I think beef is raised differently now than it was in the past and the meat is just different. Go to a butcher shop and see if that helps. I know when you put it in the frig and the grease hardens on top. It used to practically crack so you could get it off. Now it's almost like jelly, trying to get the grease off is much harder.
I use left over roast from the crockpot. Throw in frozen soup vegies, bay leaf, tomato sauce, and barley. You can't really taste the barley but it makes it more nutritious.
Sorry gotta go, need to get a roast out of the freezer!