Slow cooker - Browning meat in pan

HappyShopper3

How long for? I'm planning on doing a beef stew. Can I use vegetable oil in the frying pan then put in the meat?

Also when making up the stock does it have to be hot when added to slow cooker?

Also, can you freeze rice pudding as I plan on making a load of that and won't be able to eat it all in one go!

tawnyowls

Just for a few minutes until it's brown. Yes, any oil will do. As mentioned on another thread, a lot of us don't bother - we just chuck it in the SC.

Check instructions on your particular cooker - most need boiling liquid, but some have a fast cook to bring it to the boil and then reduce.

Yes, you should be able to - Tesco or one of the other big supermarkets do frozen rice pudding, so it must be possible.

stuart264

Browning meat is pretty much essential for flavour and texture. If you want the boring chemistry then the heat breaks the long chain molecules in the meat down to short chain molecues that our tastebuds can deal with.

P.S. Not a sad git really knowing this, I just saw a documentary on food chemistry during one of my frequent bouts of insomnia.

wigginsmum

I don't brown my meat and the stews taste fine. In fact I've got one on at the moment and I just bunged in the meat frozen this morning. Never fails.

Nicki

I make large amount of rice pudding in my slow cooker then freeze in small portions and microwave when required. They take less time than you might think in the microwave to reheat from frozen so start with about 1 minute and work up from there. They're a great fall back if kids have been picky about eating their main meal, as at least they end up getting something nutritious and they both love it.

HappyShopper3

Thanks Nicki. I've got all the ingredients for rice pudding today so I can get cracking with that.

Queenie

Ooh, a chemistry lesson :T I never knew that, the reason I understood you browned the meat first, is to "seal" in the juices which aids tendering the meat and improving the flavour Can't wait to use your description when my lads ask me why

HS3 - turn the SC on to warm up while you prepare the other ingredients and then you can add hot stock safely. My orginal SC broke when I took it out of the utility room cupboard (cold place!) and added hot stock ... the dish cracked :rolleyes:

wigginsmum - it's not advised that you put frozen meat into the SC (I responded to someone else yesterday on that very topic).

janeawej

Nicki wrote:

I make large amount of rice pudding in my slow cooker then freeze in small portions and microwave when required. They take less time than you might think in the microwave to reheat from frozen so start with about 1 minute and work up from there. They're a great fall back if kids have been picky about eating their main meal, as at least they end up getting something nutritious and they both love it.

thanks for this i am going to try doing it for my 83yr old mum who lives with me, she has dementia and can be very picky about her food, this would be one more back up dish! :beer: