Help me out, please, with a beef cooking question.

I recently got a slow cooker and tonight I tried a beef stew recipe out of a cookbook that came with it.

The recipe called for 2in cubed rump steak to be browned in a skillet and then cooked in the slow cooker with the aromatics.

Even though the cooking time was anywhere from 7 to 9 hours, after 5 the beef was too tough but the veg wasn't cooked yet! I have little experience with cooking in general, and beef in particular gives me the fits but it was pretty clear the beef had been overcooked. Gaah!

This is not the first time this has happened. What am I doing wrong? Why is my beef not coming out all nice and juicy and tender? Should I forgo browning next time, maybe?

Help please! I am tired of spending a ton of money on expensive meat only to end up chewing something with the texture of gristle.

I've never used a slow cooker but to me rump steak would be the wrong cut for such a slow cooking process - surely stewing/casserole steak

I've never used a slow cooker but to me rump steak would be the wrong cut for such a slow cooking process - surely stewing/casserole steak

I just double checked and it def says rump steak. But maybe you're right and it's just too lean a cut for this kind of cooking.

I know in the states I could throw any cut of beef into a slow cooker, and it would come out moist and tasty no matter how many hours it was in there.

Here the slow cookers seem to cook hotter? The low setting dries out a roast in about 5 hours, which defeats the purpose of cooking it during the day while you're at work.

I've wondered about cooking it all day on the "keep warm" setting, but I've been unwilling to risk a dinner so far.

This is not the first time this has happened. What am I doing wrong? Why is my beef not coming out all nice and juicy and tender? Should I forgo browning next time, maybe?

Help please! I am tired of spending a ton of money on expensive meat only to end up chewing something with the texture of gristle.

What slow cooker do you have? I've had slow cookers all my life...aka crock pots! Ive never had a problem with meals being done.

I've not done a roast before but you'll have to make sure there is some water in the cooker or else it will go dry.

I've done stews, soups, chilli...all comes out beautifully. For my stews I usually use a braising steak or specially pre cubed stew meat. But you can use any cut.

If you have the auto switch setting use it, it cooks on high for a period of time the automatically switches itself to the low setting. For my the last stew I made (new years day) I put it on at 10 am and when we returned that evening it was done at 4pm.

I've got a slow cooker but for a roast I use the oven. My mother taught me this way of cooking a roast and it's turned out really tender and flavorful. I use a piece of silverside. Brown it in a skillet with your veg (chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, etc.). I throw in a little bit of sugar too, and some worcestershire sauce. When the meat is browned, put it and your veg into a casserole pot, then make up some chicken or beef stock (I use those cubes) and pour in enough to come up just over halfway up the piece of meat. Lay a piece of foil over the pot, then put the lid on (this really helps to keep the moisture in). Then roast in a 150 C oven for 3-4 hours. Once it's done, I take the meat and veg out and pour the liquid into a pan to make a gravy, then put it all back together. You can add some wine to the liquid too.

I suppose this could translate to a slow cooker too. I think browning the meat is an important step as it adds a nice flavor.

I think browning the meat is an important step as it adds a nice flavor.

Browning also seals the meat and keeps the juices in as well as the flavor.

Browning also seals the meat and keeps the juices in as well as the flavor.

That's actually not true. Browning or searing meat adds color and a flavor but does nothing for 'sealing' in juices at all.