slow cooker disaster

omnipeta

I'm pretty new to slow cooker use, last week followed recipe I'd seen posted which said you don't have to cover beef with liquid, (water, stock) Put joint of beef in slow cooker with about a pint of beef stock, beef weighed about 4-5 pounds, cooked on slow for 8 hours, came out like concrete! ?
Any observations/ideas appreciated, regards omnipeta.

geordie_joe

I never put liquid in when I cook joints and they always come out perfect. Never cooked one that big, or for that long so I can only guess that you cooked it for too long or your SC gets hotter than it should.

Hawthorn

I think, it depends on the slow cooker. I had a morphy richards that could have done that lovely.......but I have an Anthony Worral Thompson one now, and it took two days to cook beef the last time I tried it (Beef was about 2.5 pounds), and that was covered in liquid, which I pre boiled.

What make of Slow cooker have you got?

omnipeta

Thanks for the advice, my SC is Morphy Richards. Regards omnipeta.

Hawthorn

When you say it was like concrete, was it dried out, or just tough as old boots?

omnipeta

The outside was dry and tough, however when I served it up to my wife, covered in gravy she thought it was lovely!

Hawthorn

Next time I'd be tempted to cover with liquid. I prefer it that way anyway

Barneysmom

Yesterday I did my joint of beef in the slow cooker, but I cut it into 8 mega chunks and we're having the leftovers today, it was lovely.
I put in there some sliced carrots, onions and mushrooms, and about a pint of gravy, a glug of red wine - not too much - some dried fine herbs.
It was on for about 6 hours, and I did a pan of boiled spuds to go with it.

O/p maybe your beef would have been tough anyway, I've had beef like that lately.

omnipeta

Thanks to everyone for their kind advice. I did whole chicken today, beautiful!
Sincerely omnipeta. :-)