11.3 Moist Heat Methods of Meat Cookery and Acid and Enzyme Tenderization

Moist Heat Tenderization

Beef Stew

Cut stew meat into ¾” cubes.  In a saucepan, melt vegetable oil or shortening.  Brown meat cubes thoroughly in vegetable oil or shortening.  Add salt, pepper, water, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf.  Simmer, covered, until tender, approximately 1-1½  hours.  Remove bay leaf.  Skim most of the vegetable oil or shortening from stew liquid.  Add vegetables to the stew; continue to simmer about 30 minutes.  While stew is simmering, prepare a roux.  When vegetables are done, add roux a small amount at a time, bringing to a boil after each addition, until adequately thickened.

*Roux: Measure 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or shortening into skillet and blend in 3 tablespoons of flour.  Cook 1-2 minutes over medium heat until lightly browned.

Creamy Beef and Mushrooms

Cut veal into 1-inch pieces. Lightly coat a saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat saucepan over medium heat. Brown veal in hot saucepan. Add beef bouillon, water, thyme, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Halve any large fresh pearl onions. Stir onions and mushrooms into veal mixture. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes more or until onions and mushrooms are tender.

In a separate small saucepan, prepare egg noodles: Bring 3 cups water to boil in saucepan, add 1 tsp salt and noodles.  Stir gently, return to a boil and cook uncovered 6-8 min.  Drain.

Combine evaporated milk, flour, and nutmeg. Add to veal mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in cooked noodles and lemon juice.

*Blanch onions in boiling water for about 10 seconds.  Drain, chill, trim and slip off skins.

Swissed and Braised Beef Round Steak

Cut through the epimysium at 1-inch intervals around the piece of meat.  Mix flour, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Place meat on cutting board, sprinkle with seasoned flour and pound with swissing iron.  Turn meat, flour and pound.  Repeat this process until meat is about ½ of original thickness.  Melt vegetable oil or shortening in heavy skillet; brown meat on both sides.  Add juice or water, cover tightly, and simmer on low heat approximately 90 minutes, or until fork tender.

Braised Breaded Pork

Mix egg and milk.  Coat meat with mixture of flour and salt.  Dip meat in egg wash and then in cracker crumbs.  Melt vegetable oil or shortening in a heavy frying pan.  Brown meat on both sides in vegetable oil or shortening, being careful not to loosen the breading.  Cover and cook on low heat until fork tender, approximately 45-60 minutes.

Pressure Pan Pot Roast

Brown meat slowly in vegetable oil or shortening in pressure pan.  Pour off drippings into liquid measuring cup, save for gravy.  Set meat on rack.  Season; add onions and water.  Cook about 30 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure. Remove petcock. Cool pan at room temperature for 5 minutes; then reduce heat under cold running water.  Make gravy.*

*To make gravy:

Allow fat to separate from retained drippings in liquid measuring cup.  Skim off  fat and return to cooking pan; stir in 1½ tbsp. flour and heat 1-2 minutes.  Add water to remaining liquid in measuring cup to make 1 cup; add to pan.  Stir constantly until mixture boils, scraping the pan so that any solidified meat juices are blended into the gravy.  Continue to boil for one minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Oven Pot Roast with Vegetables

Brown roast in vegetable oil or shortening in heavy skillet that can be put into  the oven.  Pour off drippings into liquid measuring cup, save for gravy.  Add tomato juice and onions; season with salt and pepper.  Cover tightly and cook in 300°F oven 1½  to 2 hours.  If liquid evaporates, add more liquid during the baking period.  About 45 minutes before serving time, add potatoes and carrot.  Remove meat and vegetables from skillet and place on warm platter.  Make gravy.*

*To make gravy:

Allow fat to separate from retained drippings in liquid measuring cup.  Skim off fat and return to cooking pan; stir in 1½ tbsp. flour and heat 1-2 minutes.  Add water to remaining liquid in measuring cup to make 1 cup; add to pan.  Stir constantly until mixture boils, scraping the pan so that any solidified meat juices are blended into the gravy.  Continue to boil for one minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lamb Chops with Sour Cream

In a skillet, slowly brown chop in small amount of hot vegetable oil or shortening.  Drain vegetable oil or shortening.  Sprinkle chop with salt and pepper.  Add next 5 ingredients.  Cover; simmer 30-45 minutes until meat is tender.  Remove chop from pan.

Pour drippings into measuring cup.   When fat comes to the top, skim off.  Add water to remaining drippings to make ½ cup.  Add 1 tsp. oil to pan.  Add flour and blend.  Return drippings to pan and boil 2 minutes.  Return chop to pan; cover with sour cream; cover and heat through without curdling sour cream.  Top with green onion tops and parsley before serving.

InstantPot Pulled Pork

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Add pork to coat well with spices. Brown pork with oil in sauté pan. Sear pork for two minutes on each side. Remove pork. Deglaze sauté pan with chicken broth. Place pork and broth into InstantPot. Set InstantPot to pork setting, then adjust cook time to 25 minutes. Once cooked, release steam and shred pork.

Beef Tongue Tacos

Wash tongue in cool water.  Trim away any bony parts.  Place tongue on meat rack in pressure pan, add water, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and salt and cook at 15 lbs. pressure for 40 minutes.  Cool pan at room temperature for 15 minutes. Open pan, cool tongue, remove skin, and shred the meat into strands.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In a small skillet, heat tortillas, one minute on each side. To assemble tacos, layer tongue and tomato mixture inside folded tortilla and sprinkle with cheese and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Evaluation