Stewed meat is still tough? Try these 5 tricks to make it tender and delicious as in a warteg without boiling it for long.

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If the meat still feels tough, it will certainly reduce the enjoyment when eaten.

Brilio.net - Beef stew is one of the favorite menus in warteg because of its sweet, savory, and rich spice taste. However, one of the biggest challenges in cooking beef stew is getting a tender texture without having to boil it for too long. If the meat still feels tough, it will certainly reduce the enjoyment when eaten. Well, so that the warteg-style beef stew you make can be more tender in a short time, try applying the following five tricks, as summarized by BrilioFood from various sources.

The type of meat used greatly affects the final result of the stew. Avoid using meat parts that have too much muscle or tendon, because it takes a long time to become tender. Choose parts that have little fiber such as tenderloin, shank, or brisket. If you still use meat with a lot of fiber, make sure you apply other techniques to make it tender quickly.

Before starting the cooking process, pound the meat with a meat mallet or the back of a knife. This technique helps break down the tough fibers in the meat so that it absorbs the seasonings more easily and becomes tender when cooked. Do not pound too hard so that the texture of the meat is maintained.

Marinating meat in certain ingredients before cooking can speed up the tenderization process. Some natural ingredients that can be used for marinating include:

- Grated pineapple Contains the enzyme bromelain which can break down meat fibers.
- Papaya leaves Contains the enzyme papain which helps soften meat.
- Lime juice or vinegar Helps loosen meat fibers and removes fishy odor.

Simply rub one of these ingredients onto the surface of the meat and let it sit for 1530 minutes before cooking.

Warteg is famous for its cooking technique that makes the meat tender without having to boil it for long. The secret is to use low heat so that the meat cooks slowly and the spices are more absorbed. Here are the techniques that can be applied:

- Saute the ground spices first until fragrant.
- Add the meat and stir until it changes color.
- Add enough water and cook over low heat for 3045 minutes until the meat is tender and the spices are absorbed.
- If the water reduces before the meat is tender, add a little hot water and continue cooking.

In addition to marinating, you can also add certain ingredients directly when cooking semur. Some ingredients you can try are:

- Black tea Brewed black tea can help tenderize the meat and give the stew a darker color.
- Baking soda Sprinkling a little baking soda while cooking can speed up the tenderizing process of the meat.
- Quality sweet soy sauce Soy sauce with high sugar content can help the meat become tender faster.

Material:
- 500 grams of beef (brisket or shank), cut to taste
- 5 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 1 liter of water
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece of galangal, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, comb
- 3 tbsp cooking oil for frying

Ground spices:
- 5 cloves of shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 candlenuts, roasted
- 1/2 tsp coriander, roasted

How to make:
1. Pound the meat to make it more tender, then marinate it with lime juice for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain.
2. Grind all the spices, then saut with oil until fragrant.
3. Add bay leaves, lemongrass, and galangal, stir well.
4. Add the meat, stir until it changes color.
5. Pour in the water and add the sweet soy sauce, salt, pepper, nutmeg and brown sugar.
6. Cook over low heat for 3045 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.
7. Correct the taste, remove from heat, and serve with warm rice.

(brl/tin)