Try a Little Tenderness

• Stewing, braising and other methods of cooking in liquid are used to make tough meat tender because of the way meat reacts to the presence of heat and water. When meat is heated in liquid, collagen fibers, which bond muscles together, dissolve to form gelatin, making the meat softer. This process gives meat cooked in liquid its soft texture. However, there are a number of ways this process can fail.

Tenderness Takes Time

• Tough meat in a stew is more likely to be the result of undercooking than overcooking. The process of breaking down collagen fibers takes time, and stew meat is usually full of dense muscle, making it tough compared to other cuts. Most beef stew recipes, for instance, call for the stew to cook for several hours, and it's not uncommon to see a stew cooking for an entire afternoon.

Heat Toughens Meat

• Temperature can also be a factor in toughening meat. Stews need a long period over a relatively low temperature to soften the meat. Higher temperatures cause the muscle fibers in the meat to form new links, making it tough and chewy. Stew meat simmered over a long period will become tender, but if it's constantly in a boiling broth it may become tough. Cooks consistently producing tough stew meat may find that their results improve by cooking longer at lower temperatures.

Maybe a Marinade

• Another response to overly tough stew meat might be marinating it in advance. The acid in a marinade helps to break down the meat's connective fibers before cooking, making it more tender. Some stew recipes don't call for a marinade, but others, such as one by food writing icon Julia Child, require the meat to be marinated overnight.