Topside is a lean, boneless piece of meat best suited for casseroles, stews and roasting. It can be a difficult cut to cook correctly because of its low fat content, and when prepared incorrectly, it tends to be tough and chewy.

Is topside beef good for stewing?

Cutting the beef into large chunks and gently cooking it in a stew is a great way to cook topside. It will become soft and should fall apart if cooked for long enough. Topside has less fat running through it than other cuts making it leaner, and therefore it would work in a lower-fat stew, casserole or curry.

Why is my topside beef tough?

When meat is heated too far, even if the connective tissue has been carefully melted out, the meat proteins bunch up and stiffen- resulting in #2, a dry, unpleasant meal. You are buying tough meat and cooking it relatively quickly with no thermometer.