Just had a major dinner fail with a cheap cut of beef

I was trying to make a stew with a $5 chuck roast from the local market last night. I browned it, added everything to my slow cooker, and left it for eight hours. When I got home, the meat was still tough as leather. I guess the cut was just too lean. I ended up shredding it with two forks and mixing it into a bunch of cooked rice and beans to stretch it, which actually worked. Has anyone else had a cheap cut just refuse to get tender? What's your backup plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_paul3d ago

Chuck roast needs more fat, not less.

the_joseph3d ago

Trim that fat cap to a quarter inch, the_paul, and it'll render down perfectly.