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Stewing steak is a tough cut; to make it tender you'll have to cook it at low heat for a few hours. If you buy a pricier cut of beef you can cook it more quickly, but the details depend on the cut and what you want to make. Tell us what kind of meal you have in mind and we can give you more specific information.

The kind of cooking you've been doing sounds like a stir-fry. For this, use flank steak cut into strips, as well as a little oil for browning. You can marinate in soy sauce for 10 minutes beforehand for better flavor. Make sure you don't overcook, or it will be tough.

Cooking lean meat doesn't necessarily mean it will be tough, it just takes a little more skill to cook it right. As for doneness, if you're cooking it to medium rare, there should be a little red in the middle, mostly pink, and it should be soft in the middle but firm on the surface and sides.

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