Using a crockpot or a slow cooker for cooking beef means that you will better break down the collagen and cellular structure of the meat, gaining tenderness and flavor and beginning the digestion process. Less expensive cuts of beef are surprisingly well suited for slow cooking such as chuck steak, skirt steak, the shin or shank cut, hindquarter or bottom round cut, and brisket. It is very important to sear the beef’s exterior first in a hot skillet before slow cooking as this step will cook down fat and increase flavor for the stewing process.