Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough. Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Jim

You need some liquid in there to braise the meat. And actually, if you are
going to be cooking it all day, forget the expensive cuts-go with a simple
chuck roast, preferably on the bone. Brown the roast well on all sides before
putting in the crockpot (to get that carmelization going) Add a chopped onion,
some garlic, a bay leaf and whatever spices or veggies you desire. I usually
then add about 1 cup of beef broth and 1 cup of wine. Cooked all day it is melt
in your mouth delish.

Sandra

Jim Kroger wrote:
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.
(snip)

The most expensive does not make a great roast in the crock pot. I
recommend a 3-5 lb. chuck roast.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart
in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup
(snip)

Soup? What kind of soup? Crock pot roast requires liquid, true. Brown the
roast in olive oil first to nicely brown it. Then place it in the crock pot
with a quartered yellow onion, a bay leaf, crushed garlic cloves, plenty of
ground black pepper and don't be afraid to add salt. You might also want to
add about 1/2 c. of red wine or sherry to this. Cover and cook on High
about 5 hours.

I promise you, this will be fork tender and oh so delicious! Use the
strained liquid to make a gravy if desired (thickened with a little
cornstarch slurry).

Jill

(Sandy n ne) wrote in
:

You need some liquid in there to braise the meat. And actually, if you
are going to be cooking it all day, forget the expensive cuts-go with
a simple chuck roast, preferably on the bone. Brown the roast well on
all sides before putting in the crockpot (to get that carmelization
going) Add a chopped onion, some garlic, a bay leaf and whatever
spices or veggies you desire. I usually then add about 1 cup of beef
broth and 1 cup of wine. Cooked all day it is melt in your mouth
delish.

Sandra

Great instructions for cooking a roast, but the OP is trying to make soup,
and I don't think he wants to cook a roast first and then cut it up for
soup.

Wayne

"jmcquown" wrote in
:

Jim Kroger wrote:
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.
(snip)

The most expensive does not make a great roast in the crock pot. I
recommend a 3-5 lb. chuck roast.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart
in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup
(snip)

Soup? What kind of soup? Crock pot roast requires liquid, true.
Brown the roast in olive oil first to nicely brown it. Then place it
in the crock pot with a quartered yellow onion, a bay leaf, crushed
garlic cloves, plenty of ground black pepper and don't be afraid to
add salt. You might also want to add about 1/2 c. of red wine or
sherry to this. Cover and cook on High about 5 hours.

I promise you, this will be fork tender and oh so delicious! Use the
strained liquid to make a gravy if desired (thickened with a little
cornstarch slurry).

Jill



Jill, are you saying to cook the roast first and then make the soup? I
don't think that was the OP's intention.

Wayne

Jim Kroger wrote:

Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough. Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?


Are you boiling it? A stew boiled is a stew spoiled.

"Jim Kroger" wrote in message
...
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough. Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Jim

If you are making a soup and starting with raw meat, I'd cut the meat into
chunks first, then brown the chunks, then put in the crock pot with liquid,
onion, and spices. After it's cooked a bit and the meat gets tender, start
adding the vegies in bite-sized pieces (soup to me indicates everything is
bite-size).

Jim Kroger wrote in message
...
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

"Most expensive" is a waste of your money for the crockpot; stick with
something cheaper.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just
fall apart in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect
roast cooked in soup in a crock pot for 10 hours to be like
that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of
tough. Not like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch,
but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

It sounds like you're missing a step; a very important step for enhancing
the flavor and sealing the meat. Have you tried browning the meat prior to
your set-it-and-leave-it attempts? Also, cut the meat up into 1" cubes,
dredge them in flour/salt/pepper, and brown them (small batches). It
slightly more work (and dirties another pan) but the experience you're
looking for will be worth that extra 30 minutes work.

BTW: You might like to look through Rival's crockpot site to compare your
recipe and theirs.

http://www.crockpot.com

The Ranger

don't use EXPENSIVE cuts of meat.
not enough fat..................

be sure your cooking on the LOW temp.

i DON'T use water of any kind, just an envelope of onion soup.


--
read and post daily, it works!
rosie

as I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch
what they do.
..............................andrew carnegie



















"Jim Kroger" wrote in message
...
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall
apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup
in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough.
Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of
chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Jim

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in
:

Jim Kroger wrote:
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.
(snip)

The most expensive does not make a great roast in the crock pot. I
recommend a 3-5 lb. chuck roast.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall
apart in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked
in soup (snip)

Soup? What kind of soup? Crock pot roast requires liquid, true.
Brown the roast in olive oil first to nicely brown it. Then place it
in the crock pot with a quartered yellow onion, a bay leaf, crushed
garlic cloves, plenty of ground black pepper and don't be afraid to
add salt. You might also want to add about 1/2 c. of red wine or
sherry to this. Cover and cook on High about 5 hours.

I promise you, this will be fork tender and oh so delicious! Use the
strained liquid to make a gravy if desired (thickened with a little
cornstarch slurry).

Jill



Jill, are you saying to cook the roast first and then make the soup?
I don't think that was the OP's intention.

Wayne

No no, I didn't say cook the roast, I said brown the roast in a skillet -
sear it. Then put it in the crock pot. I didn't say to use soup. Beef
stock and red wine (if one wants to add it, although a nice beer also works
perfectly well).

Jill

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in
:

Jim Kroger wrote:
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.
(snip)

The most expensive does not make a great roast in the crock pot. I
recommend a 3-5 lb. chuck roast.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall
apart in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked
in soup (snip)

Soup? What kind of soup? Crock pot roast requires liquid, true.
Brown the roast in olive oil first to nicely brown it. Then place it
in the crock pot with a quartered yellow onion, a bay leaf, crushed
garlic cloves, plenty of ground black pepper and don't be afraid to
add salt. You might also want to add about 1/2 c. of red wine or
sherry to this. Cover and cook on High about 5 hours.

I promise you, this will be fork tender and oh so delicious! Use the
strained liquid to make a gravy if desired (thickened with a little
cornstarch slurry).

Jill



Jill, are you saying to cook the roast first and then make the soup?
I don't think that was the OP's intention.

Wayne

Beef soup... duh! Oxtails work very well for this. I'd still brown the
oxtails with onion and garlic, then add to the crock pot with beef stock,
water, possibly red wine and I'd add 1/4 c. pearl barley in the last hour as
a thickener. If the OP wants vegetable beef soup, add carrots, potatoes,
etc. about halfway through cooking in the crock pot. Cook on High about 3
hours.

Jill

Jim Kroger wrote:

I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough. Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

You're enumerated nothing you've done,
obviuously you've done *everything* wrong.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Since we're diagnosing crockpot stew problems, I've got a question:
It is possible to make a good stew using lean meat? The local Whole
Foods has some really lean bison stew meat that I've been
experimenting with, but it never comes out as soft as a cut of beef
chuck.

I have been following typical techniques: covering with liquid (stock,
wine, water), and cooking in the crock on low for 8 or 9 hours. Any
suggestions?

-brian

"Jim Kroger" wrote in message
...
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several kinds
of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall apart in
your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked in soup in a
crock pot for 10 hours to be like that or even more tender.

But every time, my roast meat is not soft, but it's kind of tough. Not
like an overcooked dried out roast kind of touch, but sort of chewy.

Anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!

Jim

There are several points he

1. What cut of beef are you using? Something like chuck or meat will
some fat running through the muscle will help.
2. Are you browning the beef first or just dumping the mess into cold
water. (the browning helps the flavor but not the texture)
3. How big are the chunks of beef you are cutting? I would think for
soup no more than 1/2 inch square.
4. You don't mention if you are cooking on High or Low.
5. If you are starting with very cold ingredients then cooking on low for
10 hours this just may not be enough time.

Dimitri

"jmcquown" wrote in
:

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in
:

Jim Kroger wrote:
Hi all. I am trying to make beef soup. I've tried to use several
kinds of roast, up to the most expensive I could find.
(snip)

The most expensive does not make a great roast in the crock pot. I
recommend a 3-5 lb. chuck roast.

You know how a really well-cooked roast has parts the just fall
apart in your mouth they are so tender? I would expect roast cooked
in soup (snip)

Soup? What kind of soup? Crock pot roast requires liquid, true.
Brown the roast in olive oil first to nicely brown it. Then place
it in the crock pot with a quartered yellow onion, a bay leaf,
crushed garlic cloves, plenty of ground black pepper and don't be
afraid to add salt. You might also want to add about 1/2 c. of red
wine or sherry to this. Cover and cook on High about 5 hours.

I promise you, this will be fork tender and oh so delicious! Use
the strained liquid to make a gravy if desired (thickened with a
little cornstarch slurry).

Jill



Jill, are you saying to cook the roast first and then make the soup?
I don't think that was the OP's intention.

Wayne

No no, I didn't say cook the roast, I said brown the roast in a
skillet - sear it. Then put it in the crock pot. I didn't say to use
soup. Beef stock and red wine (if one wants to add it, although a
nice beer also works perfectly well).

Jill




Jill, all good points and ideas, but I think one of us is missing the
point...maybe me. I thought the OP wanted to make soup, using a roast
cut up in cubes. I didn't get the impression he was trying to end up
with a cooked roast. I totally agree that any beef going into the
crockpot should be thoroughly browned first, either a whole piece or
cubes. Beef stock and red wine or beer would also be great additions to
either a roast, stew, or soup.

Wayne