Hi All,

I purchase a 50 lb beef pack from a local rancher.
The meat is on the leaner side, as he does not use
hormones or antibiotics to fatten his cows. He
also hangs the meat.

I do not have access to an oven, but I do have access to
a very nice pressure cooker.

Problem: I love all the roasts, except one: the sirloin
tip roast -- the one with the strings all around it. No
matter what I try, it keeps coming out D-R-Y. Lots of
juice, but the meant is D-R-Y. I usually resort to cooking
it till it falls apart and then use it for taco filling
(which, by the way, it a magnificent treat!)

Well, I figure I don't know what I am doing, so I also
figured it is time to ask for help. How do I cook a Sirloin
Tip in a pressure cooker and have it come out moist?

Many thanks,
-T

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Oh pshaw, On Wed 02 Aug 2006 02:39:27p, Todd and Margo Chester was
> muttering about...
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I purchase a 50 lb beef pack from a local rancher.
>> The meat is on the leaner side, as he does not use
>> hormones or antibiotics to fatten his cows. He
>> also hangs the meat.
>>
>> I do not have access to an oven, but I do have access to
>> a very nice pressure cooker.
>>
>> Problem: I love all the roasts, except one: the sirloin
>> tip roast -- the one with the strings all around it. No
>> matter what I try, it keeps coming out D-R-Y. Lots of
>> juice, but the meant is D-R-Y. I usually resort to cooking
>> it till it falls apart and then use it for taco filling
>> (which, by the way, it a magnificent treat!)
>>
>> Well, I figure I don't know what I am doing, so I also
>> figured it is time to ask for help. How do I cook a Sirloin
>> Tip in a pressure cooker and have it come out moist?
>>
>> Many thanks,
>> -T
>>
>
> IMHO, sirloin tip lends itself best to braising. It is a dry muscle
> without a lot of connective tissue or fat to lend moisture. Long, slow
> cooking in a seasoned liquid will give the best result. Crock Pots are
> cheap. You should probably invest in one.
>

Sirloin tip should also make good beef jerky.

Bob

Abe wrote:
>> Problem: I love all the roasts, except one: the sirloin
>> tip roast -- the one with the strings all around it. No
>> matter what I try, it keeps coming out D-R-Y. Lots of
>> juice, but the meant is D-R-Y. I usually resort to cooking
>> it till it falls apart and then use it for taco filling
>> (which, by the way, it a magnificent treat!)
>> Well, I figure I don't know what I am doing, so I also
>> figured it is time to ask for help. How do I cook a Sirloin
>> Tip in a pressure cooker and have it come out moist?
> Can't be done. It's just the wrong cut of meat.
>

Okay then, it isn't me. (I thought I just stunk as a cook!)
It is 1 hr and 45 min on high pressure for some awesome
taco meat!

Thank you all for the help!

-T

Todd and Margo Chester wrote:
> >> Problem: I love all the roasts, except one: the sirloin
> >> tip roast -- the one with the strings all around it. No
> >> matter what I try, it keeps coming out D-R-Y. Lots of
> >> juice, but the meant is D-R-Y. I
>
> Okay then, it isn't me. (I thought I just stunk as a cook!)
> It is 1 hr and 45 min on high pressure for some awesome
> taco meat!
>

I would say your problem is definitely operator error in using both the
incorrect cooking time as well as the wrong pressure cooking method and
release. It sounds odd, but even when meat is cooked in a broth, it
can become dried out, tough and stringy if it is *overcooked* in a
pressure cooker. When meat is overcooked, the muscle fibers shorten in
both length and width and eventually squeeze out all the fat and juices
they normally hold. Another factor the contributes to dry, tough meats
is using the incorrect method to depressurize the cooker. The rule of
thumb is to use the Natural Release Method for most cuts of meat,
especially larger cuts like a roast, to allow the meat to finish
cooking and complete the process.

Example: the pressure cooking time for a 3lb rolled roast is just 30
minutes using the Natural Release Method to finish.