Tough beef from a butcher

[condor]

Well, I bought what looked like a great joint of beef and it was cooked at 160deg fan oven for 125 mins. It smelt great whilst it was cooking, but was difficult to cut and chewy.
The main question was where did we go wrong?, it looked a good piece of beef - but it didn't live up to it's potential.

It was a massive and expensive dissapointment

[Murdoc]

What cut was it? Some cuts like silverside need to be cooked low and slow.

[calibrax]

How big was it? 2 hours isn't a whole lot of time for cooking a beef joint at 160...

[ndtman]

As has been said already, doesn't sound long enough at that heat. Also let it rest after cooking, the difference this makes is amazing. Personally I would chuck it in a pan with water and chopped onions and simmer for a while. Once braised to your liking, use the stock in the pan for gravy.

[condor]

It was top side and about 6 inches diameter with about 4 inches length -it certainly looked good and was supposed to be local ( Somerset/Devon), just didn't taste it.
It tasted similar (or as tough) as Irish beef...so think I was misled.

edited to add, we rested it for 10 mins, didn't make much difference though.

Edited by condor on Sunday 27th June 20:44

[calibrax]

Topside can be tough. Judging by your description I would probably have browned it in a pan, then cooked it at 150-160 for about 4 hours, under foil with some water in the oven dish to stop it drying out (fan ovens in particular are bad for that).

[condor]

Unfortunately, there was very little choice of where to buy food, and only one butcher...which only had the topside as a joint. It did look good though - just didn't taste it.
I'm not used to fan ovens and don't think I'll be a convert to them either.

[Mobile Chicane]

You've cooked it too long.

I'd give it a 20 min sizzle as hot as the oven will go, then 9 mins at 160 C per 500g thereafter for 'rare'.

Rest for 20 mins under foil, then slice it thin.

I agree about fan ovens by the way. They're pants.

[joncastle]

Topside's a tough joint to deal with. Literally! Never the tenderest thing anyway, and very prone to drying out. Not a huge amount of flavour, either.You might actually be better off poaching it, or pot roasting wth plenty of vegetables and a lid to keep it moist. To serve, slice it as thin as possible across the grain, and have plenty of good mustard or horseradish available to give the flavour a bit of kick.

Have you gone back to have a chat with the butcher? If he's any good, he should be able to give you some advice, and most good ones appreciate the feedback.

Edited by joncastle on Monday 28th June 06:26

[21TonyK]

Both topside and silverside are not classed as roasting in the catering industry, they'd be used for braising which is one option as already mentioned. However, that doesn't change the fact that most butchers and certainly supermarkets will sell it as a "roasting joint". This is because a "real" roasting joint would cost 2-3 or even 4 times as much again, think sirlon, fore rib, wing rib etc

One cooking method that works with top or silverside is to heavily salt and pepper the joint then wrap tightly in cling (several layers) before cooking in a very low oven, say 60-65 degrees for 6-7 hours. You do need to temperature check it carefully and when the core is at 60 degrees remove it and let is rest in the cling for an hour while you preheat your oven to 220-230. If the joint is not barded (covered in fat) then you need to baste the meat continuously until you get a nice crust on it. Then rest for 20-30 minutes, carve and serve.

This way you should have very moist, medium rare meat with a crispy crust.

[Johnny Drama]

We regularly buy Hereford topside joints. Cooks very nicely in a slow cooker for 6 - 7 hours on low (no water).

[anonymous-user]

As said before, it would be best to slow cook in some way or other! Then again if it did not taste great best try a different butcher, some are better than others!

[condor]

Thanks for your comments -I can see where I went wrong and will treat that cut differently next time. My dad want's to reheat the leftovers ( as he thinks they're too good to mince to use as rissoles) I disagree and think that's exactly what should happen.
I'm unlikely to win this battle though....so looks like more chewy beef tomorrow. I will try and disuade him though.

[Simpo Two]

condor said:

My dad want's to reheat the leftovers ( as he thinks they're too good to mince to use as rissoles)

Or cut it wafer-thin, sprinkle lightly with salt, roll up and consume