Food & Drinks

Fancy whipping up some comfort food tonight? These are the best cuts of meat for slow cooking

Chicken, pork, beef, veal and lamb.
Loading the player...

You’ve taken your slow cooker out of the kitchen cupboard it hides in for a good portion of the year and have started sorting through your favourite slow cooker recipes.

Slow cooking is not only a flavoursome way to cook, it’s also budget-friendly as tougher (and therefore cheaper) cuts of meat are ideal for slow cooking, with meat becoming juicy and tender over the long cooking time.

But which are the best cuts of meat to use when creating your hearty, one-pot wonders? Which cuts of meat tenderise to perfection? We have the answer…

Which cuts work best?

(Image: Getty)

Beef in the slow cooker

Slow cooking is perfect for cuts of beef that tend to get tough when grilled.

This includes topside, oyster, blade, skirt, round and chuck steaks. This slow cooker beef, mushroom and red wine stew makes the most of gravy beef.

This beef, mushroom and red wine stew works well with all sorts of cuts.

(Image: Women’s Weekly Food)

Veal in the slow cooker

Meat attached to the bone is excellent for slow cooking, like the osso bucco used in this slow-cooker veal with balsamic sage sauce recipe.

Veal shanks and shoulder are also good.

Meat attached to the bone works well for recipes like this veal with balsamic sage sauce.

(Image: Women’s Weekly Food)

Lamb in the slow cooker

Again, on the bone is the way to go.

Lamb shanks are excellent in a slow cooker. As are neck chops, boneless shoulder, shanks, and boneless forequarter.

WATCH BELOW: How to make slow-cooker lamb shanks. Post continues after video…

Loading the player...

Pork in the slow cooker

The “hand” of pickled pork is a portion of leg and breast. You might need to order this from the butcher in advance.

Check out forequarter chops, neck, diced shoulder, and pork belly as well.

This slow-cooked pickled pork is delicious served hot or cold.

(Image: Women’s Weekly Food)

Chicken in the slow cooker

Any pieces of chicken will do, but those on the bone work best.

Think wings, drumsticks, or marylands (such as those used in this slow-cooker chicken, porcini, and barley soup).

This slow-cooker chicken, porcini and barley soup works best with meat on the bone.

(Image: Women’s Weekly Food)

Related stories