What to do with beef chuck steak....

[COLORADO/MOM/3]

What can I do with these, they were on a really good sale so I got about 6 of them....I was thinking I could cut them up and use them as fajitas?? What are they good for?

[nurscindi]

Beef Chuck is a very versatile cut of meat. Depending on how large the cut you have is you can do several things with it. If it's in Roast form, you can take the round end of the roast, cut off a boneles piece of meat and cube it for beef stews. The center cuts are good for smaller, one pot roasts. The Steaks you can easily split using a sharp knife and make Swiss steaks or Fajitas out of them. Chuck is most suitable for Braising and Pot Roasting, it's not my favorite cut for panfrying or broiling, does ok on the grill. Just a matter of preference really.

[COLORADO/MOM/3]

Thanks, I had never thought of swiss steaks. I did buy a couple of the roasts too, I'm not familiar with this type of roast, I think we usually get rump roast, does it turn out the same? Can I just throw them into a pot and let it simmer for a few hours?

[nurscindi]

For Braising, or Pot Roasting you can brown the meat, floured or not, slowly on all sides in a little hot fat. Pour off fat. Season, add a little water or other liquid (stock). As the liquid cooks away, a little more can be added if needed. Cover tightly, simmer over low heat or in slow cooker/oven.

Here are a few to get you started..HTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pot Roasts
3-4lb of beef rump, chuck, or shoulder
2 tsp sale
1/4 tsp pepper
1 sliced large onion
2 TBS water
Heat frying pan, add meat and brown on all sides, season with S/P, place onion slices on top of meat, add water. Cover and cook over low heat about 4-5 hours, until meat tender. Add peeeled halved potatoes, peeled small onions and carrots during the last hour of cooking. Save the liquid and pan drippings to make gravy if desired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Swiss Steak
2 lb 1 1/2 inch thick of rump or chuck steak
3 TBS flous
1 tsp sale
1/4 tsp pepper
3 TBS melted fat
2 cup canned tomatoes
3 sliced large onions
1 minced clove garlic
1 green pepper cut into rings

Trim excess fat from meat, cut into serving pieces. Combine flour, S/P and place meat on chopping block, sprinkle with the flour mix on meat. Pound meat with mallet or with rim of heavy dish (think cast iron pan). Turn and repeat. Place melted fat in frying pan, brown meat on both sides, add tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cover and simmer over low heat about 2 hour until tender, add peppers and cook for 20 min longer, skim off the fat and thicken the juice if desired (use flour or SMALL amt cornstarch to do this)

[COLORADO/MOM/3]

Thank you so much

[agatha]

Just be sure that if you use them for fajitas that you cut the strips AGAINST the grain. That way when you bite, you bite with the grain and it pulls apart.

[WorkinMyQs]

i actually love chuck steak on the grill! Usually the 'lesser' cuts of meats are the most flavorful. A chef taught me this trick: poke both sides with a fork, sprinkle with soy sauce, worchestershire sauce then sprinkle with Lawry's salt and let sit for 10 minutes before grilling. Sounds like it would be too salty but it's definitely not.

[Admin Jorelanu]

I cut chuck steaks/roasts into chunks and cook them until they fall apart for shredded beef sandwiches.

Yummy!
Jore

[COLORADO/MOM/3]

Originally Posted by agatha

Just be sure that if you use them for fajitas that you cut the strips AGAINST the grain. That way when you bite, you bite with the grain and it pulls apart.

Thanks, I did this last night and they were fantastic And Jore thanks, you've planned my meal for tonight for me, what would I do without you guys?

[Admin Jorelanu]

Make sure you cook them with a can of tomato paste or sauce.... helps tenderize them so they fall apart better.

I also love to add garlic powder, a bottle of BBQ sauce, some dehydrated chopped onions and then thicken the whole thing at the end with a spoonful of cornstarch dissolved in a lil cold water.

Jore