How To Cook Topside Beef So It’S Tender

How do you cook topside so it’s not tough?

How do you cook a topside beef joint? – Roast topside beef Often nicknamed the ‘poor man’s sirloin’, topside makes for a great, thrifty roasting joint that cuts into beautifully uniform slices. It can be served lightly pink. Roasted and thinly sliced it tastes particularly delicious, and any leftovers work well in sandwiches with horseradish mayo, or in salads.

1. Try our roast beef with caramelised onion gravy for an extra-special centrepiece.
2. Braised topside beef Cutting the beef into large chunks and gently cooking it in a stew is a great way to cook topside.
3. It will become soft and should fall apart if cooked for long enough.
4. Topside has less fat running through it than other cuts, making it leaner, and therefore it would work in a lower-fat stew, casserole or curry.

Pot-roasted topside beef Pot-roasting topside is a great idea because it means slow-cooking the joint in stock, eliminating any toughness in the meat, and the all-in-one method, usually in a cast iron casserole, means less washing-up. Sit the meat on the veg with herbs and aromatics, and try adding wine to the stock before pouring it over.

Meat-eaters will relish the meltingly tender results, and the juice that’s released combines with the stock to create a deep, rich gravy. Have a go at making our pot-roast beef with French onion gravy, Slow cooker topside When you’re stewing or cooking topside as a fall-apart joint, it can be done in a slow cooker.

For stews, follow the stewing instructions and timings, and for a whole joint, make sure the meat is half submerged in liquid and follow our timings on the slow cooker recipe below.

How should topside be cooked?

Method –

1. Remove your joint from the packaging, pat dry & bring to room temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to 210°C for fan assisted or 230°C for ovens without a fan (gas 8).
3. Choose a large, heavy-based roasting tray, ideally with deep sides and handles for easy movement.
4. Season the meat with good quality sea salt just prior to cooking.
5. Make a trivet by roughly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery (or our preferred choice of celeriac, the root of the celery) plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns.
6. Place the beef fat side up onto the trivet which should line the base of the tray.
7. Place in the centre of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C or 180°C without a fan(gas 4). Continue roasting for 12-15 minutes per 500g reaching a core temperature of 52°C before resting for a medium rare joint.
8. Remove from the oven, put onto a clean tray and keep warm by covering with a sheet of foil. Rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before carving, leaving the roasted vegetables in the tray for the gravy.
9. For the gravy, make up 500ml of beef stock, then deglaze roasting tray with this stock stirring in all the caramelised juices from the tray. Next, pass through a fine sieve pushing all the juices from the vegetables into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer and thicken if required by whisking in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and reduce till you reach a rich, glossy gravy.

Why is my topside beef tough?

Because it’s naturally tough, Topside beef steaks are more often not tenderised or pounded using a tenderiser. Once gone through this process, you’re left with a thin slice of meat! Be sure to either bake or pan-fry!

Should you cover topside beef when roasting?

Should I cover roast beef during cooking? – Cook topside beef covered with foil, this helps prevent the outside from cooking quicker than the inside and locks in the moisture in a similar way that pot roasting does during slow cooking.

Do you cover topside with foil when roasting?

Do you cover roast beef when cooking? – You should cover a beef roast with kitchen foil for at least part of the cooking time. This stops the roast beef from drying out too much during cooking.

Is Topside a good cut of meat?

Skip to content Sale! £ 12.80 – £ 32.00 One of the best cuts of beef for roasting. Dry aged on the bone for 21 days, our topside is de-boned and ready to roast and easy carve. This beef joint is ideal for a Sunday roast and Monday’s cold beef sandwiches.

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Do you put water in the pan when cooking roast beef?

How to Roast Beef Like a Pro – Don’t crowd your meat in the pan – leaving some space around and under the meat allows it to heat evenly. To give your meat a flavourful crispy exterior, cook uncovered on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan. Don’t add water! Invest in a digital thermometer that lets you monitor the temperature of your roast – or even alert you when it’s done – without opening the oven door.

Does beef get softer the longer you cook it?

When to cook Low & Slow or Hot & Fast Smoking Low and Slow is generally preferred over Hot and Fast cooking since:

The meat remains juicy. The end result is more tender and flavourful. Food gets kissed with a hint of smoke flavours that is just right. Makes it easy for the smoke master once you mastered the craft so that you can spend more time relaxing with friend and family. You are less likely to overcook your meat.

How does Low and Slow retain m oisture in meat? The entire premise of braaiing began as a means take tougher cuts of meats and make them easier to eat. Long ago however it was found that cooking your meat over an indirect heat source for extended periods of time produced a richer, more flavourful, and more tender meat with a distinctive smoky taste versus simply just throwing onto the braai.

1. A common misconception however is that juicier meat means there is simply more water retention when the meat is cooked.
2. This is just not the case.
3. A lot of the juiciness that is experienced with Low and Slow braaing techniques has to do with the melted and softened fats, gelatinized collagen, and protein-bounded water.

Cooking slowly therefore is really the best way to naturally tenderize the meat and maintain a juicy texture. Gelatinized collagen is actually what gives the meat a sweeter flavour when smoked slowly. Does that mean Hot & Fast cooking should be avoided? Absolutely not.

You really must pay attention and monitor your meat so it does not become overcooked. Cooking at higher temperatures means your meat will lose moisture much faster and possibly dry so that too will need to be carefully monitored and controlled. Take note that when it comes to searing meat, like a good steak, you want to go Hot & Fast to get that nice brown, almost caramelized coating or sear that only a very hot, direct heat source can provide.

When should I use a Low & Slow or Hot & Fast cooking method? There is no hard or fast rules here. It all depends on what you are cooking and what you prefer the end-result needs to be. With certain meat cuts, Low & Slow is a better and with other cuts Hot & Fast – sometimes a combination of the two is required for best results.

Low and Slow: Even though there certainly are cuts that prove to be an exception to this rule, it is still a good general rule to work with. The best thing about considering the fat content is that a quick look at the cut can easily give you the idea of how fatty or lean it is. Portions like pork shoulder, chicken legs, beef brisket, ribs, leg of lamb etc. are visibly higher in fat not only on the outside but within the meat fibers as well. These cuts are best served when cooked on a low heat for a longer time. Cooking for an extended time allows the connective tissue and fat to break down, which not only softens the meat up but also preserves its moisture. In short, the fattier the meat the more suitable it is for low & slow cooking and finally it’s size – larger cuts of meats in general are better suited so even whole chicken or turkey does better using this cooking method. Hot and fast: Consider a prized lean cut like fillet or even a chicken breast. Being low on fat, a longer cooking time for these cuts would completely dry out whatever natural moisture they have. Cooking them quickly over high heat will ensure that their internal juices remain intact, and you get a succulent piece of meat as reward for your hard work. Same goes with thinner steaks. If you have a thick cut however, like a beef rib-eye you can always do a reverse sear, which is cooking low & slow in the beginning and then going hot & fast near the end to get a good sear on your meat.

Rule of thumb #2: Thin-cut meat should be cooked Hot and Fast, while thick cuts are best cooked Low and Slow.

Low and Slow: Let’s say you have a thick, tough cut of meat like a beef brisket or lamb shank and you are wondering what to do with it. This rule suggests that these tough meaty portions will yield the best results when they are cooked on low heat for a good amount of time. If cooked using the hot and fast methods, these cuts will develop a sear from the outside but will remain uncooked on the inside, rendering them virtually inedible. Longer cooking times ensure that the heat reaches to the innermost parts of the cut and cook them well. Hot and Fast: Anytime you are planning to use a thinner meat cut like skirt steak, chuck, or flank or even thin sirloin, rump steaks etc., cooking it fast on high heat will yield the best results. With a thin cut, any slow cooking method will overcook the meat and leave it with a chewy, rubbery texture. Hot and Fast methods help make sure that the pieces of meat sear well on the outer side without completely drying them out from the center.

Rule of thumb #3: Low and Slow cooking methods employ moist heat, while Hot and Fast cooking is done with dry cooking techniques.

Low and Slow: Smoking something for a longer time means you must cook your meat in the right type of heat dynamics (such as convectional airflow within the 360-degree structure of a Hero Smoker & Grill), employ direct or indirect heat (or both) at the right time and quantities and create enough heat moisture for your meat to not dry out. When done right, you will get perfectly moist and tender meats that still has a nice bark finish to it. Hot and Fast: The quick modes of cooking are generally those that do not require any additional moisture making use of the dry cooking methods. Tender cuts of meat like the fillet, chicken breast or other thin cuts of meat are already soft cuts and if subjected to heat over a longer period, they can actually lose all their tenderness and turn incredibly tough due to being overcooked. Searing these portions using dry heat allows for minimal moisture loss gives you the chance of enjoying a juicy portion of meat with a fantastic sear.

Still confused? Don’t be. Ultimately you can cook, braai, smoke or grill according to what works and tastes best for you. You will find out quickly that the Firesmiths Hero Smoker & Grill is incredibly versatile. Besides, experimenting is part of the fun and learning process so play around and see what works for you.

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: When to cook Low & Slow or Hot & Fast

Does roast get more tender the longer you cook it?

Chuck Roast Recipes FAQs – What temperature should a chuck roast be cooked at? Cook your beef chuck roast at 350˚F after searing the beef over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Does chuck roast get more tender the longer you cook it? It does! The secret to an incredible beef chuck roast recipe is to let it cook for long enough.

What is the best temp for topside roast?

Instructions –

1. Leave the roast at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
2. Rub the seasoning and olive oil into the meat.
3. Roast with the fat side up for 20 min at 475 °F / 240 °C / 220 °C fan oven. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 °F /180 °C / 160 °C fan oven. Cook until internal temperature is between 113-158 °F, or 45-70 °C, depending on how much you want it to be cooked (see temperature chart below).
4. Remove the roast from the oven, and leave it on the side for at least 30 min, or ideally up to an hour. The juices will settle back in the meat, and the roast will increase its internal temperature.
5. Slice and serve the roast with your favorite side dishes.

How do you get beef to fall apart?

A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner, To cook it until it’s so tender it falls apart, you’ll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.

Do you cover a roast with liquid?

How to Make Stove Top Pot Roast – A surefire way to make a tender, juicy pot roast is through braising; that is, cooking the meat in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pot at low temperature. Stove top roast recipes can be customized with your choice of herbs, vegetables, potatoes, and liquid braising mixtures.

• Cooking a roast on the stove calls for fairly little hands-on prep and a low-fuss (but long) cook time, so it can be a good weekend cooking project.
• We’re firm believers that a stove top post roast is worth the wait: The classic method of cooking a roast on a stove top will infuse your whole home with tempting aromas and can be made in just one pot,

Here, we’ll explain how to cook a roast on a stove, then we’ll walk you through how to adjust if you’d prefer to make the same thing as an oven pot roast, slow cooker pot roast, or pressure cooker pot roast.

How do Chinese make their meat so tender?

Why the Meat in Chinese Stir-Fries Is So Wonderfully Tender Order chicken or beef with broccoli at any Chinese or Chinese American restaurant and you’ll notice the texture of the meat – light, tender, succulent and flavorful. But it’s not the use of a wok or high heat alone that yields the signature texture.

It’s all thanks to a simple technique called velveting – and it happens before you even turn on the stove. “Velveting is the foundation of Chinese cooking,” says Tim Ma, chef and founder of, an American Chinese takeout spot with locations in Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C. “It doesn’t only tenderize tough, chewy parts of proteins, but it also creates a surface area to absorb thick sauces.” In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before them.

There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.

If you don’t add egg, it’s generally important to add a little bit of water to make the mixture liquid and properly coat the meat,” says Kathy Chen, head chef at, a cozy Taiwanese eatery in Brooklyn. of, a blog dedicated to Chinese cooking, shares that a standard velveting mixture could include egg white and cornstarch, plus a few tablespoons of water – to help coat the meat yes, but also to make the meat extra tender and juicy.

It’s typical to also marinate with ingredients like soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, or, Seafood like fish, shrimp, and scallops can also be velveted though there are a couple things to keep in mind. “For tender seafood like squid or scallops, velveting is typically unnecessary.

In most cases you want to preserve their fresh taste and natural texture,” says Leung. “For shrimp, you can velvet it unless they are super fresh. Some do it religiously, but we usually prefer to keep its natural texture and simply season it when needed. For fish, velveting adds an extra silky texture.” To complete the velveting process, some cooks recommend dipping the marinated morsels in peanut oil for less than one minute on active fire.

This method, known as oil-blanching, ensures ingredients don’t clump together and stick to the wok when stir-frying. If peanut oil is unavailable, award-winning cookbook author Grace Young suggests using oil with higher smoke points like grapeseed, avocado, rice bran, safflower or vegetable oil.

Sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil, for instance, is not recommended because they tend to have lower smoke points. While oil-blanching can require a lot of oil, you can also blanch meat in water. For this method, bring the water to a boil on high heat, add one tablespoon of peanut or vegetable oil, reduce the heat to low and when the water is barely simmering, carefully add the meat and gently stir so the pieces don’t clump together.

Cook for one minute or until the meat just turns opaque but is not cooked through. Water-blanching is recommended for home cooks as Young, quoted from her cookbook, says it is less complicated, reduces the amount of oil necessary for stir-frying and results in dishes that taste less fatty.

1. It also yields a purer flavor and softer texture, says Leung.
2. It might seem counterintuitive to marinate before boiling, but the velveting marinade tenderizes the meat, keeps it moist, and adds flavor.
3. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you don’t get with a standard blanching process.” However, oil- nor water-blanching is absolutely necessary, especially for home cooking.

Randy Lau, the creator of, a Cantonese cooking blog and YouTube channel, shares that 60 percent of his father’s (the chef and culinary expert behind Made With Lau) Chinese recipes skip this step. “Often times, we don’t oil- or water-blanch proteins and the meat texture is still tender though not restaurant-quality level,” Lau says.

1. Instead, when it comes to stir-fries, several Made With Lau dishes involve marinating proteins properly with an alkaline ingredient, and then employing a stir-frying method that ensures they stay tender and don’t overcook.
2. When Daddy Lau (as he is affectionately called) cooks Kung Pao Chicken, for instance, he stir-fries the protein until it’s 80 to 90 percent cooked, then scoops it out of the wok and sets it aside.

He then cooks the other ingredients, and then when everything’s just about fully cooked, adds the chicken back in to finish it off and combine with the other ingredients. Finally, sauce is added to bring the whole dish together. “We individually stir-fry the ingredients because our home stoves generally aren’t as powerful as those in restaurants.

1. It’s also more of a timing issue,” says Lau.
2. Randy’s dad still applies the water-blanching method when cooking soups.
3. This is to filter out the coagulated protein, enhance the quality of the soup and achieve purity of the broth.
4. My dad is all about convenience and making food approachable,” says Lau.
5. So if a recipe doesn’t include blanching, it’s often because it won’t make or break a dish.

Whether you go with the simplest approach, or more advanced restaurant-grade methods, velveting makes a huge difference, and is an essential step to making any stir-fry dish top notch. Here are some tips to keep in mind. LauriPatterson/Getty Images When preparing your proteins, be sure to pat them dry before velveting, so you’re not diluting your slurry ratio, says Ma.

If using shrimp or scallop, make sure to shake out the water before combining it with any egg white-cornstarch mixture. Excess water dilutes the effectiveness of the coating, according to Young. Cornstarch is the foundation of Chinese cooking and this magical pantry ingredient is commonly used to thicken soups, stews and sauces.

It’s also the primary ingredient in making a slurry to coat the meat. Chen says cornstarch helps the meat retain moisture while it cooks, thus yielding a silkier texture. When using cornstarch with other ingredients, stir it well until it’s fully dissolved, and no clumps are visible.

1. Ma suggests making the slurry first separately, then adding that to the meat and making sure it’s thoroughly incorporated.
2. Wen agrees and says, “I would recommend mixing all the marinade ingredients together very well before adding in your meat.
3. This will help ensure an even coating on all the ingredients and make the whole mixture an even pH,” While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung.

You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe. Young suggests using about two tablespoons of egg white for every one pound of meat, poultry, fish or shellfish.

If too much egg white is used, the mixture won’t be absorbed and seal the meat’s juices well. Blanching meat in oil comes from the Chinese phrase zǒu yóu in Mandarin or jau yau in Cantonese, which means “passing through oil.” It simply refers to shallow frying or deep-frying. “The process of searing or frying meat in oil varies a little for different kinds of meat and the volume of what you are working with,” says Leung.

“Delicate fish can benefit from a little extra oil to make sure the tender pieces of fish aren’t too dry, risking breakage in the wok.” When choosing to blanch meat in oil, be sure to have a deep-frying thermometer with you so you know precisely when the oil reaches 350 Fahrenheit, according to Ma.

• He suggests adding meat one piece at a time, so it doesn’t clump once it hits the oil.
• Exercise care when adding or removing ingredients to and from the hot liquid.
• Young also suggests using a dry wok skimmer or slotted metal spoon to carefully transfer the marinated ingredients without splashing.
• If you blanch meat in water, Young suggests having a colander ready in the sink, drain the pieces in the colander, and thoroughly shaking out any water before stir frying.

Any excess moisture will create extra spattering from the hot oil when pieces are added to the wok, in addition to turning your stir-fry into a braise, as quoted in her cookbook. Ready to perfect your velveting technique, and sink your teeth into magically tender dishes? Give Vivian Chan’s or Jet Tila’s a try.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat?

Briefly soaking meat in a solution of baking soda and water raises the pH on the meat’s surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it’s cooked. Our recipes, such as our Vietnamese-Style Caramel Chicken with Broccoli, typically call for a 15- to 20-minute treatment, but what if your dinner prep is interrupted and that time is doubled or even tripled? To find out if a soak longer than 15 to 20 minutes would do more harm than good, we treated 12 ounces each of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, and sliced pork with baking soda—¼ teaspoon for the beef and 1 teaspoon for the sliced meats—for different lengths of time before cooking them.

1. We were surprised to find that samples that were treated for 45 minutes were identical to those treated for only 15 minutes.
2. Here’s why: The acid/base reaction happens very quickly and does not build much over time.
3. In fact, when we weighed the samples of treated ground beef before and after cooking, we found that the sample that had been treated for 45 minutes retained a mere 3 percent more moisture when cooked than meat that was treated for only 15 minutes.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Fifteen minutes is long enough to reap the benefits of a baking soda treatment, but don’t worry if your dinner prep gets interrupted and you have to extend that time a bit. A 15-minute (or slightly longer) stint in a combination of water and baking soda keeps meat tender and moist when it’s cooked.

What can I add to beef to make it tender?

Add Some Fruit – In addition to acid-based foods, plant enzymes in fruits like pineapple and kiwi can tenderize meat, Like with lemon juice or vinegar, you don’t want to leave these foods on beef for too long—it will make the meat soft. You can blend fruit to create a marinade.

Can you overcook topside in a slow cooker?

Cook Low and Slow – Place your meat on the bottom of the slow cooker, so it’s closest to the heat source. Add your other ingredients and liquids, then set your cooker to “low.” Plan for 6-9 hours of cooking time for your warming slow cooker meal, This long, slow braise breaks down the connective tissue and fat, creating deliciously soft and juicy meat.

Can you pan fry topside?

Season and brush with olive oil. Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over a high heat, and fry the beef for about 90 seconds per side. Transfer the pan to the oven for 10 minutes (you could do this on a BBQ – move to indirect heat with the lid down).

Can you overcook beef roast?

Can you overcook a slow cooker pot roast? – There is such a thing as an overcooked pot roast. If you’ve ever cut into a fork-tender roast and been surprised by chewy, woody bits of beef – you’ve got an overcooked roast on your hands. To ensure a tender roast without overcooking, probe it with a meat thermometer at the minimum cook time depending on the setting (4 hours on high, 8 hours on low).

Why is my roast tough and chewy?

Why is my pot roast still tough? – It’s because you haven’t let the collagen break down. Extend the cook time, make sure there’s enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish. Our Best Slow Cooker Chuck Roast Recipes

Why did my roast come out tough?

Why Is My Crock-Pot Roast Tough? – If the pot roast or chuck roast is tough, it is because it needs more cooking time. As the beef cooks the muscles and connective tissues break down and this makes the beef tender. Also, if you cook the roast at a high temperature, the roast will be tough. Since you are using the slow cooker, this is not an issue.