Shin beef is one of the cheapest cuts of beef, but it can also be one of the toughest. I cooked it for twelve hours in the slow cooker the other day before it even began to tenderize. Does anyone know a quicker way of cooking this particular cut?
I eat a lot of venison, from which a lot of cuts can be rather tough and stringy. I often tenderize beforehand. Either with one of those hammer looking things or with another device I use that works similar to a cuber. Either one helps immensely.
Would a pressure cooker help? Otherwise, it sounds like it's only good for longer stews and whatnot. I'd rather pay more money to get a better cut of beef because nothing is worse than beef that isn't tender or takes a lifetime to get tender!
I don't think I've ever cooked shin beef before to be honest, but I think you might be referring to what is also known as the "shanks" perhaps? If so, I would also guess that pressure cooking might be the only other option to cook them faster than in a slow cooker. Most recipes I see for cooking shanks call for browning them first, then braising them for hours. You could potentially try boiling them for a bit first, before braising them, to jump start the cooking process (similar to what some people do with ribs). But otherwise I would just try pressure cooking them first for about an hour or more, then finishing them off in a really hot oven to brown the exterior and render off more fat.
