Cooking a beef joint in slow cooker? Advice required.

Anyone done this?

Brown it 1st or just whack it in slow cooker?

How does it compare to the traditional roast joint?

Ta

I cooked this a couple of weeks ago, tasted great. Not done in a slow cooker but is cooked slowly in a pot.

Any long slow cooked beef will differ from a traditional roast because of the way the tissues in the meat behave over time. Flavour and texture differ, Pot roast brisket for example becomes tender to the “melt in your mouth” stage, as it contains an amount of connective tissues which over time dissolve into the meat adding flavour and a slightly sticky texture…. but the best part of it all is the gravy.

Brown your joint, and add stock made from one or even two oxo cubes, together with a bay leaf. Add a sliced onion and a few carrots, and after cooking put the stock/juices in a pan and thicken them up with a roux made from flour and water.

What is the joint first of all?

Any long slow cooked beef will differ from a traditional roast because of the way the tissues in the meat behave over time. Flavour and texture differ, Pot roast brisket for example becomes tender to the “melt in your mouth” stage, as it contains an amount of connective tissues which over time dissolve into the meat adding flavour and a slightly sticky texture…. but the best part of it all is the gravy.

Brown your joint, and add stock made from one or even two oxo cubes, together with a bay leaf. Add a sliced onion and a few carrots, and after cooking put the stock/juices in a pan and thicken them up with a roux made from flour and water.

Try knorr stock pots instead of OXO cubes.

I slow cook beef joints now and then, I like it, but it always works best with the cheaper (fattier) cuts. Using Silverside always turns out a bit dry….cheaper is better IMHO.

Don’t use a slow cooker, oven instead.

Chuck in some finely chopped celery to give some real depth to your gravy. Oh and mushroom ketchup is one of my secret ingredients too.

And raise it on some tin foil balls too.

I’m also doing a pot roast (Brisket) tomorrow, but have the advantage of an AGA. Brown first then slow cook (bottom oven most of the day) sat on a load of veg (carrots, onion, celery) which will eventually be gravy.

A nice bottle of stout or beer will give a very nice gravy too ,but better done oven,

+1 for celery, one of those things that makes more of a difference than you’d expect.

We tried it and it didn’t really work. It was probably user error but it came out too dry.

Topside joint, so oven or slow cooker?

I do it all the time. Just drop it in. Depending on the size of joint n power of the cooker it takes 2-3 hours. I have been known to drop a handful of mushrooms in with it. Peeling an onion per person and adding that whole is good as well.

We tried it and it didn’t really work. It was probably user error but it came out too dry

What cut did you use?