tough meat

Meaning

This phrase refers to meat that is difficult to cut or chew, usually because it has been overcooked, undercooked, or comes from a muscular part of the animal. It is often used when reviewing restaurant dishes or describing cooking mistakes. To make it tender, it often needs to be slow-cooked or marinated.

Examples

• The steak was so overcooked that it tasted like tough meat.

  The steak was so overcooked that it tasted like tough meat.

• If you cook it too fast, you'll end up with tough meat.

  If you cook it too fast, you'll end up with tough meat.

• Slow cooking is the best way to turn tough meat into something tender.

  Slow cooking is the best way to turn tough meat into something tender.

• I had to send the beef back because it was just tough meat.

  I had to send the beef back because it was just tough meat.

• This cut of beef is known as tough meat, so make sure to marinate it first.

  This cut of beef is known as tough meat, so make sure to marinate it first.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The beef was very hard meat.

  ✓ The beef was tough meat.

  Non-native speakers often translate 'hard' literally from their native language, but in English, we specifically use 'tough' to describe meat that is difficult to chew.

• ✗ I don't like heavy meat.

  ✓ I don't like tough meat.

  'Heavy' refers to weight or rich foods, whereas 'tough' specifically refers to the chewy, fibrous texture of meat.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you don't slice it against the grain, you will get ___.

  💡 Meat that is hard to chew.

  Show answer

  tough meat

• Cheap cuts often result in ___ unless you simmer them for hours.

  💡 Chewy, difficult-to-eat meat.

  Show answer

  tough meat