How to choose beef for cooking
The quality of fresh chilled meat is determined by the color of the pieces themselves and the fat on them. They must be pure red in color without a gray coating, dark spots and always with white fat. Yellow beef fat indicates the meat of an old bull or cow; if you buy it, it will not cook quickly and will be tough.
The elasticity of beef pulp and the fresh aroma of meat without unpleasant odors indicate the freshness and high quality of the meat product. To cook proper, rich meat broth for soup (borscht), choose beef on the bone. Beef ribs with pulp, parts of the carcass with meat bones are suitable for making the broth clear and rich. For salads, preparing real pilaf and traditional summer okroshka, choose tenderloin and beef pulp.
Jamie Oliver's goulash soup
Photo: Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH / Shutterstock
Ingredients
- 250 g onions;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 green pepper;
- a little olive oil;
- 500 g beef shin;
- 1 tablespoon paprika;
- 1 ½ liters beef broth;
- 2 tomatoes;
- ½ tablespoon of cumin seeds;
- a little red wine vinegar;
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste;
- a few sprigs of fresh marjoram;
- sea salt - to taste;
- ground black pepper - to taste;
- 200 g potatoes.
Preparation
Cut the onion into half rings, chop the garlic, remove the seeds from the pepper and cut it into cubes. Pour olive oil into a saucepan and cook vegetables over medium heat until they soften.
Cut the beef into small cubes and cook with the vegetables until the meat is browned. Add paprika, stir and fry for another 2 minutes. Then pour in 200 ml of broth, bring to a boil and cook until the volume of liquid is reduced by half.
Add finely chopped tomatoes, cumin seeds, vinegar, tomato paste and chopped marjoram. If you can't find fresh herbs, replace them with a tablespoon of dried marjoram. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour in half the remaining broth and cook over low heat for 1.5–2 hours. After this, place the diced potatoes in a saucepan, add broth and cook until the potatoes are ready. If the soup seems thick to you, add a little hot water during cooking.
Preparing for cooking
Frozen beef must be thawed before cooking. To properly defrost, the day before cooking, remove the meat from the freezer and leave it on the refrigerator shelf in a bag until it is tender. Gradual defrosting will preserve the juiciness of the meat; after cooking it will not be dry, but will be cooked juicy.
Thawed beef should be thoroughly rinsed under tap water and any small bones stuck to the flesh should be removed. After cleaning, it is necessary to process the piece of meat, cutting off excess fat, veins and films. For convenience, a large piece of beef can be cut into smaller pieces. There is no need to cook beef in too small pieces so that the meat after cooking is juicy and tasty; it is better to cook it whole in one piece.
Triestine goulash
Category: Hot dishes Meat dishes Hot beef dishes
The Triestine variety (with Austrian roots) of the widely known dish called goulash. It differs from another well-known in our region, Ungerian goulash, in that this dish is not a thick soup with meat and vegetables floating in it, which is served in deep plates and complete with tablespoons. A very simple everyday dish... which is clear proof of the well-known fact that Italian women have never had the habit of working hard like Papa Carlo, preferring to spend their days in the kitchen surrounded by numerous offspring, while their faithful spouses work for ten...
How long to cook beef after boiling
- How long to cook the beef until ready for the salad depends on the size of the piece. According to the cooking time of beef (a whole piece weighing 1 kg), the cooking time for young meat will be 1 hour, old meat needs to be cooked for about 3 hours until the beef is fully cooked so that it becomes soft.
- How long to cook beef in small pieces, when beef tenderloin and flesh need to be cooked quickly? Small pieces of young beef will be ready in 40 minutes, old meat will be cooked in pieces in a saucepan 1.5 hours after the water boils.
- How long to cook beef in a slow cooker? A piece of beef can be cooked in a slow cooker 2 hours before it is ready using the Stew, Spaghetti, Soup mode.
- How long does it take to cook beef broth? How long should you cook beef for soup (borscht) on the bone and without the bone? To cook boneless beef broth, the cooking time for beef will be 1.5 hours. Beef for soup on the bone is cooked in broth and can be cooked within 2 hours after boiling water in a pan.
Boiled beef: recipes and cooking options and benefits
What do we know about beef? What makes this meat unique, and why is it recommended to include it in your diet?
Firstly, beef is an excellent source of dietary proteins, which the body constantly needs. In addition, it is very nutritious. Beef saturates the human body faster than other foods (in terms of nutritional properties, a quarter kilogram of beef is equivalent to a liter of milk).
Secondly, such meat does not increase intestinal acidity, unlike many other products. It neutralizes many irritants, such as food enzymes and hydrochloric acid.
Thirdly, beef is digested quite quickly, without overloading the intestines with waste.
But there is one significant nuance... We do not know where and how the animal that became the food product was raised. Typically, such bulls and cows develop in industrial conditions, eating special dry food and being exposed to numerous diseases. Not all factories meet sanitary and technical conditions. Therefore, you should not buy meat from little-known dubious producers. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to assess the integrity of a beef supplier. When purchasing a package of meat in a supermarket, we cannot know how healthy our purchase is.
Beef meat contains a lot of harmful fats; during frying, it releases a significant amount of carcinogens. Therefore, it is better to eat boiled beef, which is rich in iron, zinc and vitamin B.
What is boiled beef? The recipe for this dish is extremely simple. Place the meat in a pan with salted water and cook for two to three hours after boiling, skimming off the foam. To improve the taste, spices are often added to the broth; half an hour before cooking, finely chopped carrots, celery, parsley, peppers, onions are thrown into the meat... Do not forget about bay leaves and other favorite flavorings. Boiled beef, the recipe for which depends on your taste, is usually served with vegetables, separately from the broth. The ideal combination would be boiled beef with boiled potatoes.
Meat prepared in this way is very soft and easily digested by the body. When serving meat to the table, it is usually cut into small pieces. In some cases, the entire beef is pulled apart into small fibers, covering the entire surface of the side dish with them.
This dish is often decorated with pieces of boiled carrots and herbs. Beautifully decorated boiled beef, the preparation of which is completely unimportant, arouses the guests' appetite and admiration for the culinary creativity of the hostess. The main thing that novice cooks need to pay attention to is the cooking time. Any meat, be it beef or boiled lamb, takes at least two hours to cook. Large pieces of meat are cooked for three hours. The fact is that it is during this period of time that the meat is cleansed of all harmful substances. Some cooks are sure that the first broth in which the meat was cooked should be drained after boiling, since all these harmful substances remain in the water. Not all people adhere to this rule, since this procedure significantly lengthens the process of preparing dishes such as boiled beef. The recipe usually does not require draining the broth, but always focuses on skimming off the foam. By removing the resulting foam, you get rid of most of the harmful secretions.
Vegetarianism condemns the consumption of meat. His followers are confident that a person can get all the beneficial nutrients through food of plant origin. But it is not so. Cooked meat contains special unique proteins that have no analogues in the plant world. Of course, a person can live a long life without eating meat products. But by regularly eating meat, you help your body become stronger and more resilient.
How long to cook in a pressure cooker
You can quickly cook beef in a pressure cooker. It is difficult to say how long you need to cook meat in minutes; the time depends on the age of the cattle - bull or cow. Typically, the oldest beef is cooked in a saucepan for 3 hours. In a pressure cooker, the cooking time will be approximately 1 hour if cooked with the lid closed.
If you need meat for sandwiches or want beef that is firmer for even slicing, cook it for 40-50 minutes in one whole piece, defrosted. The cooking time for frozen meat will increase to 1.5 hours.
How to get meat tender
- To make a large piece of raw meat more tender and soft, marinate it for 2-3 hours using lemon juice (1/4 lemon) or vinegar (1 tbsp).
- Also suitable as a simple marinade are onions or onion juice, wine (30-50 ml), milk, kefir mixed with spices (optional).
- If you need to give the meat an additional, light touch, you can marinate it in cucumber brine or soy sauce.
- It is recommended to rub dry mustard on the meat overnight.
- Some chefs recommend a “dietary” marinade - “Borjomi” or “Essentuki”. There is no need to salt the marinade.
- If you don’t have time even for two hours of marinating, then an old trick of experienced housewives will help you get out of the situation and turn very tough beef into a tender dish: carefully add 1/2 tsp to the broth, boiling over low heat. baking soda.
Delicious salad dressings instead of mayonnaise - recipes here.
How to cook for soup
- It is correct to prepare a delicious rich broth for soup using a second broth. Rinse fresh, chilled or defrosted meat.
- Place it in a saucepan and fill it with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, and simmer for five minutes.
- Then pour out the cloudy beef broth. Rinse the meat again with cool water, pour boiling water over it, add salt, add aromatic spices, and continue cooking the beef for the soup in a second clear broth until tender.
A simple recipe for vegetable salad with beef
A very simple quick meat salad.
✍ Ingredients:
- 200 g boiled beef;
- 4-5 pcs. boiled potatoes;
- 2 cucumbers (fresh or salted);
- 100 g fresh green salad;
- 100-150 g mayonnaise;
- salt, vinegar
Preparation:
- Let the cooked meat drain.
- Cut the cooled beef into slices. Leave a small amount (30-50 g) for decoration.
- Cut boiled potatoes, peeled, in any way: into plates, cubes or strips.
- Slice the cucumbers in the same way, leaving half a cucumber for decoration.
- Place all the chopped products in a bowl and mix with mayonnaise (add salt and sprinkle with vinegar if desired).
- Place lettuce leaves on the bottom of the salad bowl as a base. Leave one for decoration.
- Place the ingredients mixed with mayonnaise on the leaves.
- You can decorate the finished dish with cucumbers, sliced slices, chopped lettuce, and pieces of meat.
- Let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes.
See also: How to make fluffy cheesecakes: TOP 7 simple secrets + 4 simple recipes from the chef
1Boiling beef - preparing the meat
The optimal part for boiling is the brisket. Shoulder, rump, and tender rib sirloin are also suitable. You should not choose shank or flank as raw materials for broth.
- Rinse fresh beef under running cold water.
- Remove films and excess fat from the surface of the meat.
- If you want to get a tasty and rich broth, place the beef pulp in cold water. As a result of cooking, the meat will give the broth the maximum amount of salts and soluble proteins, thanks to which the first dish will be unusually tasty and healthy.
- The size of the pan should be such that the water can completely cover the beef.
- If the main goal is the beef fragment itself, it should be immersed in boiling water. Cover the dish with a lid and reduce the intensity of the flame. In this case, all the beneficial qualities will be preserved in the meat.
- A common mistake made by many housewives is the desire to remove the foam that appears during the cooking process. Yes, indeed, broth without foam looks more attractive, but also less healthy. After all, it is the foam that contains protein compounds that have passed from the meat into the broth. For this reason, it is recommended not to remove the foam layer depending on the cooking time of the beef.
- Salt is added almost before the end of cooking (7-10 minutes).
- After turning off the heat, do not rush to remove the beef pulp. Leave it in the broth for another 20-30 minutes. As a result, the meat will be softer and juicier.
If you decide to boil frozen pulp, let it thaw. The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is best suited for these purposes. You can also defrost the carcass at room temperature. It is better to refuse such helpers as a microwave oven and hot (or even warm) water. Aggressive exposure to high temperatures will cause the meat to defrost unevenly. As a result, you will get barely cooked edges and a still frozen middle.
Delicious quick boiled beef
You can easily boil beef according to the classic recipe if you choose the right meat.
Fresh, non-frozen meat with a delicate texture, such as juicy brisket, will quickly cook. To speed up the cooking process, you need to cut the beef into pieces along the grain. Then sauté on both sides in a cast-iron frying pan in vegetable oil on high heat. The meat should be covered with a golden crust.
Boil water in advance, dip the fried pieces of beef into it and do not add salt. Skim off the foam, pour in a tablespoon of vegetable oil and cook over moderate heat, covered, for 40 minutes.
6-7 minutes before the end of cooking, add table salt to taste. The cooked beef should be soft and should not release any reddish juice when cut. Serve with cucumber and tomato salad and mashed potatoes.
Boiled beef in a slow cooker
Rinse 800 grams of beef tenderloin, cut into pieces of equal thickness, weighing 150-200 grams. Place in the multicooker bowl. Place a few peppercorns, a teaspoon of ground coriander, one clove and a couple of bay leaves on top. Fill with cold filtered water.
To prevent the broth from boiling too hot when boiling beef, it is recommended to use the “Stew” mode. Cook the meat in a slow cooker for 2 hours. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste, serve separately filtered broth, fresh herbs and light vegetables. A good side dish for boiled meat would be fried potatoes or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Beef pulp | 1 kg |
Bay leaf | 2-3 pcs. |
Onion | 1 PC. |
Garlic | 3 cloves |
Carrot | 1 PC. |
Salt | 2 tbsp. l. |
Ground red pepper | 1/3 tsp. |
Khmeli-suneli | 1 tsp. |
Allspice peas | 10 pieces. |
Water | 3 l |