Recently I followed an Allegra McEvedy recipe for beef & guiness casserole with horseradish dumplings.
In common with most casserole recipes, the instructions were to brown the chunks of meat in a pan over a high heat and then add the other ingredients and go from there...
Even after two and a half hours of cooking, the beef was tough.
Why is this browing process recommended?
My friend cooks a big silverside piece of beef by quite simply putting it in a casserole dish, pouring over stout, adding a carrot and onion and slow cooking in the oven for a couple of hours. The meat is always melt in the mouth.
Couldn't the same thing be achieved in a casserole without the browing? Am I right to believe that it toughens the meat?
Oh, and finally - the dumplings would really have benefitted from some salt, I thought. There was none indicated in the recipe. Would other FMs put salt in their dumplings? (oo er missus!)
In common with most casserole recipes, the instructions were to brown the chunks of meat in a pan over a high heat and then add the other ingredients and go from there...
Even after two and a half hours of cooking, the beef was tough.
Why is this browing process recommended?

My friend cooks a big silverside piece of beef by quite simply putting it in a casserole dish, pouring over stout, adding a carrot and onion and slow cooking in the oven for a couple of hours. The meat is always melt in the mouth.
Couldn't the same thing be achieved in a casserole without the browing? Am I right to believe that it toughens the meat?
Oh, and finally - the dumplings would really have benefitted from some salt, I thought. There was none indicated in the recipe. Would other FMs put salt in their dumplings? (oo er missus!)




I did try it probably at around those times, and it was very tough then, too.