Slow cooking helps to develop rich and succulent dishes, intensifies the flavour and keeps the meat tender.  Slow cooking involves cooking the beef in a slow-cooker or casserole dish for a long period of time, on low heat with plenty of liquid to keep the meat moist. 

Slow cook cuts of beef are typically from muscles that have worked hard during the cow’s life.  For this reason, these muscles are stronger, read tougher, and may contain gelatinous fibre and collagen.  The good news is that with long and slow cooking this gelatinous fibre of collagen breaks down to create the delicious rich flavours and unctuous mouthfeel we all love in slow-cooked meals.  Further, if the cut contains bone, such as beef tail or osso buco the slow cooking draws the nutrients from the bone and the dish becomes a power-packed, nutrient-dense meal to keep you healthy during the colder months. 

Tips for Slow Cooking Beef

Get the right gear. There are many ways to slow cook food, but it’s important to choose the right equipment. The dish needs to be reasonably heavy and able to disperse heat to ensure an even cooking temperature. A cast-iron pot used on the stovetop or the oven works well, or a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Of course, you could also invest in an electric slow cooker which will bring even more convenience to your slow cooking.

Bring your meat up to room temperature. Always bring your meat up to room temperature before cooking. Room temperature meat is more relaxed and flexible with the natural juices evenly distributed.

Brown your meat and deglaze the pan.  Browning your meat in a hot pan before adding to the slow cooker is well worth the extra effort, as it will seal in juices and add a depth to the flavour of your dish. Deglaze the pan with a little wine, or tomato juice, and add this extra flavour into your slow cooker pot.

Keep the lid on.  Slow cooking relies upon a consistent heat source and convection within the pot. Each time you lift the lid the pot will lose heat and moisture. Of course, if you’re new to slow cooking you may need to check on your meat occasionally to get a feel for how it’s cooking but keep your curiosity to a minimum and trust the timing of the recipe.

Don’t overfill the pot.  As moisture will not be lost through steam or evaporation, it’s important to not overfill the pot, and allow for the movement of the liquid and steak within the pot through convection to cook the meat evenly.

Don’t add too much liquid.  As a lid will be on your slow cooking, there will be very little evaporation, also juices will come out of the meat and vegetables during cooking, so it’s best to not add too much liquid to the dish

Add vegetables in two batches. Sometimes your vegetables will cook faster than your meat, starchy vegetables such as potatoes are likely to do this as they soak up the cooking liquid. To avoid overcooked vegetables, save half your veggies and add them halfway through the cooking time. The first batch will soften and make a rich gravy, while the second batch will remain firm and add texture to the dish.

Reduce liquid and/or use flour to thicken sauces. If you do have too much liquid don’t panic. Decant surplus liquid to a separate pot and simmer over high heat until the liquids reduce, and flavours intensify, add back into your dish. Or you could use flour to thicken the sauce. To do this, take 1/4 cup of liquid from the pot and mix in flour to create a thick paste, stir this paste back into the pot, to thicken the liquid into a sauce.

Benefits of Slow Cooking

Many of the best things in life take time, and slow-cooked meals are one of them! Just because these dishes take more time, doesn’t mean they are more work, or take more of your time. In fact, slow cooking can take the hassle out of mid-week or long weekend mealtime. Some of the benefits of slow cooking include:

Nutrient-dense food. As slow-cooked meals are cooked at low temperatures the ingredients tend to retain their nutritional content. Also, slow cooking draws nutrients out of the bones and breaks down the gelatinous connective tissues allowing us to digest the nutrient-rich part of beef.

Save time. The great thing about slow-cooked meals is that once you have done the prep you can leave it to cook away for hours. This means that you can choose when to make dinner, be it the night before or in the morning, and dinner is taken care of while you get on with your day

Easy clean-up. The beauty of slow cooking is that they are one-pot meals. Once you’re ready to serve your meal, the clean up from the prep is all done and you just have one pot and your plates to clean up. How easy is that!

Cook in big batches. Slow-cooked dishes are great for big cook-ups and lots of leftovers. It doesn’t take too much extra time to chop a few more carrots or brown off extra beef. You’re investing the time in making a delicious meal so why not add some extra and save some for later.

About Provenir

Provenir’s unique on-farm processing eliminates live transport and the associated stress, improves animal welfare, and produces premium quality beef of exceptional taste, juiciness, and tenderness.

The proof is in our product, but the product is a result of our passionate farmers – hard-working Australian families that genuinely care about their livestock.

Head to the About section to learn more about our award-winning beef, and its sustainable journey from paddock to plate.

If you’re ready to tackle the short rib roast, or create your own feast, find out where you can buy Provenir premium quality beef.