The Best Cuts for the Slow Cooker

The slow cooker is a wonderful thing on a busy day: load it in the morning, come home to dinner. But put the wrong cut in it and you will get dry, stringy meat swimming in thin liquid. Choose the right cut and it is hard to go wrong.

The Rule

Slow cookers suit cuts with plenty of connective tissue and some fat. Over many hours, the connective tissue melts into gelatine, which keeps the meat moist and gives the sauce body. Lean, tender cuts like eye fillet, chicken breast and pork loin have nothing to melt, so they simply dry out.

Beef

• Chuck: the all-rounder for stews, curries and pulled beef. Low for 8 hours.
• Beef cheeks: silky and rich. Low for 8 to 9 hours.
• Brisket: slices or shreds beautifully. Low for 8 to 10 hours.
• Shin and osso buco: deep flavour, plus marrow. Low for 8 hours.
• Short ribs: rich and sticky. Low for 8 hours.

Lamb

• Lamb shanks: low for 7 to 8 hours.
• Lamb shoulder: diced for curries or whole for pulling. Low for 8 hours.
• Lamb neck: perfect for Irish stew. Low for 7 to 8 hours.

Pork

• Pork shoulder: the classic pulled pork cut. Low for 8 to 10 hours.
• Pork belly: tender and rich, though it will not crackle. Crisp it under the grill afterwards.
• Pork ribs: tender in 6 to 7 hours on low, then glaze and finish in a hot oven.

Chicken

• Thighs, bone-in or fillets: low for 4 to 6 hours.
• Drumsticks and marylands: low for 5 to 6 hours.

Chicken breast is best kept out of the slow cooker, or added only for the last hour or two.

Tips for Better Results

Brown the meat first

It takes ten minutes and adds a depth of flavour the slow cooker cannot create on its own.

Use less liquid

A slow cooker loses almost no moisture. Liquid should come about halfway up the meat, not cover it. The meat will release its own juices.

Low beats high

As a rough guide, high cooks in about half the time of low, but low gives more tender results with cuts like these.

Keep the lid on

Every time you lift it, you lose heat and add to the cooking time.

Thicken at the end

If the sauce is thin, take the meat out and reduce the liquid in a pan, or stir through a little cornflour mixed with water and cook for 15 minutes with the lid off.

Add delicate things late

Peas, spinach, fresh herbs and cream go in for the last 15 to 30 minutes.

Food Safety

Always thaw meat completely in the fridge before it goes in. Frozen meat can sit too long at unsafe temperatures while it slowly warms. When it is done, get leftovers into shallow containers and into the fridge within two hours.

For one of our favourite long cooks, see Low and Slow Pulled Pork.