I bought a share of a cow, and was given both of these in my delivery. They both seem to be roughly the same sizes of chunks.
Are they from different parts of the animal? Do they require different handling?
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1As far as I know, stew meat has to be cooked for a long time to be made tender - one reason stews are said to taste better the longer they are cooked. Soups are not usually cooked for so long, but they are still expected to taste good - so I would guess there is a difference between meats intended for each purpose. Of course, I am no expert - that's just the assumption I would make. – Megha Feb 26 '17 at 10:50
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It's a bit confusing, since there are several websites around saying stew meat isn't that good to make stew with since it cooks unevenly... – neko Feb 26 '17 at 11:27
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... at that I am going to have to shrug. I'm not much familiar with cooking meats, so I genuinely couldn't tell you, but that really sounds like they're trying to confuse people. – Megha Feb 26 '17 at 13:24
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Stew meat is usually a piece of meat that is tough when cooked quickly, but becomes tender over a longer cooking period. Examples, Beef - Brisket, Cheek, Chuck Steak; Pork - Brisket, Shoulder (aka Butt).
Soup Meat can be a flavoursome cut which is between the quick and slow cook cuts to give flavour and remain a good eating texture. Example, Chicken - Thigh.
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Thanks, but I mean the cuts of beef, not the genre. They're literal cubes of meat labeled 'soup meat' and 'stew meat'. – neko Mar 2 '17 at 0:04
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As the answer says, the soup meat cubes are probably from flavorful and semi-tender cuts and the stew meat cubes are most likely from tougher parts of the animal. – Holland Wilson Mar 4 '17 at 15:57
