Not doing too well with slow cooker

Eliza_2

I bought a slow cooker from Aldi a couple of months ago and I'm just wondering really if my kind of cooking isn't the right kind of cooking for a slow cooker. I cooked a free range chicken - whole - and made a bad mistake in not removing skin. It simmered in an enormous amount of fat and juices, I filled 2 cups with it and though of course I can use that in soups and for frying, it made the chicken feel greasy. So I carefully removed the skin for the next attempt and this was much better, however the chicken disintegrated when I removed it from the cooker, I certainly couldn't have carved it or taken it to the table like that. I then tried a mince bolognese sauce, however I could've cooked the same in under an hour on the hob, I also tried soup but as my 2 favourites, spicy mixed root veg and lentil and bacon take around half an hour (less for the lentil one) on the hob, I couldn't see the advantage.

I really bought it to make a beef stew, my grandmother used to make this cooking it for hours in the oven so the meat fell apart. I cooked it overnight in the s/c but the meat was still whole and no softer than when done on the hob. ( I rarely use an oven)

Are my expectations all wrong? And does anyone want a hardly used slow cooker?

Any guidance gratefully received. If it helps, the cooker has high, medium and low settings but no timer.

Liz

Lilyplonk

You could be using too much water/stock - when doing a 'whole chicken' in the SC, you don't need to 'cover it completely'.


What kind of beef did you use for your Beef Stew? The cheaper cuts work best of all - I always try to get hold of some 'Shin Beef'. It 'falls apart' beautifully.


I also have great success with Oxtail, 'Lamb Stewing Pieces' (basically 'off-cuts' of various bits) and Ham Shanks.


With things like Bolognese / Chilli / Curries, I don't find the SC any better/worse than using my 'skillet pan' UNLESS I want to cook a huge quantity and leave it 'doing its thing' all day ..................

Eliza_2

Wow such a quick answer, thank you. I don't think I used any water when doing the chicken, I certainly didn't the second time after the swimming in grease episode. May have used a tiny bit first time.

I think I just used Aldi 'stewing steak' whatever that is, in the beef stew, will look out for shin, thanks for the idea.

Lilyplonk

You're welcome - I'm sure others who are regular SC users, will be along in a few minutes with their replies.


HTH

Mulder00

I don't think you'll ever be able to carve anything that comes from a slow cooker (unless you're doing it wrong). I'm doing a leg of lamb tomorrow (option of either slow cooking it or roasting it - for roasting, I'd be able to carve it, for slow cooking, I'm expecting to be able to shred it!!).

I think it's your expectations that might be bit wrong.

For things like bolognese or curry, I just use the slow cooker if I want to get things ready early and not rush at the end.

Lilyplonk

eliza - try this thread, I've just posted it for another member on here.


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1332010#post1332010

arbroath_lass

If you didn't add any fat I don't see how your chicken ended up swimming in grease, sorry. I find chicken in the slow cooker lovely and, yes, it is falling off the bone so not really any good for carving (plus it doesn't brown so doesn't look particularly appetising whole). I don't take chicken to the table to carve, though - I just plate up in the kitchen.


You can cook everything you've done in a slow cooker on the hob but the real bonus is you can bung it all in before you leave for work and come home to a cooked meal. If you like coming home and cooking maybe it is not right for you (or maybe just for occasional use?).


I like chicken and gammon done in my SC. I don't tend to do beef or soups because I never get them right - I use my pressure cooker for them.


If it's any consolation my Mum gave me my SC because she bought one and didn't like it either.

ampersand

Hello Eliza - answers will also depend on whether your cooking pot is ceramic/earthenware or metal. I've had both over many years, prefer the latter now - flexibility.
Most are the former, which means you cannot sear or seal your meat/fish, or soften veg./fruit over a direct flame beforehand. This process gives your flavour base. Are you tossing your meaty pieces in a bag of seasoned flour or cornflour first? Try that too.
M/w some veg. before putting it in with the meat.
I add any old wine, herbs, at this stage, then leave the lot. Always succeeds. It's worth leaving a bone or two in for the long cook too. Dumplings work, provided you keep them small and light, using suet. In fact, they may well spread over the top as they cook and this is all to the good, thickening any jus/gravy, acting as a tight steam lid.
You can always remove excess liquid, as you've realised, for other soup/gravy liquid. Into the freezer it can go, no probs.
re: your bolognese sauce. I venture that your s/c one will floor your 1-hour saucepan one, more nearly replicating traditional cooking time and process. But mine always has a bottle poured in anyway, which slowly goes away with the angels...their more than moderate share.
Don't fear to slightly tilt the lid to allow evaporation.

Your cooker will have its own ways and you will come to know each other.
Good luck.
Was there no recipe/getting started booklet with yours? Have you emailed the manufacturer to ask for help? Always worth doing. Even ring them, using mse cheapo dialling if this is a factor/international no.

Eliza_2

Many thanks everyone for your suggestions, lots of reading to do I think! I suspect it's actually my expectations that need changing rather than the slow cooker, for example I had an idea I could slow cook the chicken then brown it under the grill for a lovely roast look, but seems not. Serves me right for trying to be creative!! I think it was particularly fatty as it was a free range organic one and they're always more fatty, even so I was gobsmacked when I saw it all!

Not bothered about authenticity with the bolognese, as long as it tastes nice, which it does just as well cooked in pan as s/c. Sometimes I add wine, mostly I just neck it, and there's never old wine in this house, it's too much of a treat!!

Going to try the ideas for beef stew and ham hock and see how it goes. Didn't bother searing meat in flour or anything as I never do that on the hob either and it's always fine. Don't usually fry veg either as I like them whole and vegg-ish. May try it next time but I'm not very keen on faffing.

Now a pressure cooker - I always got on really well when I had one of those, perhaps I can do a swop. They're all so horrendously big these days though. My mother has a little one without huge handles, at least 50 years old, it's the only thing I've asked for in her will!

Thanks everyone, really grateful.

bluebag

I use my slow cooker mainly to have something cooking that I don't have to watch or be there for.

When I have a rushed day, I don't want to be cooking for an hour when I get home so find it really useful to bung a spaghetti, chilli, stew or whatever in the morning and it's all ready with little fuss at tea time.

I don't really care for joints or whole chickens done in the slow cooker it's a bit too soft for me, the exception being pulled pork, but for stews and casseroles it's perfect.

Just had meatballs with goulash sauce from it tonight, was amazing.

hannahsmamma

I had a slow cooker and hated all the food I made in it except rice pudding, plus the house used to stink of cooking, not appetizing just blah! I have a post about it somewhere. Trying to use the oven less for casseroles etc had a think again about using slow cooker. Mine has 3 heat settings, hi, med, low and the book says to 'cook' food on med for 8 ish hours, keep warm on low and if you add dumplings cook on high. So decided that if hi could cook dumplings it might make good casseroles. I cook everything on hi now, takes a little longer than in the oven but tastes great. Beef stew 2-3 hours???, just enough liquid to barely cover meat/veg etc. This is no help if you need to start the cooking before going out all day because the food will overcook but worth trying if you around during the day. So far made bolognaise sauce, beef chilli, beef and ale stew, chicken casserole using one of those 'jar' sauces. Keep experimenting.p.s. I browned meat first and used hot liquid.