what is the best cut of beef for slow cooking?

[MooMinCow]

really fancy a beef stew this week, but everytime I've made one in the slow cooker it's come out dry and chewy. I normally buy the stewing steak/beef from the supermarket and cook on low for 6-8 hours - am I using the wrong cut? have tried marinating, browning, not browning, but still not tender! (have no problem with lamb, curry comes out lovely!)

Am prepared to go to a butcher if it means my stew is tender enough to eat with spoon (dribble).

we use feather steak

I've made a delicious stew out of braising steak this week - 3 hours in bottom oven of Aga.

It was from a local farmer who breeds rare herds though, bit nicer than supermarket beef. I think quality has A LOT to do with it.

Also I use stewing steak or shin - again from our local farmer.

shin is lovely, our sainsburys sells shin on the butcher's counter.

what does it mean using a 'dry' recipe? Sometimes I over-gravy it!

And I add my veg (chopped into big pieces) after the meat has been cooking for about 3 hours, so it's not mush by dinner time!

I mean (for my pot-roast) that I put the browned meat and the browned vegetables in the pot, put the lid on tightly, do not add any water, stock, wine, wet stuff like canned tomatoes. So it cooks dry rather than being stewed or casseroled. Some juices and fat will come out of the ingredients as it cooks.

ooh, thank you , i thikn am going to give it a try

Good luck Lulu

My mum also uses it to cook a tongue,

which might also be worth trying.....

if you're that way inclined

On the strength of this thread I have ordered my first ever ox heart today, so it better be good PomBear . Any particular recipe or do you cook it in just a standard braised beef method?

Pot roast brisket is up there in my all time favourite meals.

Did any of you watch Simon Hopkinson's recent series The Good Cook? He did a fabulous recipe with rolled breast of lamb. I've amended it a little to cook in the slow cooker and it was even better!

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/breast_of_lamb_baked_80591

This qualifies as 'dry' cooking, as it's just the lamb and onions - but the liquid that comes out of them both makes the final dish absolutely glorious.

mmm that looks seriously good BIWI.
I have pinned it.

It is very good - but it is a fatty meat, so if you have anyone who isn't keen on fat, then they may not like it.

I used a boned shoulder joint on Sunday. Browned with onions and garlic, added a cup of red wine, worcester sauce and cooked at 170 for 2 hours. Had dh not been there i would have cooked a little less.

Very good value piece of beef, we got 3 days eating for 3 peeps for 8 euro!

I made great stew at weekend it ended up being cooked three times and was great. Was cooked for 5 hours Friday night, 3 hours Saturday, the 1 hour Saturday night in steak pie it was great! no browning just cooked in slow cooker with veggies and bisto and it was just tesco value stewing beef.

thanks PigletJohn I will try not adding any liquids, I think that would improve my slow cooking :)

If you can get them ox cheeks are truly the best and also the cheapest usually around £4 per kilo. You do need to go to a real butcher who can request them from the Abbatoir.

Ok, I like the sound of this dry pot roasting technique. But do you make gravy, and if so, how? Using the juices?

And you think cook for about 4 hours? I guess that's a low oven.

Another vote for shin: really unctuous

Gravy:

yes use the juices that will have come from the meat and vegs, and skim off any fat to make a roux with flour to thicken it, add red wine and sometimes that special chef's tomato ingredient for colour and taste.

However I like to cook the meat with roots and onions round it. By the time the meat is ready these vegs have turned to pulp and are not fit to serve, but you can whizz them up to add thickness and flavour to the gravy.

Make the gravy after you have taken the meat out and set it to rest, wrapped in foil. Preferably make it in the cooking pan.

Just bumping this thread for more "dry" shin of beef slow cooker recipes :)