Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website. An easy slow cooker beef stew that’s ready when you are. Throw store cupboard ingredients into the slow cooker with some inexpensive braising steak and beef choice angus ribeye steak with mash.

Look for beef that’s firm to the touch. Avoid wet, slimy meat and meat with a greenish-grey tinge and an ‘off’ smell. Always check the ‘use by’ dates on pre-packed meat. Colour is often cited as a means of determining the quality of beef, but it can’t be used as the main indicator of quality. Meat that has been vacuum-packed shortly after slaughter will retain a bright-red appearance with white fat. Marbled meat is considered to be more flavoursome and tender because the fat lubricates the meat during cooking and adds another layer of flavour.

However leaner meat needn’t be lacking in flavour if cooked properly. Butchers are likely to stock a greater variety of cuts than most supermarkets and should be able to give advice on preparing and cooking, as well as telling you where, and from which breeds, their meat came from and for how long it has been aged. This level of detail should also be available from producers at farmers’ markets and mail-order companies specialising in meat. For organically-raised beef – or beef from breeds noted for their succulent meat, such as Aberdeen Angus – you should be prepared to pay more.