Leave the fillet steaks at the butcher. When it comes to slow-cooked Asian recipes with beef, you want a more robust cut, such as beef short ribs, chuck, or cheeks. Whereas a lean cut, like a steak, will become dry and tough after hours on the stove, secondary, hard-working cuts of beef will become more tender the longer you cook them. Look for pieces of meat that are on the bone or marbled.

Try out this Vietnamese recipe for slow-cooked Beef Stew (Bo Kho).

Like beef, the best cuts of lamb for slow-cooked Asian food are those parts of the animal that have had to do the most work. Lamb shanks are particularly luscious, and require hours of cooking time to become rich and tender. Also shop for chump or forequarter chops, or any other cut of lamb on the bone.

Check out this easy Thai recipe for Massaman Lamb Shanks.

The layers of fat and meat in pork belly cry out for the slow-cooking treatment, whether that's roasting in a low oven for hours until you get crunchy crackling and tender meat, or braising in a rich Chinese stock.

You'll love this easy Chinese recipe for Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly.

Just as the slow-cooker is no place for steaks, lean chicken breasts are best saved for speedier meals. Instead, enjoy chicken portions on the bone, such as thigh cutlets or drumsticks, for added flavour and texture.

Give this Chicken Rendang recipe a go.