Cooking beef in a crockpot is an easy way to get a hearty, delicious, and tender dish.
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If you are looking for the best cut of beef for cooking in a crockpot, read on and you can find out not only the best beef cut ideas for crockpot but also the useful tips that will help you pick the perfect cut of beef the next time you shop for this ingredient.
How to choose beef for crockpot?
Choosing a beef cut for your crockpot dish is not a hassle.
However, you should take some notes of the following tips to pick up the best beef for crockpot so that every time making this dish will be a success:
1. Fresh beef is the priority choice
The first and most important thing when buying beef for crockpot is that the meat needs to be fresh.
Never buy stale meat if you see any weird identification on the meat, like an unpleasant smell, grey spots, a dull color, or a watery texture.
The higher quality your beef is, the better your crockpot dish is. Frozen beef can work too if the meat is stored properly.
2. Choose a cut with good fat content and connective tissue
Another tip to have a perfect cut of beef for crockpot is that you should buy a tough cut with a lot of connective tissues and some marbling fat.
Cooking in a crockpot means that your beef cut will be slow-cooked in low heat, making it very tender after several hours of cooking.
All the connective tissues will be broken down and the marbling fat helps add flavor to the meat as well as makes it juicier.
3. Leave the whole cut intact or cut it into equal cubes
A crockpot can be used for different cooking recipes. For example, you can have a pot roast or a stew from a crockpot.
When it comes to a pot roast dish, it is better to leave the whole cut of beef intact, while a stew is more suitable with smaller chunks of beef.
Best beef for crockpot
If you are wondering what cut of beef is best for the crockpot, here are our suggestions:
1. Beef chuck
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Beef chuck is one of the primal cuts of beef with a lot of connective tissues. It is also prized for the perfect marbling fat, making it an ideal option for slow-cooking methods like roasting or stewing in a crockpot.
Moreover, a chuck cut is also more economical than other cuts so that most people can afford it.
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2. Skirt steak
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A skirt steak is a cut that hangs from the cow’s belly and looks like a skirt. It is a flavorful and tender cut that can be great for cooking in a crockpot.
Cooked skirt steak can be used for tacos, salads, sandwiches, or as the main course served with other sides.
3. Brisket
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Another good cut of beef for crockpot is brisket. This common cut is typically used to make corned beef or pastrami, but it is also suitable for slow-cooking in a crockpot.
Brisket is relatively tough and has a good fat content that is enough to make it more flavorful and not being too dry.
4. Shin (shank)
Beef shin, or also known as beef shank, is a cut from the leg of the cow.
It is a tough but flavorful cut that takes on an even richer flavor when cooked low and slow in liquid for hours.
The meat becomes very tender and can fall off the bone if cooked correctly.
Beef shin has a lot of collagen that makes it great for stews and soups.
5. Silverside
You can also use beef silverside for a crockpot dish.
This is a cut from the bottom sirloin butt-end of the animal.
Although beef silverside is not as common as other cuts of beef, it has an impressive texture and flavor profile that is worth adding to your diet.
6. Oxtail
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Last but not least, oxtail is another good cut for being slow-cooked in a crockpot.
It is actually the tail of the cow that is cut into bite-sized pieces and often stewed in liquid for hours until tender.
The oxtail is quite expensive because it is flavorful, succulent, and loaded with a lot of collagen that can add body to your soup or stew dish.
The bottom line
As you can see, there are different dishes that can be cooked by a crockpot. Ideally, you will need a tough cut with good fat content so that after slow-cooking in the crockpot, the resulting dish is tender, juicy, and very flavorful.
Don’t forget that we have also included some prestigious tips that will help you out when shopping for the best cut of beef so take some notes if necessary. Good luck and happy cooking!
