Choosing Meat for the Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is an engine for transformation, not speed. If you choose the wrong piece of meat, you end up with a dry, stringy mess; choose the right one, and the meat collapses under the weight of a fork.
Look for the white veins
Avoid expensive, lean cuts like sirloin or tenderloin. Seek out 'tough' meat with visible marbling and seams of connective tissue.
- chef's knife
- heavy cutting board
- tongs
What goes in.
- 3-5 lbBeef chuck roast or shoulder
- 3 lbPork shoulder or 'Boston butt'
- 2 lbLamb shoulder chops or shanks
Respect the collagen
The goal is to turn connective tissue into liquid gelatin. Keep your liquid levels low, as the meat will release its own juices, and avoid lifting the lid to keep the internal temperature steady.
The method.
Trim the fat, but not all of it
Remove large, thick slabs of exterior fat that won't render, but leave the intramuscular fat intact to keep the meat moist during the long cook.
Cut into uniform pieces
If you are making a stew, cut the meat into consistent 2-inch chunks to ensure even cooking across the entire batch.
Sear before entry
Brown the exterior of the meat in a hot pan until a dark, crusty mahogany color forms. This adds depth that a slow cooker cannot generate on its own.
Other turns to take.
Bone-in
Always choose bone-in cuts like shanks or shoulder roasts when possible; the bone adds body to your cooking liquid.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the meat still feels tough after 6 hours, it likely needs more time rather than less; let it go another hour.
Place the fattier side of a roast facing up so the fat renders down through the muscle fibers.
Avoid chicken breast; it will dry out and shred into chalky dust regardless of the liquid used.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use lean meat if I add extra liquid?
No. Adding liquid will not fix the lack of connective tissue. Lean meat will simply overcook and turn fibrous.
How do I know when the meat is done?
The meat is ready when it offers zero resistance to a fork and pulls apart with almost no effort.
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