Brown the meat first

As straightforward as most slow cooking recipes are, it is best not to just throw all your ingredients in. Browning the meat first enhances the flavour and gives the meat a beautiful rich colour. Do this in a heated, oiled, large frying pan, adding the meat in batches and turning it so that it browns evenly. Make sure there is a sufficient amount of oil in the pan so that the meat caramelises rather than scorches. Be sure to have the pan heated before adding the meat. It’s also important to maintain the heat during the browning process; if the pan is not hot enough, the meat will stew rather than brown. Some slow cookers have a sauté mode, which can be used to brown meat – do this in batches as you would in a frying pan.