Common Crockpot Mistakes Everybody Makes

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Treating meat incorrectly

Choose your meat wisely: Slow cookers are best for cheaper, tougher cuts of meat (flank, chuck) as the low, slow heat breaks down tough connective tissue and gives you the melt-in-the mouth texture.  In addition, fattier cuts prevent the meat from drying out. Save the high quality cuts for the grill. 

Sear meat before you put it in: You can put meat into the cooker raw, but you'll miss out on a lot of depth of flavor by doing so (with the notably exception of chicken). Some slow cookers allow you to sear the meat without changing pans, so there is really no excuse. 

Position it carefully:  Meat that is placed on top of a pile of ingredients, far from the liquid, will dry out much faster than meat that is submerged and integrated into the broth.