How do restaurants get their beef so tender?
Discussion
When I go out for Sunday roast at a restaurant it's always so tender it pretty much falls apart and is really juicy. Trying to cook it at home is always dry and tough. Tried different cuts of meat, different temperatures/cooking time, even boiling it first (apparently my Gran used to do this). So what's the right way for perfect roast beef - I've given up doing it!
Cooking should started with the joint at room temp, salt and pepper the outside(plus whatever else you might care to add, mustard is good, either ready made or ground seeds) then put the roasting pan on the hob, heat, and seal off the joint.
Having pre heated the oven to Gas Mark 4(190c), roast the joint for 20 minutes plus 20 minutes a pound for rare, or 20+25 per lb for medium.
I usually aim for rare in the middle, however the outside few slices tend to range from medium well to medium. If your unsure you can use a meat thermometer.
Make sure you use the juices left after cooking for the gravy, once you've taken the beef out you can use the resting time to make the gravy. This is also a good point to put in the Yorkshires
Having pre heated the oven to Gas Mark 4(190c), roast the joint for 20 minutes plus 20 minutes a pound for rare, or 20+25 per lb for medium.
I usually aim for rare in the middle, however the outside few slices tend to range from medium well to medium. If your unsure you can use a meat thermometer.
Make sure you use the juices left after cooking for the gravy, once you've taken the beef out you can use the resting time to make the gravy. This is also a good point to put in the Yorkshires
Edited by Marf on Saturday 14th November 14:23
If it is a small volume carvery the meat was probably cooked very slowly from very early that morning massive joints of meat = tender.
It it is a large volume carvery the meat was almost certianly cooked over night in a meat oven that then kept everything warm and due to the fact these types of oven are sealed shut the meat would also haver been immersed in stock = really tender+amazing gravy.
If it was a pub/resturant where the meat comes out of the kitchen alreadty sliced on the plate then sadly the meat was probably cooked on saturday afternoon, sliced and then stored, before being warmed up in very weak gravy or stock before service on sunday so that it was tender and moist.
In my previous life as a chef i use all 3 variants, i never had a complaint about the meat being tough, however every sunday i would hear either: the gravey isn't like my mums, or my mum's roasties are better.
edited to add "Your mum hasn't just made a cracking roast for 500 people though has she you muppet" was actually one of the last things i said as a chef to a customer
It it is a large volume carvery the meat was almost certianly cooked over night in a meat oven that then kept everything warm and due to the fact these types of oven are sealed shut the meat would also haver been immersed in stock = really tender+amazing gravy.
If it was a pub/resturant where the meat comes out of the kitchen alreadty sliced on the plate then sadly the meat was probably cooked on saturday afternoon, sliced and then stored, before being warmed up in very weak gravy or stock before service on sunday so that it was tender and moist.
In my previous life as a chef i use all 3 variants, i never had a complaint about the meat being tough, however every sunday i would hear either: the gravey isn't like my mums, or my mum's roasties are better.
edited to add "Your mum hasn't just made a cracking roast for 500 people though has she you muppet" was actually one of the last things i said as a chef to a customer
Edited by omgus on Saturday 14th November 14:29
robuk said:
omgus said:
edited to add "Your mum hasn't just made a cracking roast for 500 people though has she you muppet" was actually one of the last things i said as a chef to a customer
Will await the PH comment about 500 people, your mum and a 'roast' 
1) Get a rib roast, boneless/rolled or bone-in doesn't matter.
2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
Edited by juice on Saturday 14th November 18:15
juice said:
1) Get a rib roast, boneless/rolled or bone-in doesn't matter.
2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
What temperature do you roast at?2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
Edited by juice on Saturday 14th November 18:15
dazco said:
juice said:
1) Get a rib roast, boneless/rolled or bone-in doesn't matter.
2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
What temperature do you roast at?2) Allow it to come to room Temperature.
3) Score fat so it renders and salt & pepper it
4) Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one.
5) Roast to internal temp of 120F
6) Remove and rest for at least 20 mins. The internal temp should have hit 130F in this time due to carry-over residual heat.
Doing this, I've honestly never had less than perfect med-rare/rare roast beef that is melt in the mouth
Edited by juice on Saturday 14th November 18:15
Sadly alot of beef is buggered about with from injecting various proteins,chemicals and water.if you get a steak and put a piece in your month and it feels like it has already been chewed by someone else,it has been through a tenderizer,a machine with loads of little knives which cut through the muscle breaking down the muscle structure and therefore making it feel tenderer.
dhf said:
Sadly alot of beef is buggered about with from injecting various proteins,chemicals and water.if you get a steak and put a piece in your month and it feels like it has already been chewed by someone else,it has been through a tenderizer,a machine with loads of little knives which cut through the muscle breaking down the muscle structure and therefore making it feel tenderer.
This is true .when i worked for another butcher this was done to every whole roasting joint (whole topsides,silversides,and toprump) that was ment for the catering trade.The beef that was sold over the counter was always matured on the bone for a couple of weeks,and a bit dearer.
juice said:
Co-incidentally we had some friends round for lunch today, and roasted some beef as per above. 4lb rib-roast cooked for 1 hour 10 mins to 125F, and rested for 25 mins. Sorry for the chunky slices as it was going to fall apart if I sliced it any finer.
Looks like a train smash to me 
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