Nothing says comfort more than preparing a delicious casserole or slow-cooked recipe in winter to share with your family or friends. But sometimes, after all of your hard work, the meat can wind up, well – a little dry. The reason comes down to the cut of meat you buy at the supermarket.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Ditch the pre-cut cubes: Pre-diced stewing beef is often cut too small, making it dry and tough in a slow cooker.
- Buy whole cuts or thick steaks: Choose whole cuts meat (like a hunk of chuck roast or thick chuck steaks) and cut them into large pieces yourself.
- Look for fat and collagen: Slow cooking requires tough, well-marbled cuts.
Why is my slow-cooked meat dry?
When Nagi Maehashi recently sent out her budget-friendly menu plan, she of course included a delicious-looking slow-cooker recipe. The goal? To come up with a delicious 7- day menu plan at less than $4 a serve. But Nagi wouldn’t be Nagi if she didn’t offer up some tips to make sure each meal tastes as good as it looks on her website.
Although it might save time, Nagi says if you’re cooking something as rich as a beef ragu, it’s best to avoid the pre-cut meat. “PPS Beef ragu recipe says please get a hunk of meat and cut it up yourself, but you can get the thick chuck steaks and use them as is. Just don’t use the tiny pre-cut cubes.”
Pre-cut cubes VS whole cuts
| Pre-cut supermarket meat | Whole chuck / thick steak |
| Small, uneven pieces | Large chunks |
| Lean, low collagen/fat | High fat and connective tissue |
| Cooks too fast = tough and dry | Melts slowly = juicy and tender |
How to keep from drying out in the slow cooker
So why is Nagi steering us all away from pre-cut meat cubes? It turns out those smaller pieces aren’t doing your cooking any favours.
“They cook way too fast, and all too often they are so lean and dry,” says Nagi.
Because pre-packaged stewing meat often combines random off-cuts, many of which lack the necessary fat for low-and-slow cooking.
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So, what cut should you use?
Skip the pre-packaged casserole cubes and go for heavily marbled cuts of meat. Over time, heat breaks the collagen into gelatin, coating the fibres and turning them into the tender, fall-apart meat that slow cooking is famous for.
The best cuts to buy:
Beef: Chuck roast (or thick chuck steaks), gravy beef/beef shin, or brisket.
Pork: Pork shoulder (pork butt) or pork collar butt.
Lamb: Lamb shoulder or shanks.
Pro Tip: If you’re cutting a whole piece of meat down yourself, aim for large, generous chunks, around 4–5 cm. Alternatively, you can cook thick steaks whole in the sauce before shredding.
If you’d like to cook like Nagi, you can find all her most-loved dishes in her bestselling cookbooks, RecipeTin Eats: Tonight and RecipeTin Eats: Dinner.
As always, Nagi’s kindness goes far beyond her own table. Through her charity, RecipeTin Meals, she and her team cook and deliver thousands of fresh meals to Australians in need.
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