The Cuts Of Meat You Should Never Use For Beef Stew
Beef stew is a multicultural comfort food that's been keeping bellies warm and taste buds satisfied since the 14th century. Though humans have been tenderizing meat in flavored liquids for centuries, France is largely credited for sowing the seeds for the contemporary version of stew that we know and love today. As you can imagine, early iterations of beef stew relied on whatever cuts of meats and root vegetables were available for the cooking. In modern times, with grocery stores and butcher shops galore, we have our pick of stewing meats — which can be overwhelming if you're unfamiliar with all the different cuts of beef.
We spoke to Jesse Moore, a corporate chef at Cargill Protein North America, to get his expert opinion on which cuts to avoid when cooking up a good old-fashioned beef stew. Chef Moore says, "avoid the premium cuts such as ribeye tenderloin." He explains why, saying, "Those types of cuts are wasted in the long cooking times. On the other hand, [...] economical cuts don't perform very well either." Chef Moore says that cheaper cuts of meat tend to be leaner, which means there isn't as much fat to break down and tenderize the meat during the stewing process, which can leave you with tough, chewy hunks. Plus, you miss out on so much flavor without the delicious ribbons of fat. So when looking at which cuts to use, price-wise, it's good to aim in the middle.
Chuck in some chuck for the best stew results
Many beef stew recipes require you to use well-marbled beef chuck, which comes from the shoulder. Beef chuck is popular for stews because it takes a long time for the tough connective tissue to cook down, which helps avoid over-cooking during the lengthy stewing process. Chef Jesse Moore says that rounds or even sirloin will work for your stews in a pinch, but be careful with the sirloin though, as it is one of those economical, leaner cuts of steak that can be too low on tasty fat. However, when cooked correctly, which is to say not as long as chuck, sirloin can add a ton of beefy, delicious flavor to your stew.
Ultimately, when it comes to picking out the right cuts of meat and avoiding the wrong ones, you want to use the same rules that apply to cocktails. You don't use top-shelf liquor in a mixed drink because the other ingredients will drown out all the delicate flavors, but nor should you use the cheap stuff either as it'll make the whole drink taste off. So save the wagyu to be enjoyed as a steak, and use cheaper, leaner stuff like flank for a quick and easy stir-fry.