A method of casting an ingot of a metal having a susceptibility to hot-tearing while avoiding such hot tearing. The method involves co-casting a cladding metal on a surface of a metal core ingot as the ingot is being cast in a DC casting procedure. The cladding layer preferably contacts the core ingot at a position on the ingot surface where the metal of the ingot is incompletely solid, e.g. at a temperature between its solidus temperature and liquidus temperatures. The metal of the core ingot and the metal of the cladding layer are the same and, if they contain grain refiners, the are present in an amount of 0.005% by weight of the metal or less.