> > > Disclaimer: I suck at cooking.
> > >
> > > I am trying to make a curry recipe that basically goes like this:
> > >
> > > Brown beef with onions
> > > Add to water
> > > Add other veggies
> > > boil
> > > add curry block
> > > simmer for a while
> > >
> > > The problem is this: Even though I don't try to over-cook the beef
> > > during the browning part, when I start boiling it, it tends to shrink
> > > and get hard.

>>>Is there a way I can prevent this, without resorting to
> > > simmering for a really long time?

Yes; use a better cut of meat, such as tenderloin cut into cubes. It will
also shrink but will be much more tender.

Stew meat is the cheap, tough parts that are generally either (or both)
marinated in an acidic solution to tenderize or cooked slow. However, what
is your objection to slow cooking? With a crockpot or slow cooker, the
stew/curry/tough-cut can be cooked while you sleep and come out very tender.
Just before bed last night, I put a top round roast in the slow cooker with
a half-cup of burgundy wine and 1.5 cups of water, sliced onion, minced
garlic, salt and pepper. When I awakened this morning, I had an incredibly
tender, flavorful roast.

Any tough meat should be cooked "low and slow"; bbq, stew etc. all use the
tough cuts and are cooked low and slow to make tender.

If the problem is you don't have a slow cooker and don't want to spend the
$25-35, go to a yard sale or thrift store and get one for less than $5.