|
||||||||
Which cut of Lamb & Beef for a stew in a slow cooker |
![]() |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Deathstar
Posts: 15,401
|
Which cut of Lamb & Beef for a stew in a slow cooker
Hi all,
Now that the time of year has come for stews & casseroles, I am seriously considering whipping out my slow cooker again to make a decent stew / casserole. Now this year I am highly tempted to make a Lamb & Beef dish in my slow cooker, but am unsure as what cut of lamb and beef to use. Normally when I do a stew in a slow cooker I stick to the bog standard onion gravy as liquid but usually add some chilli seeds to give it a decent kick of heat. Now due to the lack of vegetables that I like & that agree with me, I normally add in a fair amount of green beans, leaks, sweetcorn & bell peppers as they are my favourite vegetables. Can anyone here advise what cuts are best for this type of cooking ? Many thanks |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NZ♥Sydney-UK-CYBERDAZZLE
Posts: 5,686
|
I recently made some stews
The Butchers suggest The tougher meats such as Braising steak - Chuck Skirt Shin etc You can use the dearer cuts but they do not have what it takes to make the stew very flavoursome with that fall apart tender tasty texture I always make mine Adding whatever *** bargains I buy *** Once I added a full bag of Okra as I like it and the bag was greatly reduced I have also added bags of various mixed salads - to use them up - before they spoil I like to add many many spices ![]() including my faves About 12 Cardamon pods and some Star Anise I list them ALL in the **** What did you eat today **** thread each time I make my meals and stews etc When the food is cold I will put many portions into the freezer using Budget Sandwich bags - which I then fill & flatten out >> for the freezer The best beef cuts for slow cooking & Tips in the Spoiler below
Spoiler
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Breast of lamb
Brisket. General casserole meat. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9,227
|
Why the use of a "spoiler"?
One of the first meats I cooked in my S/C was just a lamb shank and an onion quartered. I cooked it for 6 hours or more. The meat just slid off the bone and was pull apart tender and the juices with the onion made a beautiful gravy. Slow cookers will make any piece of meat tender. |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NZ♥Sydney-UK-CYBERDAZZLE
Posts: 5,686
|
Quote:
Why the use of a "spoiler"?
< Snipped > |
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 20,499
|
Brisket of beef. Beef skirt. Ox tail (amazing.)
Neck of lamb. I use whole chickens and turkey legs. Fresh thyme, rosemary and whole cloves of garlic. Can of haricot beans. Onions, root veg. Can of beer or half bottle of wine. Decent stock. Go away and try to ignore the cooking smells. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,839
|
Quote:
Breast of lamb
Brisket. General casserole meat. I also use it for Gammon and Pork Shank. I usually cook them until the skin is soft enough to cut off then continue cooking them for another couple of hours. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 17,127
|
I use shin beef, whole chickens, brisket, bacon joints, shoulder of pork and lamb shanks in my slow cooker. Never had a bad dinner off any of them.
Today it's shin beef. It's already smelling stupendous. I never bother browning anything first, as I have tried both ways and found it makes no difference whatsoever. I know some people do that and say it does, though. Personal preference, I suppose. Slow cookers also make splendid rice pudding. |
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Deathstar
Posts: 15,401
|
Thanks for the replies everyone, you have all gotten my mouth watering already. Looks like it is a trip to my local butcher during the week & see if he has any Oxtail. I know that the majority of the other bits of meat can easily be sourced from most places, but am not sure about Oxtail, as it is something that I have never really thought about looking for up until I started this thread. Thanks again
|
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
|
Chuck is very nice in stews and braises, and has that wonderful 'fall-in-pieces' texture when cooked for a long time.
Incidentally if you want the most delicious mince for lasagne. cottage pie or whatever, then ask the butcher to mince up some flank for you.... lush. |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 20,499
|
Our Morrisons sells oxtail.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 24,698
|
Cooked some lamb shanks yesterday, delish! Although particularly cheap.
Oxtail is another very tasty cut, it needs to be cooked for ages though. I don't use a slow cooker, I use a Dutch oven. |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 422
|
I love oxtail, but I've found that the price has shot up in the last few years, probably due to its promotion by TV Chefs (a similar thing happened with Lamb Shanks). There is often quite a bit of fat to remove from the larger pieces as well. For beef stews, I would always go with shin of beef, it has a lovely gelatinous quality when cooked long and slow. Lamb I tend to go for "hotpot" chops, relatively cheap for lamb and delicious when slow cooked.
I would also say that if you enjoy these cheaper cuts, it may be worth looking at getting a pressure cooker as they cook them beautifully as well, although you obviously can't leave them all day while you're out at work
|
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 6,338
|
Quote:
I love oxtail, but I've found that the price has shot up in the last few years, probably due to its promotion by TV Chefs (a similar thing happened with Lamb Shanks). There is often quite a bit of fat to remove from the larger pieces as well. For beef stews, I would always go with shin of beef, it has a lovely gelatinous quality when cooked long and slow. Lamb I tend to go for "hotpot" chops, relatively cheap for lamb and delicious when slow cooked.
I would also say that if you enjoy these cheaper cuts, it may be worth looking at getting a pressure cooker as they cook them beautifully as well, although you obviously can't leave them all day while you're out at work ![]() The 'trendies' have discovered these cheap cuts, and they've been appearing on 'gastropub' menus for a few years now, so as you say, the price gets pushed up. |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Quote:
This is very annoying, isn't it.
The 'trendies' have discovered these cheap cuts, and they've been appearing on 'gastropub' menus for a few years now, so as you say, the price gets pushed up. In a way it can start to get lesser cuts into the supermarket but they don't stay cheap for long. For A while I was looking for lamb neck steaks/fillets and the supermarket butchers didn't even know it was a cut but a few months later Morrisons started to stock them. |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chez Newda
Posts: 3,948
|
Quote:
For A while I was looking for lamb neck steaks/fillets and the supermarket butchers didn't even know it was a cut but a few months later Morrisons started to stock them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
but although my local butcher does some good deals on regular cuts he doesn't even have smoked or streaky bacon.
He basically just supplies the top sellers. |
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 20,499
|
Sainsburys used to sell boxes of stewing lamb, a mix of neck, ribs and mis-cut chops. It was a big box for less than a fiver. Made fantastic winter casseroles with butter beans etc.
Now you have to buy the component bits separately from the butcher and pay double. |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
|
Years ago, before supermarkets were invented, I used to buy "best end of neck" from the butchers. This was a cheap cut of lamb and, although on the bone, made a delicious casserole or Lancashire hotpot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 38,218
|
Oooh stew
Gonna have to make one soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 20,499
|
Quote:
Oooh stew
Gonna have to make one soon. |
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Deathstar
Posts: 15,401
|
Well I picked up my choice of meat from my local butcher yesterday and put it in the freezer until after the weekend, the meat I bought was
Meat 1 Lamb shank just over 1lb 2lb casserole beef 1lb Oxtail Vegetables Potatoes Onion Mixed bell peppers Sweetcorn Green Beans Now once all my ingredients are in the slow cooker, am I best of getting up at say 6am & cook on low for 12hrs for what I am putting in to make the Oxtail really tender & be ready to eat that evening ?. Or would I be best to cook it the day before and then just reheat it the next day, or cook it for a lesser amount of time ?. Many Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 422
|
Quote:
Now once all my ingredients are in the slow cooker, am I best of getting up at say 6am & cook on low for 12hrs for what I am putting in to make the Oxtail really tender & be ready to eat that evening ?. Or would I be best to cook it the day before and then just reheat it the next day, or cook it for a lesser amount of time ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: The Deathstar
Posts: 15,401
|
Quote:
I'd do it the day before. The flavour of most stews will improve if left to "mature" for a day or two.
, I will take the meat out of the freezer today to defrost and cook it up tomorrow, cannot wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,236
|
Stews, casseroles, braises, curries, Bolognese, cottage pie etc ALL taste better one or two days later. I find there are no exceptions when cooking meat for a long time
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 17:49.




Gonna have to make one soon.