slow cooker quick questions thread

Gerisomar

I recently bought a leg of pork that was half price in Asda, Browned it in a frying pan put it in the slow cooker with some salt, pepper and a sprinkling of cinnamon. It was quite a big joint so I cooked it for 5-6 hours on high. It just melted in the mouth and I got 11 meals for myself and my dad out of it. Not bad for £7.80!!

newleaf

This should get you started - enjoy!
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4273

quintwins

you can do pretty much everything in your slow cooker, tomorrow i'm making chicken casarole, then the next day phesant soup, aslong as it fits in your slow cooker it will cook it and everythings so tender, i even coo sirlion steaks in mine, the only thing i don't like in mine is stew (every tho thats the only thing most people use them for) but i like my taties real mussy in my stew

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

This is what I wrote at the start of the year in another thread & it still stands: "slow cookers are great for cheaper cuts of meat, soup & stews. They are very handy for a busy lifestyle. Essentially you still have all the preparation to do but you can do it at a time that suits you. For me this means that I arrive home to a nutritious meal rather than being tempted to reach for something quick & unhealthy."

Right now I'm cooking lots of stews in mine but meat joints are lovely too as they become soooo tender;
- Chop root veg like carrots & parsnips & put in base of slow cooker (hard veg takes longer to cook than meat so needs to be at the bottom where the heat is).
- Saute onions in a pan & add to sc.
- Brown meat pieces in the same pan & add to sc.
- Deglaze pan by adding some stock/wine/beer etc & let it boil briefly before adding to sc. If you want more flavour then allow wine etc to reduce a bit.
- Finally add any extras like a tin of chopped tomatoes or a tin of baked beans & herbs etc & top up with water/stock/wine/beer etc.

You do not need to completely cover the food as the liquid will not evaporate much & as it cooks the food will settle down - ie put in less liquid than you think is right! If you include mushrooms, put them at the top as they cook quickly & put in even less liquid as they release a lot of liquid.
All the flavours will mingle together & the meat will become really tender. You do not have to saute the onions or brown the meat or deglaze the pan as you can simply throw everything into the sc - I think it adds to the flavour though. If you want you can get everything prepared in the evening & then store in tubs in the fridge overnight & pop in the sc in the morning.

Some stews we make:
Beef stew (with any of veg/mushrooms/ale/red wine/tin tomatoes/bay leaf, mixed herbs)
Lamb stew (veg, thyme, tin chopped tomatoes, red wine & a little balsamic vinegar)
Sausage casserole (baked beans, peppers, mushrooms, mixed herbs, sweet potatoes)

Penelope_Penguin

Tinkabell25 wrote: »

Hi Guys,
My mum gave me a slow cooker for christmas, but i have no idea what i do with it! What do i cook? Does anyone have any basic recipes i can try out? The only thing i don't like is spicy food, so any suggestions or assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks in advance,
Tink x

There are lots of recipes in the thread Newleaf mentions :j

I'll add this to the Slow Cooker Quick Questions thread to give you hint and tips on using your new toy

emma-uk

I am looking to cook a beef cassarole in the slow cooker for tomorrow nights dinner but the only time I can get it on is this evening as I am off out and not back home until after work tomorrow. Will it be ok to eat after being cooked on low/med for 24 hours??

Thanks

AlwaysAllie

Hmmmm to me that sounds like a long time and it might have dried out by then but having never tried it for that long I don't really know!

AA

Pisces

I wouldn't, I'm sure it will be very dry - do you have a delay timer you can borrow from somewhere? Maybe in your garage?

emma-uk

Thaks guys, I've decided not to risk it and go shopping on my home from work.

kirsteebelle

If I cook my stew even an hour too long, the meat dries out a little and it does smell overcooked... if that makes any sense!