Essential Meat Cuts for Stew

This common roast has good, beefy flavor and sections of nice, solid muscle separated by veins of fat. If for some reason chuck-eye is not available, or if you want to mix things up a bit, try a top-blade roast or a 7-bone roast, which is named for its resemblance to the number seven and is not sold boneless.

Despite the name, pork butt (also sometimes known as Boston butt) is cut from the shoulder of the animal. Picnic shoulder is a similar, but slightly fattier roast. Whichever you use, be sure to trim well to prevent excessive greasiness in the finished pot roast.

Salt pork adds to the rich flavor and heartiness of many stews. Oftentimes, salt pork is mostly fat, with very few streaks of meat, but for best results, try to purchase salt pork that is about 75 percent lean.

Kielbasa is the generic word for sausage in Poland, where types proliferate. Stateside, kielbasa is made by seasoning pork, beef, or a combination with garlic, herbs, and spices. The links may be fresh or smoked. We prefer smoked kielbasa (it has more personality) and strongly recommend that you buy brands made with just pork. Other meats tend to make mushy links more like hot dogs.

Ham hocks add a deep meaty flavor to stews and soup. Cut from the ankle joint of the hog's leg, hocks contain a great deal of bone, fat, and connective tissue, which lend complex flavor and a rich, satiny texture to liquids. Though ham hocks can contain quite a bit of meat, they must be stewed for long periods of time to break down the connective tissue. Once tender, the meat can be picked off the bone, shredded, and added to the stew. Meaty ham shanks are an even better choice (we love them in stews) but they are not as widely available. If you see smoked ham shanks, buy them and use them in place of ham hocks.

We think that split breasts, thighs, and drumsticks are the best options for stews. (Save wings for stock or grilling.) Make sure to buy bone-in parts (the bones add flavor to the dish and help prevent overcooking). We generally use skin-on parts even if we’re not serving the dish with skin—browning develops flavor and the skin plays a vital role in this process. If using a mix of white and dark meat, pay attention to desired final internal temperature of each and be prepared to remove parts from the pot at different times.