I'm still not sure how to get really tender meat for stew,like you get with pot roast. Is it prolonged (hours) slow cooking that finally breaks down the meat? Again, Chef 1 what do you mean by cooking "vigorously"? That does not seem compatible with slow, low heat cooking. I suppose canned meat would be tender but I've never tried that. Canning is my next adventure, along with getting the vacuum sealer for storage purposes.