How do you make already-cooked beef stew meat more tender?

Question

I cooked my very first batch of beef stew on low heat in my new crock pot for 10 hours. It tastes amazing but the meat is still a little on the tough/chewy side. Can I add anything to tenderize it more or is it too late?

Gary C · Accepted Answer

Sure, just stew it longer at low heat. Add some water if necessary.
The longer you cook red meat, the more you break down the connective tissue, which makes the meat more tender. This takes time, though, which is why tougher cuts of meat need to be cooked for a long time with low heat instead of a short time with high heat.

Anonymous · Answer

10 hours is much too long, even in a crock pot on low. Believe it or not, meat can dry out while cooking in liquid. For this batch, not much you can do... cut the meat into smaller bits. What cut of beef did you use? For the future, my suggestion is to cook for 6 to 8 hours. A good cut of beef to use is a chuck roast (better marbling). The round, brisket and rump seem to dry out a lot quicker than the chuck.

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How do you make already-cooked beef stew meat more tender?

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