slow cooker quick questions thread

donny-gal

buddiebabe wrote:

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help me... I got a 6.5 litre Morphy Richards slow cooker for my xmas and haven't used it yet as i was trying to use up everything in the cupboards and freezer 1st. I also have a 3.5 litre Frigisaire one that hasn't been used either.

Anyway my mum came round today and gave me a 1.01kg brisket of beef and i have no idea what to do with it.

Please can someone advise which slow cooker i should use??
What do i do with it ???
How long should it go on for ???
and do i need to do anything to it before i put it in the slow cooker??

I really don't want to waste it but have no idea what to do.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks
Buddiebabe x

What I do is:
Trim off any extra fat you can see, make just under 1/2 (0.5) pint of beef stock with cube and boiling water, put in joint pour boiling stock over add a bay leaf, put lid on and go to work. When I come home I lift out the beef, thicken with gravy granules, (just add and stir) slice the beef removing extra fat (v faddy DH) and then put back in on low to keep warm while doing veg.

We don't like spicy/onions so for those who do you could add a chopped onion to the gravy while cooking.

Hope this helps.

MimiJane

SDennerly81 wrote:

Well I have officially joined the SC club!!! :j (how sad that at the age of 25 I'm excited about a SC ) I bought a Rival Versaware crockpot

I've read the user manual and it all seems a bit overwhelming! I know the principle... bung it all in, switch it on and come back x hours later. Sounds good. However... the manual tells me to use whole spices rather than ground, and if I really want to use ground spices I should only add them in the last hour. Now I am definitely not a nervous cook and I kinda cook by the seat of my pants IYKWIM! :rotfl: But what do you all think. Is there any truth in this or is it total codswallop (sp!) !!

I really wouldn't bother using whole spices (unless you want to do it "by the book"). The beauty of cooking in the SC is that everything turns out so tasty anyway using this method ... just experiment and have fun

furndire

When I cook any meat in slow cooker, joints, chunks, anything, I always brown it all round for extra flavour in a frying pan first - really really hot - sets the fire alarm off if the doors not closed. Its the caramalization that just adds that extra taste.
If its a reasonable sized joint, I don't put any water in.
The only time I might add a teacup of water is if the meat expensive organic stuff (I know its good, and probably worth the extra, but I can't afford it), which I only ever get if its on offer.
If its chunks for a stew, before I put in SC, I sprinkle on some flour stir round and cook (careful not to burn) that for 3 or 4 mins to get rid of the floury taste, and then put in SC. Then I add water to slow cooker - makes a lovely thick gravy. Depending what I fancy, Bovril, chicken stock cubes, or celery salt are some of the seasonings I add to give that bit more umph.

MimiJane

shopaholictiedtheknot wrote:

can anyone give me a good idea of what to put in with my turkey legs to make a tasty tea? And how long do i need to cook them for - my cooker has low med and high settings?

I tend to heat up my slow cooker and quickly heat up any sauces/meat/veg. before I put it in, so it doesn't take so long to get hot and start to cook.

We love turkey and I tend to make/buy a white sauce, add a splash of white wine, small amount of dijon mustard, herbs, sliced mushrooms, chopped onions/shallots and any other veg. I have lying around (sliced carrots/courgettes/parsnips, etc.), add strips of lean turkey and then put in SC on high 'til simmering. I then turn it down to low and leave it for most of the day ... 'til we're ready to eat.

It's also great using a tomato based sauce and adding yogurt as well as veg. (use a thick yogurt like Leo Valley, which doesn't curdle).

If you use a lot of veg. and the sauce is not too thin to begin with, it shouldn't end up being too runny but, just to be on the safe side, I usually serve it with a mashed potato/carrot mixture with a splash of milk/cream and butter ... yum!

If you have a large SC, you can make double the amount and freeze half of it.

Luna69

Hi
I have been using a slow cooker on and off for about 2 years now, but haven't done a lot of different things in it yet. However my question is about preparing the food the night before it is due to go in the cooker.
I have some stewing steak, veggies etc, to do them in red wine and possible balsamic vinegar (not used that yet, so not sure), but I won't have time to pre cook the meat and some veg in the morning, if I do it tonight, will it be okay to leave overnight and pop in when I get up tomorrow? If it's in the fridge? Will that spoil it in anyway?
I normally brown meat first, is it much different if you don't brown it and just throw it in the cooker?

Thanks
Yvonne

MimiJane

Luna69 wrote:

Hi
I have been using a slow cooker on and off for about 2 years now, but haven't done a lot of different things in it yet. However my question is about preparing the food the night before it is due to go in the cooker.
I have some stewing steak, veggies etc, to do them in red wine and possible balsamic vinegar (not used that yet, so not sure), but I won't have time to pre cook the meat and some veg in the morning, if I do it tonight, will it be okay to leave overnight and pop in when I get up tomorrow? If it's in the fridge? Will that spoil it in anyway?
I normally brown meat first, is it much different if you don't brown it and just throw it in the cooker?

Thanks
Yvonne

It'll be fine to prepare the night before and leave in the fridge ... but it will take longer to heat up, so bear that in mind. If you have time, put it all on the hob in the morning and heat up quickly, heating up your SC beforehand so everything is hot when you add the food to the SC. If you can't do this, just leave it on automatic all day and it should be fine. You don't need to brown meat first ... no-one seems able to tell the difference.

annie-c

Luna69 wrote:

Hi
I have been using a slow cooker on and off for about 2 years now, but haven't done a lot of different things in it yet. However my question is about preparing the food the night before it is due to go in the cooker.
I have some stewing steak, veggies etc, to do them in red wine and possible balsamic vinegar (not used that yet, so not sure), but I won't have time to pre cook the meat and some veg in the morning, if I do it tonight, will it be okay to leave overnight and pop in when I get up tomorrow? If it's in the fridge? Will that spoil it in anyway?
I normally brown meat first, is it much different if you don't brown it and just throw it in the cooker?

Thanks
Yvonne

Once you've started cooking meat, ie, browned it, you need to continue cooking it until it is piping hot (which means that most of the bacteria will have been killed by the heat). Bacteria multiply very slowly in chilled conditions (which is why meat lasts a few days in the fridge before gong off), but multiply very fast in luke-warm conditions. Browning meat the night before would not be a good idea, IMHO.

If you're really short of time, it's fine to stick the uncooked meat and veg in with the stock together in the morning. What browning does is (1) improve the appearance and (2) seal the juices into the meat. If you don't brown the meat you'll get less succulent meat, but thicker gravy. It'll be different but still safe to eat.....

Luna69

Thanksfor that .. makes me wonder though how my OH hasn't been poisoned yet, all his meals are reheated as he comesin late. THey're cooked, cooled, put in fridge and he comes in, re heats and eats. I don't like him doing it, but he does.

Yvonne x

annie-c

Luna69 wrote:

Thanksfor that .. makes me wonder though how my OH hasn't been poisoned yet, all his meals are reheated as he comesin late. THey're cooked, cooled, put in fridge and he comes in, re heats and eats. I don't like him doing it, but he does.

Yvonne x

I guess this is something that has to be considered in proportion. All food contains bacteria; cooking destroys most, but not all of the bacteria, and our stomachs can cope (to varying degrees) with certain types of bacteria.

I think if you are meticulous about hygiene and cook food thoroughly in the first place, cool food quickly and reheat it until piping hot, then most things are OK to be reheated once. (I'm personally wary about doing this with poultry though because of the particular risks of salmonella.)

The particular issue with the slow cooker though is that when you brown food, you only partially cook it. You don't bring the whole meat to a piping hot temperature that is sufficient to kill the existing bacteria. So, you are effectively creating a time period (even if you place it straight in the fridge) where the meat is at a delicious temperature in which bacteria think *wahey* and start breeding like rampant rabbits on speed.....:D . I'm not saying you'll necessarily die from doing this, but you are placing yourself at increased risk....

Take care,

Annie

debtworrier

salthepal wrote:

Did the lamb turn out a bit like the Greek Kleftico - meat very tender, moist and falling off the bone.
I tend to cook this quite often in the oven on a very low heat but it would be easier to use a SC if it works well.

Sally

Oooo - recipe request please!