Soft boiled beef recipe. How to cook beef correctly: choice of meat, preparation, methods and cooking time. Preparing for boiling

Cooking meat seems simple. In fact, complex transformation processes take place in the pan. When meat is heated to 40°C, the protein that makes up the muscle fibers begins to shrink (a process called denaturation) and the flesh becomes denser. The collagen contained between the fibers is also converted into glutin, which makes the finished meat juicy. When all the collagen is converted into a clear liquid without blood impurities, the product can be considered ready. It is important not to overcook the meat so as not to destroy the vitamins and nutrients contained in it.

5 reasons to eat red meat

Beef is the healthiest type of meat. It consists of 12-25% of easily digestible animal proteins, which are the main “building material” for muscle tissue. Considering its low calorie content (160 kcal) and low fat content (17.4 g), meat fits perfectly into the daily diet of adults and children. There are five main reasons why you should eat beef.

Promotes the growth of muscle tissue. Beef supplies the body with amino acids and protein, which prevent muscle skeletal dystrophy. It is worth noting the presence in meat of the enzyme beta-alanine, which is involved in the synthesis of carnosine. The latter is responsible for performance and endurance during physical labor and strength training.
Accelerates tissue regeneration. Protein is important for maintaining the normal condition of the hair, as well as its regular renewal. The process of skin cell regeneration is significantly accelerated, which helps delay the appearance of age-related changes.
Prevents anemia. Red meat replenishes iron deficiency in the body and also improves its absorption from other foods. In this way, oxygen starvation, which is accompanied by rapid fatigue and weakness, can be prevented.
Strengthens the immune system. Regular consumption of boiled or stewed beef with vegetables makes the body more resistant to infections. The risk of chronic diseases is also significantly reduced.
Activates mental activity. The brain is saturated with oxygen, due to which nervous processes begin to proceed faster. The presence of beef in the main diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease in old age.

The weekly intake of beef is no more than 500 g. At the same time, you can eat no more than 150-170 g at a time. Excess red meat in the diet provokes the formation of stones in the bladder and kidneys.

How to choose a product

The taste and organoleptic qualities of boiled beef depend on the quality of the raw materials. Choosing good meat is not difficult if you know six criteria.

Color. Quality meat should be light red in color. If the beef is burgundy, brown, or a combination of several shades, it is most likely stale. The veins should be white, but under no circumstances yellow.
Smell. The beef should have a pleasant, fresh, sweetish aroma. If your sense of smell detects even the slightest unpleasant notes, refuse to purchase. You need to smell the meat not only from above, but also in the cut.
Tactile sensations. Touch the meat - your fingers should not stick. And after this, the skin should remain dry, without traces of mucus.
Surface. It should be shiny and uniform, without spots or crusts. Only slight weathering of the surface of the meat is acceptable if it is sold from an open counter.
Elasticity. Use your finger to press down on the piece of beef with a little force. The resulting dent should quickly return to its original state.
Part. The most tender and juicy meat will be from the shoulder blades, sternum or back. If you are going to cook the broth, choose drumsticks or neck. It is good to use ribs for soup - they give a good fat.

There is little chance of buying good beef in a store or supermarket. Under the guise of local fresh meat, they often sell defrosted imported products. It is better to buy beef from farmers at the market. Do not hesitate to ask the seller for a veterinary certificate to ensure the quality and safety of the product.

How long to cook beef

Age of the animal. Old meat is tough and requires long cooking (at least three hours). A large piece of veal can be cooked in 40 minutes.
Personal preferences. If you like to chew meat and feel its taste and texture, two hours of cooking will be enough. And if you want your food to melt in your mouth, you will have to spend more time cooking.
Purpose. You need to cook the beef for the soup for at least an hour. During this time you will get a delicious aromatic broth. Cooking the piece of meat itself can be completed in a separate pan or in the same one. This will make the broth richer.
Piece size. A large piece will cook for at least two hours. If you divide the meat into several smaller pieces or use entrecote, 40-60 minutes will be enough. It will take about an hour and a half to cook beef with a bone (for example, for soup).
Fat content. “Marbled” beef with many layers of fat cooks almost twice as fast as regular meat with a dense fiber texture.

If the meat has been cooking for a long time, but you are not sure whether you can turn off the burner, check the readiness of the product experimentally. Pierce the beef with a fork or knife and lift it over the pan. If the product slides off the tip easily, it is ready. Otherwise, the meat will have to be cooked for some more time.

4 defrosting methods

Frozen beef needs to be cooked for the same amount of time as fresh beef. It is only important that the meat is completely thawed before cooking. Otherwise, the product will take longer to cook and will not cook evenly. To bring the product to the desired condition, you can use one of four proven techniques.

In water. Frozen meat should be placed in a bag and placed in a container filled with water. The liquid should be cold or slightly warm. In an hour you can start cooking.
In the microwave. Place the meat in the oven and turn on the “Defrost” mode. If your microwave does not have this function, simply turn on the device at minimum power. The product will thaw in a few minutes.
In a refrigerator. Remove the meat from the freezer and move it to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The beef will defrost for at least a day, but it will better retain its structure and nutrients.
At room temperature. Place the meat in a bowl and leave on the counter for three to four hours.

Basic cooking methods

Boiling is the most common and rather primitive method of cooking. But the development of technology, as well as the imagination of cooks and housewives, has long taken this process beyond the scope of pots and cauldrons. Depending on your technical capabilities and taste preferences, choose the best method for yourself.

In a saucepan

Peculiarities. In ancient times in Rus', beef was simmered in a cast iron pot for several hours. The meat turned out tender and soft. There was still a rich broth left, from which it was possible to cook a hearty stew. Therefore, if you have a cast iron pan, choose it for cooking beef. An enamel pan with a thick bottom will also work. Take a large container that will fit the entire piece of meat.

How to do

Place the pan with meat and water on the stove and turn the heat to maximum.
As soon as the water boils, turn on the burner. The fire should be low so that the water only bubbles slightly.
Skim off the foam.
Salt the meat. You can determine the amount of salt at your discretion. Standard - a tablespoon per 0.5 kg of meat and 2 liters of water.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook the meat for an hour.
Check the meat for doneness. If it can be easily pierced with a knife or fork, you can remove the pan from the stove. If the beef is tough, cook for another 30 minutes.
Transfer the finished meat from the pan to a separate dish to allow the product to cool.

If you plan to cook soup based on beef broth, you need to strain it. It is possible that there may be small bones or foam residues in it.

In a slow cooker

Peculiarities. Multicookers have become a part of kitchen everyday life. A compact, elegant device can replace a saucepan, a frying pan, and even an oven. Cooking in it is a pleasure. Beef from a slow cooker turns out especially flavorful and tender. And most importantly, the device itself will determine the temperature required for cooking.

How to do

Place the meat in a bowl, add water and turn on the “Cooking” or “Stewing/Soup” mode without closing the lid.
After boiling, skim off the foam, add salt and close the lid.
Continue cooking the meat as usual for an hour.
Try piercing the beef with a fork. If the meat gives in easily, it is ready. If not, you need to cook for another 30 minutes.

In a steamer

Peculiarities. If you follow a healthy lifestyle or want to lose weight, steam the meat. This method allows you to preserve the structure and taste of meat as much as possible, and most importantly, the vitamins, minerals and trace elements that it contains.

How to do

Cut the meat into small portions no more than 1 cm thick and add salt.
Place the workpiece in a container. It is better to lay out the meat in one layer.
Turn on the device and cook the beef for an hour.
Turn the meat over and cook for another 30 minutes.

In a pressure cooker

Peculiarities. The only way to quickly cook a large piece of red meat is in a pressure cooker. The secret of the device lies in the hermetically sealed lid. The specific design provides increased pressure inside the pan, due to which the boiling point increases. This allows you to reduce the cooking time of meat by two to three times compared to a conventional pan and other kitchen appliances.

How to do

Place the meat in a pressure cooker and add water. The liquid should completely cover the product.
Place the pressure cooker on high heat until the water boils.
Skim the broth and add salt.
Reduce heat, cover the pressure cooker with a lid and cook the meat for another 50 minutes.

It is important to correctly determine the amount of water. If you cook meat for soup, it is important that there is a lot of broth and that it is not too concentrated. If boiled beef goes into a salad or is a separate dish, it is enough for the liquid to cover the meat by 1 cm.

In the microwave

Peculiarities. As a rule, a microwave oven is used for such basic processes as defrosting and heating food. But this is not all that a kitchen appliance is capable of. It is quite possible to cook full meals in it.

How to do

Place the meat in a deep microwave-safe bowl.
Pour boiling water over the beef, add salt and seasonings.
Place the container in the microwave and heat on medium power for 20 minutes.
Cover the bowl with a lid (it should also be microwave safe) and turn the power to low.
Check the meat for doneness every 20-30 minutes.

In film

Peculiarities. People prefer to eat fried, baked, stewed, but not boiled meat. And all because during cooking the product “gives” part of its taste and aroma to the water. The problem can be solved by boiling beef in its own juice.

How to do

Salt, season the washed meat and wrap tightly in several layers of cling film or place in a baking sleeve.
Place the workpiece in a pan filled with cold water.
Cook the product at maximum burner power until it boils, then reduce the heat so that the water is only slightly bubbling.
In this mode, the meat needs to be cooked for two hours.

When you cut the film, in addition to the meat, it will contain a fragrant concentrated broth. It can be used to make sauces or added as a gravy to side dishes.

10 culinary rules

Why can two housewives turn out completely different dishes from the same set of products? Because the key to success is knowledge of cooking technology and knowledge of culinary tricks. Cooking meat is not as simple a process as it might seem. In this matter you need to adhere to ten rules.

Determine the amount of water. There should be 1.5 liters of water per kilogram of fillet. For meat on the bone, there should be more water.
Don't cut. In order for the beef to cook well and maintain its juiciness, it is better to cook it in a piece weighing 1.5-2 kg. Smaller pieces cook faster, but end up dry and less flavorful.
Tenderize tough meat. Soak old beef in mineral water for a couple of hours before cooking. For the same purpose, while cooking meat, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vodka to the pan.
Skim off the foam. For the first 15 minutes from the start of cooking, you will have to watch over the pan with a spoon or slotted spoon to collect the foam. This is especially important for soup. The foam will make the broth cloudy.
Add more flavor. Housewives add onions, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley root while cooking beef. Professional chefs recommend supplementing red meat with cloves, oregano, marjoram, basil, tarragon and coriander.
Speed up the process. If you marinate the meat overnight, it will cook much faster. Mustard, vinegar with onions, or fruit pulp are suitable for these purposes.
Let the meat finish cooking. After finishing cooking, do not rush to remove the meat from the pan. Let it sit in the broth for 20-30 minutes so that the product infuses and becomes juicier.
Determine the amount of meat. Boiled beef will reduce to about 40% of its original volume. Take this into account when planning a certain number of servings.
Do not dilute the salt. If you overdo it with salt, do not add water to the broth. Place a potato or a cloth bag of rice into the pan. The product will absorb excess salt.
Follow storage standards. You can keep cooked meat in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

If you missed the moment when it was necessary to remove the foam, and the flakes spread throughout the broth, you need to stop the boiling. Pour one or two cups of cold water into the pan. When the broth begins to boil again, there will be a second chance to skim off the foam.

If you think that boiled beef is a boring and bland diet food, then you are deeply mistaken. If you experiment a little with the ingredients, you can end up with a flavorful dish that will diversify your everyday menu and even decorate your holiday table.

With mushrooms and tomato

Peculiarities. Beef and mushrooms are an almost perfect combination. Bright flavors and contrasting textures combine seamlessly in delicious dishes. And the tomato will add a piquant sourness to the dish, which will successfully dilute the combination of rich aromas.

You will need:

1 kg beef;
three large champignons;
large tomato;
five black peppercorns;
Bay leaf;
a quarter glass of cognac;
a tablespoon of salt.

Preparation

Place the meat in a saucepan of cold water. The liquid should cover the product by 2 cm.
Cook over high heat until the liquid boils, then skim off the foam.
Reduce heat and simmer meat for an hour.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the mushrooms and tomatoes. Place in the pan with the meat.
Add spices and cognac and cook for another two hours.
At this stage, you need to add salt to the broth and cook the beef for another ten minutes until tender.
Cut the meat into portions, and the broth can be used for a delicious soup.

Spiced

Peculiarities. Beef “loves” spices. In the sense that it readily absorbs the aromas of spices, acquiring an even richer taste. Spices also help soften the fibers, which, combined with cooking, makes the beef incredibly tender.

You will need:

1 kg beef;
carrot;
bulb;
parsley or celery root;
four cloves of garlic;
three tablespoons of adjika;
a bunch of greens (basil or cilantro);
five black peppercorns;
a tablespoon of salt.

Preparation

Place the meat in a pan of water and place over high heat.
Coarsely chop the carrots, onions, parsley root and place it all in the pan with the meat.
When the liquid boils, skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for two hours.
Add black pepper and salt. Cook for another hour and a half.
Turn off the heat and leave the beef in the broth until it cools. It should be warm.
Finely chop the greens and grate the garlic. Grind the food with salt.
Remove the meat from the broth and make several small cuts in it. Rub well with a mixture of garlic and herbs.
Brush the beef with adjika.
Wrap the meat tightly in film and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Meat feeding

For a child to fully grow, animal protein is simply necessary. Therefore, from about eight months (and for artificial babies - from six) meat complementary foods are introduced. First, it is recommended to “introduce” the baby to rabbit or turkey, which are easily digestible and rarely cause allergies. Next in line should be beef rich in iron and protein.

To feed a baby, it is important to prepare a soft and homogeneous puree without large fragments. The pulp from the back of the carcass is well suited for these purposes - it is less fibrous there. It is advisable to introduce into the infant’s diet the meat of an animal whose age does not exceed three months. The product is prepared in eight steps.

Rinse the meat several times. Under running water. Cut off the film and fatty fibers from it.
Fill with water. And cook until boiling.
Drain off the first water. And pour fresh liquid over the meat.
Cook for at least two hours. Without salt and spices. If you cut the product into small pieces, you can reduce the cooking time to 40-60 minutes.
Check product readiness. If it is difficult to pierce with a knife or fork, cook for another 30-60 minutes.
Scroll through the finished meat. Through a meat grinder or puree in a blender.
Strain the puree through a metal sieve. It is important that the mass is homogeneous.
Lightly dilute the puree with breast milk. Or milk mixture to make the consistency of the product soft.

Do not prepare purees for future use, because it is much healthier to feed your baby fresh product. Baby beef puree can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day (without adding milk or other impurities).

In ancient times, the Japanese were legally prohibited from eating meat. Anyone caught committing a “crime” faced severe punishment. But when Europeans began making frequent visits to the Asian country, the emperor noticed that the Japanese were inferior to Western guests in both height and strength of physique. He concluded that this was due to the Europeans' love for beef and other types of meat. Although the lifting of the ban did not have a significant impact on the physique of the Japanese, this does not negate the benefits of meat. Knowing how to cook beef correctly, you can prepare a delicious and nutritious lunch that will give you energy and good health.

All over the world, cattle meat is considered the most popular. In Rus', honored guests were treated to boiled beef. Despite its satiety, this product is easily absorbed by the body, and when properly prepared it turns out tender, juicy and soft.

Composition, benefits and harm

Beef on the bone takes pride of place on the list of must-eat foods. It should be on the table at least several times a week. The biological and nutritional value of meat became known many millennia ago. It was valued by the ancient Romans, Greeks, residents of the British Isles, our ancestors, and other peoples. Not everyone could afford to put this delicacy on the table. This was the prerogative of the upper strata of the population.

Perhaps India is the only country in which the consumption of beef is strictly prohibited due to the sacred status of cows. Almost every state has pastures for raising cattle. Not only large but also small farms are engaged in breeding.

What nutrients is this product rich in?

Beef has been studied quite thoroughly by scientists. It was research that made it possible to identify what nutrients and elements this type of meat contains:

B vitamins;
iron;
proteins;
calcium;
magnesium;
vitamin PP;
potassium;
zinc;
phosphorus;
sodium;
fats;
vitamin E.

Beef also contains other important micro- and macroelements.

Calorie content, depending on the part of the carcass, varies from 15 to 500 kcal per 100 g of meat.

Why should you include it in your diet?

Dietetics considers beef shank to be the best source of animal protein. It contains the entire set of amino acids necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. Who else can benefit from beef and when:

people with low hemoglobin;
those involved in sports and physical work;
people with weakened bodies;
for those who have digestive problems.

Beef is a product that helps the body remove “bad” cholesterol. Also, its use has a beneficial effect on memory, the nervous system, and helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, muscles and bone tissue. Soups and broths prepared with cattle meat promote wound healing and improve blood clotting.

Despite beef's huge track record, it's worth understanding that everything is good in moderation. The main thing is regularity and moderation. It is better to eat 200 g of such meat daily (or every other day) than rarely, but in large quantities.

What does abuse lead to?

Beef can be harmful to the body. It has a very interesting property: excessive consumption can reduce immunity and increase cholesterol. Harm to the body can be caused not only by a large amount in the diet, but also by low-quality meat, as well as improper storage and preparation. Two situations where beef is more harmful than beneficial.

Improperly cooked meat. This is primarily a product fried in oil. This cooking method saturates beef with carcinogens, which makes it hazardous to the health of people suffering from digestive and heart problems.
Meat from artificially raised animals. Nature dictates that cattle should eat a lot of grass, walk through fields and pastures. And if animals do not see green meadows and eat exclusively mixed feed, then you can almost forget about the benefits of such meat.

If you want to benefit from beef, follow the proper selection and preparation guidelines. The health of those who eat this dish depends on what meat you choose and how you cook it.

How to choose meat: requirements for appearance and smell

It is better to buy beef fresh, this makes it easier to choose and consider the meat. It is also advisable to bring it home and cook it immediately after purchase. No need to wait for it to defrost. However, don't be afraid of frozen meat. If the technology was followed during freezing, such meat is in no way inferior in its properties to fresh meat. Here are five metrics to pay attention to.

Color. Fresh quality beef is red in color. If the offered piece is brownish, this indicates the venerable age of the animal. Old meat will be rougher, it will take longer to cook, and you can forget about the juiciness of the dish. If the flesh has an uneven color, interspersed with dark shades (for example, greenish), such meat is not worth buying.
Smell. Not all sellers allow you to smell meat, especially in supermarkets. But if you are lucky enough to get approval, feel free to use this opportunity. High-quality beef does not have any foreign aromas; it smells only of raw meat. If you still feel the presence of any odor, it is better to refrain from purchasing.
Fat. Beef is a dietary meat, but it still contains fat. It should be dense and have a pale white color. In the meat of young animals, the fat may crumble - this is normal. If we are talking about marbled beef, which is most valued, then it contains a lot of fatty layers. The piece seems to be permeated with them. This meat is ideal, it is easy to cook, and it turns out extremely tasty.
Elasticity. If possible, test the meat for elasticity. This is done like this: you need to press your finger on the pulp and watch what happens to it. Fresh meat will smooth out its surface almost immediately. If the pressure mark does not go away for a long time, the meat is no longer very fresh.
Surface. It is quite acceptable to have signs of weathering on the surface of the piece. But only small ones. If the surface has crust and spots, then the carcass was cut up not a few hours ago, but much earlier. The beef should be dry and firm. If there is a choice between wet meat lying in the blood and leeward meat, you should give preference to the latter.

Proper freezing

If you purchase frozen beef, only buy the one that is labeled. Be sure to check expiration and release dates. Frozen veal can be stored for eight months, beef - ten. Manufacturer's indication is required. It is worth making a choice in favor of domestic meat, as there is a greater guarantee of freshness and absence of transportation violations.

The packaging should not be damaged, so inspect the piece from all sides. Pay attention to the color - it should be uniform, it is better to choose something that is lighter. Properly frozen beef should not be covered in ice or snow. If any are visible, most likely the storage or freezing rules have been violated.

Division into varieties and categories

Beef has varieties and categories. The division occurs depending on the part of the carcass, the age of the animal and the fat content of the meat. It is not necessary to use the best quality meat for broth, but for steaks and barbecue it is better to choose a softer cut. There are three varieties and three categories of beef.

Top grade. Sometimes it is called the first. May contain three to four percent connective tissue (or veins). This includes the following parts of the carcass: breast, back, loin. Another rump, sirloin, rump. This is almost pure meat without fat.
Second grade. This is four to five percent veining. This variety includes the shoulder blade, shoulder part, neck, and flank.
Third grade. May contain from ten to 23% connective tissue. These are shanks (front and back), butt.

Beef of the highest category has a lot of subcutaneous fat and well-developed muscle tissue. But meat obtained from young animals may contain no fat deposits at all. The second category of meat includes those that have poorly developed muscles and a small amount of fat. There is another category - lean beef. However, such meat is used only for industrial processing.

The meat must have a purple mark on it. By its shape you can determine the category. The mark “M” is placed on the head of young cattle. Round indicates that the meat belongs to the highest category. A square-shaped mark indicates that this is beef of the second category.

The choice of beef should also be based on what exactly you are going to cook from it. Each part is good for certain purposes. For example, sternum, neck, sirloin, shank, shank, flank and shoulder are better suited for boiling.

How and how much to cook beef: tips for the housewife

It is important not only to know how to eat cattle meat, but also how to cook beef correctly. Here are three secrets that will be useful to every housewife.

Choose the right pan. A pan with a thick bottom will do; enamel or cast iron will also work. The main thing is that the piece of meat fits freely into the dish, leaving room for other ingredients.
Thaw the meat in advance. If you are going to cook frozen beef, be prepared for the meat to be tough. The piece must be defrosted before putting it in a pan on the stove. Ideally, it should be defrosted at room temperature.
Use the microwave. If you urgently need to cook soup from frozen meat, you can soak the piece in water or use the microwave. Then the thawed pulp should be washed with cold running water.

A mandatory step after soaking or defrosting is drying the piece. The final stage is cutting into portions to speed up the cooking process.

For the broth

We prepare delicious meat for borscht. To make the broth tasty, you need to boil the beef with the bone. The piece should be immersed in cold water. That is, rinse it, put it in a pan, fill it with cold water and put it on the stove. Turn on the heat as high as possible and wait for it to boil. When the surface of the water begins to become foamy, remove it. You can do this using any utensils convenient for you - a slotted spoon, a spoon.

There is also an opinion: there is no need to remove foam from the pan. That is, you just leave it and it dissolves during the cooking process. Foam is nothing more than released protein, that is, it is not dangerous. But it's up to you to decide.

If you prefer soups with a second broth, then after boiling you need to wait about five minutes. Then drain the broth, rinse the meat and fill it with water again. This cooking option is usually recommended by nutritionists.

It is advisable not to let the broth boil too much; a low boil is enough. You need to add salt at the end of cooking so that the salt does not “pull out” all the juice from the meat. Beef for soup should be cooked until the meat is cooked, then the broth should be strained and used further. If you cook ribs, then one and a half hours of cooking will be enough for them.

Pour in as much water as you need later to cook the soup. Add a little more than needed to allow for boiling over. Never dilute the broth with water.

For second courses

If boiled beef is prepared for adding to salads, appetizers, the cooking method will be slightly different from preparing broth. Here's a four-step sequence.

Fill a saucepan with water (approximately one and a half liters of water per kilogram of beef) and put on fire.
When the water is almost boiling, you need to add onions and carrots, parsley and celery if desired.
Then you need to put in a piece of meat and wait for it to boil. As soon as foam begins to appear, remove it.
When the foam disappears from the surface, reduce the heat and leave to simmer at a low simmer.

How long you need to cook beef until it becomes tender depends on the age of the meat and the size of the piece. Young meat will be ready within 40 minutes after boiling, but old meat will have to be boiled for two and a half hours, or even more. You can tell if it’s ready by cutting the piece with a knife at the thickest point. If there is no red juice, the meat is ready.

Does brisket cook quickly in a slow cooker? A multicooker is a real salvation for many housewives. You can also cook beef in it, either in small pieces or in large pieces. There are no special differences from cooking in a saucepan. If there is a film, veins, or excess fat, they are removed. Then the meat is washed, placed in a bowl, and poured with boiling water so that the piece is completely covered with water. Set the appropriate program (“Cooking”, “Soup” or another) and close the lid.

When the meat boils, you need to get rid of the foam, add roots, bay leaves or your favorite spices if desired. You need to add salt at the end. After boiling, beef should be cooked until tender - from 40 minutes to three hours, depending on the age of the livestock.

In a steamer

Steamed beef is considered juicier and healthier. This cooking option is ideal for feeding babies or for people on a therapeutic diet. There are two ways to cook beef in a steamer.

Cut into portions, place in a steamer bowl in one row, add salt and turn on the appliance for one hour. After this time, turn over and cook for another half hour.
Salt the beef and rub with your favorite spices. Place the piece in a cooking bag, place in a thicket, and cook for an hour. Add time if necessary.

Be sure to monitor the presence of water in the tank. Most likely, you will have to add boiling water during the cooking process.

In a pressure cooker

A pressure cooker greatly speeds up the process of cooking beef. To cook beef in a pressure cooker, you need to wash it, put it in a bowl, and fill it with water. Then put the pressure cooker on the fire and wait for it to boil. Remove any foam that has formed, reduce heat, cover and cook for 50 minutes.

If the pressure cooker is electric, you need to set the appropriate program and cook in the same way, for 50-60 minutes. This meat is perfect for a child, especially if you use tender entrecote.

Beef is very healthy, so don't neglect to eat it. Feel free to include it in your diet, because now you know how many minutes to cook beef until done. Properly cooked meat will appeal to all household members, even the most picky ones.

The three most common types of meat are beef, pork and chicken. Cooking beef is more difficult than pork or chicken. Despite this, beef is the most popular meat in many countries and is used in all sorts of recipes. This is due to its multifaceted taste, wide range of varieties and great health benefits. One of the main problems for novice cooks and housewives is preparing soups and dishes with boiled beef.

Selecting beef and preparing for boiling

To cook beef correctly, you need to know not only how long to cook the meat, but also how to choose it. Therefore, knowing how long to cook the beef until cooked is not enough - you should learn how to select this beef and how to prepare it for boiling. Different parts of beef carcass have different amounts of fat, different tastes and characteristics. And the taste of meat is also affected by the age of the cow, its body structure, diet and much more.

Beef varieties and places of purchase

In order not to get confused in all these features, you need to know the main thing: beef is divided into three grades, and the higher its grade, the tastier it is, the more dishes you can prepare from it. The main quality by which varieties are divided is the presence and percentage of connective tissues:

First and second grades beef is great for stewing, boiling and preparing minced meat. Second grade It is better to cook in large pieces - this is due to the greater concentration of connective tissue. Third-class meat much tougher, so it is best suited for cooking soup or broth.

It is precisely because of the differences in the volume of tendons and cartilage, in the structure of muscles and the peculiarities of their formation that the question of how long to cook beef so that it becomes soft cannot be raised. However, there are muscle groups best suited for boiling. These include neck, sternum, tenderloin.

The meat of these parts is very tasty and tender, it contains a high concentration of nutrients; the structure and volume of connective tissue makes it ideal for boiling.

It is best to purchase from a familiar butcher or farmer, this is how the most delicious and fresh meat will get to the table. At the market, sellers try not to risk their reputation, so it is safer to buy there than in supermarkets. In supermarkets you can often come across frozen meat brought from distant countries under the guise of a domestic or European farm product.

Secrets to choosing good parts

Some tips for finding a good piece:

Preparing for boiling

Conditionally trained can be divided into three stages: defrosting, washing and slicing. Exist two defrosting methods: cold and fast. The choice of method affects both the appearance of the future dish and its juiciness, taste, and hardness.

During cold defrosting pieces of beef are placed in a pan filled with cold water. The meat juice has time to be absorbed back, but this method takes much longer. The pan with cold water can be replaced with the plus section of the refrigerator. The broth from such meat may become cloudy and you will have to watch the foam much more carefully, but if the meat is going to be served without broth, this method is preferable, as it preserves juices and nutrients.

During fast defrosting a piece of meat is either left on a tray in a cold place or dipped in boiling water. It is advisable to use a colander.

Thanks to this method, the broth will be cleaner, the number of calories will be reduced, and it will be easier to monitor, but the beef will lose more juice. If the meat has thawed on the tray, drain off the juice.

After this you need to give a piece of beef dry off. Next, you need to remove the film, cut off excess fat, remove cartilage and tendons.

Features of beef cooking

Volume of water needed calculate from meat mass. For 1 kg of beef you need 1.5 liters of water. A pan should be selected with a slightly larger capacity, so that when foam occurs, it is convenient to collect the foam with a slotted spoon or spoon without spilling water on the stove. Cooking times vary depending on the weight of the beef, the power of the stove, and the size and material of the pan.

Then you need to put the stove on the most powerful setting and wait until the foam appears. The foam can be removed slotted spoon, spoon, ladle and fork, but the most convenient way to do this is with skimmers. There are special devices that collect the foam, eliminating the need for the cook to stand and watch the pan. Main - do not leave the pan unattended for a long time, since in this case the foam will curl and turn into gray flakes.

Eat two main cooking methods, and the choice between them depends on how rich the broth should be. If you need a thick and rich broth, you should cook the meat longer, adding water as the boiling water in the pan evaporates. If you want a pure, diet broth, you should change the water halfway through the process, and add spices, roots and other additional ingredients towards the end.

Boiling time

The answer to the question of how long to cook beef broth depends, first of all, on the characteristics of the meat. Knowing the age, grade and place from which the piece was cut from the carcass, you can use the following list:

Since cooking time depends on a huge number of factors, it is best to check the beef for doneness. To do this, you need to pierce the largest piece in the thickest place. If blood appears, the beef is not ready yet. The safest thing to do is pull out the largest piece and cut it. The flesh of cooked meat is easy to pierce with a knife, but unready meat is harder to cut and pierce. Professionals recommend cooking the broth for 2-3 hours over low heat. If there is beef in the soup, then it will have to be cooked for the same amount of time as it takes to cook beef broth, since it is the meat in these dishes that needs to be subjected to long-term heat treatment.

One method of reducing cooking time is marinating. To do this, you need to prepare the marinade in advance. It will require vinegar, onion, salt, pepper, garlic and spices to taste. Cover a piece of meat with the finished marinade and place it in the refrigerator. Marinating has a positive effect on the juiciness of beef. You need to salt the meat very carefully, since salt will also be added to the soup, and over-salted meat can significantly reduce the taste of the soup.

To ensure that the meat is as juicy as possible, you need to take into account the following recommendations:

To prepare a tasty, thick and satisfying soup, you can use an unusual recipe:

The recipe is unconventional, but thanks to frying, the soup will sparkle with new facets of taste, and the beef will be softer and retain more juice due to the presence of a crust.

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Beef is the meat of cattle and is widely used in cooking. The common carcass is cut into several parts, which are used when preparing a wide variety of delicious dishes - these are tenderloin, brisket, thigh, ribeye, rump, shank and other parts.

Based on this cutting, beef meat is divided into three categories. The first grade includes brisket and sirloin, as well as the back; the second grade includes the shoulder part and shoulder blades; The third grade includes the hind and front shanks.

The meat of young animals is usually called veal. It has a more delicate taste.

You can cook beef in various ways: stew, boil, fry, bake in the oven, smoke. A piece of meat can be ground into minced meat, from which you can make cutlets, dumplings, burgers, and meat sauces for pasta. Beef is also used to make excellent broths, soups, borscht and cabbage soup.

Beef, cooked correctly, is not only quite tasty, but also healthy. It is dietary and recommended not only for adults, but also for children.

Cooking beef correctly

To cook beef so that it becomes tasty and soft, you need:

First of all, defrost a piece of meat weighing about half a kilogram and wash it thoroughly in cool running water.
Cut the meat, removing large bones, tendons and removing the film from the piece.
The finished piece of beef should be placed in a small saucepan, which is slightly larger in size than the piece itself. This method allows you to cook meat in a small amount of water, so the taste of the beef will be very tender.
You need to boil water in advance and pour boiling water over a piece of meat so that the beef is completely under water. There should be about a centimeter more water above the piece of meat.
Place the pan with meat over medium heat and cover with a lid.
A few minutes before the water boils, open the lid and remove the foam from the water. If you do not have time to do this in time, it will settle in flakes to the bottom of the pan and the broth will turn out cloudy.
After the water boils, add a teaspoon of salt to the pan and reduce the heat to low.
The lid of the pan must be closed again, but watch the meat so that it does not rise to the surface of the water. If this does happen, you need to turn the meat over and add a little more boiling water to the pan.
The exact cooking time is determined based on the degree of toughness of the meat, the size of the piece and the variety. You can check the readiness of the beef with a knife. You need to poke a piece of meat - if the knife easily enters the flesh and comes out just as easily, then the meat is ready.
Approximately half an hour before cooking, add a small peeled onion, a couple of black peppercorns and a few bay leaves to the broth.
When the meat is ready, remove the pan with beef from the stove, but do not remove it from the broth for about 15 minutes.
Then the beef can be taken out, cut into portions and served with any sauce or side dish.

How long to cook beef

Depending on the type of meat, the age of the animal and the size of the piece, the cooking time can vary greatly. On average, until the meat is fully cooked, you need to cook it for about two hours after the water boils over low heat under the lid. Beef cooked in the “stewing” mode in a slow cooker for 2.5-3 hours is also tasty and soft.

Beef meat is the most important food product with excellent culinary qualities. It goes well with various cereals, vegetables, and pasta. The best part of beef is the tenderloin. It can be used for stewing, frying or boiling, the main thing is to do it correctly.

Beef: how to boil or fry?

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Cook beef properly

Boiled beef retains its quality as much as possible. To improve its taste and nutritional properties, it is recommended to pour boiling water over pieces of raw defrosted meat for cooking.

To prepare boiled beef you will need: - 500 g of beef pulp; - 800 g potatoes; - 2 carrots; - 1 leek; - 1 turnip.

Place the prepared and washed meat in one piece in a bowl and add enough hot water to completely cover the meat. Cover the pan with a lid and put on fire. Wait until the water boils, remove the foam with a slotted spoon. How long to cook beef depends on how finely you cut it; a large piece will require cooking over medium heat for 2–2.5 hours. The beef will turn out delicious if you add chopped carrots, turnips, leeks, and onions to the pan a few minutes before the end of cooking.

You can add 2 bay leaves, black peppercorns and salt to the broth. When the meat and vegetables are ready, pour the liquid into another bowl and cover the pan with the meat. Serve cold cooked beef with hot sauce.

For the hot sauce you will need: - 2 cups of broth; - 1 onion; - 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato puree; - 2 tbsp. spoons of 9% vinegar; - 1 tbsp. spoon of flour; - 50 g butter; - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of grated horseradish root or ready-made hot seasoning.

Take a frying pan, fry a tablespoon of flour in it, add butter and beef broth to the flour. Stir the sauce until the lumps are completely dissolved. Take another frying pan, heat the butter in it and fry the finely chopped onion, add tomato paste to the onion, salt and pepper, then pour in the vinegar and add the grated horseradish. Combine the dressing with the sauce and simmer for five minutes. Cut the cold boiled beef into pieces and pour over the sauce.

How to deliciously fry beef

If you don’t have time to cook beef, you can fry it deliciously. A large piece of meat is fried for 20–30 minutes. For the recipe you will need: - 200 g of tenderloin; - 0.5 cups of vegetable oil; - salt.