The Meat Mistake You Need To Avoid With Your Slow Cooker
BY EMMA SEGREST
When cooking meat in a slow cooker, it's crucial to avoid using a very high temperature, which can result in overcooking. For tender results, opt for a lower temperature.
Cooking low and slow keeps even temperatures and helps the meat’s connective tissues break down. With too high a temperature, the tissues won’t break down, resulting in chewy meat.
It’s also a good idea to defrost your meat before slow cooking. Frozen meat needs to cook for much longer and can cause your slow-cooked meal to become watery.
Frozen meat also takes longer to reach a safe internal temperature for eating, and thus can pose more risk, per the USDA. Instead, put it in the fridge to defrost overnight.