turn said tough meat into incredibly tender pieces of flavorful meat you and your family will drool over... it works with Lamb or Beef

The end result is just magic!!

Lamb

Take a large pan depending on the amount of meat you use and Brown on both sides with a bit of olive oil. You'll probably want to make a pretty large amount because it will disappear fast... Take the meat out of the pan once both sides are nice and brown

Chop 4 cloves of garlic finely and add it to the hot pan... add 2 table spoons of mustard and stir the mixture around a bit

Take one can of anchovies or the equivalent of one can of anchovy paste and add it to the pan...

Add 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and the browned meat to the hot mixture in the pan...

fill pan to the top of the meat with chicken stock, and bring it to a boil at just over medium heat... simmer til the liquid reduces to about half... add a little more chicken stock, and reduce the heat to simmer and cover

This will take a while... simmer the meat until it is tender, you should have a thin layer of gravy on the bottom when it is ready

Aside from the amazing smell that will permeate your house, the tough meat will be incredibly tender and tasty no matter how tough it was before hand... And if you are cooking for a large family, be sure to get a piece because as I've said, it will disappear really fast!

**Note
IF you're using beef instead of Lamb, substitute chicken stock for beef stock

Enjoy!!

a reply to: Akragon

Sounds lovely but I'm not so sure about the anchovies? I usually find them a little too salty.

Meat cooked slowly like this is always more tender than fried.

I also wonder if the browning/searing of the meat is really necessary with a dish like this? Normally, meats are seared to seal in the juices which would otherwise escape during frying/grilling. As this is slow cooked while the gravy/sauce is reduced,it is probably not necessary to add the stage of browning the meat.

I suppose the real test would be to try it, perhaps only browning half the meat to compare.

a reply to: chr0naut

I would say follow the recipe honestly...

I like to tweak things while I cook too, but how do you argue with Lidia? LOL

Everything I've tried from her turns out amazing... this makes meat so tender you could cut it with a spoon no matter how tough it was

Don't worry about the anchovies... you won't even taste them, and the meat isn't salty at all...

a reply to: Akragon

We live in dairy country here so we get what we call 'homekill' meat (i.e:meat from our cattle killed on premises and prepared with minimum adulteration & handling) so I've decided to buy some anchovies & give this a go tonight!

Cheerz!

a reply to: chr0naut

you brown the meat so you are not eating boiled meat. The carmelized beef has a different flavor than the cooked, uncarmelized beef.

Its all about flavor. Sealing in juices is for steaks and whatnot....not slow cooked.

We do something similar with beef heart, only we use beef broth and simmer ours down in a slow braise adding root vegetables, legumes and eventually some barley to make a sort of thick stew by the end.

I might suggest this to my husband and see what he says. The original recipe was designed to be used with a roast.

a reply to: Akragon

Just one question, two tablespoons of mustard seems like a lot (I'd probably use a Dijon). Could that have been teaspoons or desert spoons?

It does sound good, but what about doing it in a slow cooker? It seems like this mean is meant for it rather than having to open the oven a few times and try to find counter space in my little apaerment. I think I would prefer to do that and pitch in a few veggies when adding the stock while I'm at it. I too like to brown the meat first to give it a bit more flavour on the outside.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: chr0naut

you brown the meat so you are not eating boiled meat. The carmelized beef has a different flavor than the cooked, uncarmelized beef.

Its all about flavor. Sealing in juices is for steaks and whatnot....not slow cooked.

Noted, thanks for that!

a reply to: aboutface

the slow cooker doesn't get hot enough to break down the connecting fibers into gelatin. So you don't get the best results, and could end up with rubber instead of meat.

My slow cooker may be used to cook chicken, or to keep food warm. But tough pork, beef, and lamb? Never. It doesn't get above that magic 195 degrees you need to melt the tougher fibers in the meat.

Well I and orhers sear for texture, taste and visual appeal, I find not searing and slow cooking leaves a lump of grey meat...to each their own.

OP thank you for the recipe...I dont have a lot of love for anchovies but I can appreciate there use here. a reply to: chr0naut

Good point. I use my 5, 7, or 9 qt cast Iron for all slow cooking of meats, so much yummier, more even heat distribution. reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks BFFT, I forgot about the temperature aspect altogether. I was aiming for convenience. Shows to go you how infrequently I've used my slow cooker or been able to afford meat, lol.

a reply to: BlueJacket

oh man, if you have a cast iron dutch oven, you have the most perfect cooking vessel ever made.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Now, I've done up perfectly shreddable pork loin in a slow cooker plenty of times. But pork loin isn't an inherently tough cut either.

In fact, one of my favorite burrito filling recipes is a slow cooker shredded pork.

a reply to: chr0naut

I am a scientifically oriented cook. America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country on PBS are my faves and I have purchased their cook books.
So maybe I gotta a little ego invested here.
The browning of meat is not carmelization per se. The meat's sugar combines with amino acids generating flavor compounds as the process matures Melanoidin Pigments form. This is when the browning becomes apparent. The temperature required for this to happen rapidly is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. What occurs is the Mailliard Reaction.

Searing meat does NOT seal the surface and help retain moisture in ANY situation. To retain moisture the ONLY factor involved is the final temperature of the meat's interior.

Braising is the best means to cook tough cuts to generate both flavor and tenderness. However if you are strictly boiling the meat and not searing, developing the more complex and generally greater flavor impact is IMPOSSIBLE. If you leave the meat exposed to the air, it can brown. Otherwise you can get mushy meat but not very tasty.

You may want to brine your meat first, tenderize and inject flavorings. All of these techniques will make crappy cuts much more flavorful, juicy and tender.

I am not receiving emollients for this but The Science Of Good Cooking is worth a read. Check your library.

a reply to: ketsuko

Well...pork loin is about as tender a cut of pork as you can get.

The only problem with slow cooking pork loin in a crock is that you get well done pork. A good pork roast, when served as a roast, should be medium (assuming you don't have wild boar, which still needs to be well done no matter what).

But if you are making pulled pork, the only issue I see with crockpot pork loin is the lack of dark meat. But feel free to invite me to supper next time you have one ready!

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
Same reference-
Temps from 160-180 F are an ideal range for reducing collagen to tenderness. When internal temps hit 190 F, you are done.

Pork Butt IS able to sustain exposure to the higher long term temps, so cuts and beast type change the parameters.

Your meat is in your hands...Be careful you don't damage it.

I thin I heard this somewhere else though.

originally posted by: largo
a reply to: chr0naut

I am a scientifically oriented cook. America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country on PBS are my faves and I have purchased their cook books.
So maybe I gotta a little ego invested here.
The browning of meat is not carmelization per se. The meat's sugar combines with amino acids generating flavor compounds as the process matures Melanoidin Pigments form. This is when the browning becomes apparent. The temperature required for this to happen rapidly is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. What occurs is the Mailliard Reaction.

Searing meat does NOT seal the surface and help retain moisture in ANY situation. To retain moisture the ONLY factor involved is the final temperature of the meat's interior.

Braising is the best means to cook tough cuts to generate both flavor and tenderness. However if you are strictly boiling the meat and not searing, developing the more complex and generally greater flavor impact is IMPOSSIBLE. If you leave the meat exposed to the air, it can brown. Otherwise you can get mushy meat but not very tasty.

You may want to brine your meat first, tenderize and inject flavorings. All of these techniques will make crappy cuts much more flavorful, juicy and tender.

I am not receiving emollients for this but The Science Of Good Cooking is worth a read. Check your library.

Gotta love the science!

Thanks

i dont understand how a person could eat lamb meat.... that's just evil