Steak & Guinness in the slow cooker?

lbt_2

Hi All

I have just rediscovered my slow cooker (bought it a year ago, but I have only just started using it!!!)

I have Jamie Oliver's Steak in Guinness (:beer: )in my slow cooker today. This can be used as a pie filling or served potatoes and vegetables. I am happy to share the recipe if anyone fancies trying it - it's absolutely delicious.

What has everyone else got in their slow cooker today?

Also, how do dumplings turn out in the slow cooker? Do they crisp up at all, or are they just soft?

lbt

Olliebeak

Today I did MY version of Scouse in mine.

1 lb shin beef (ASDA stewing steak) - cut into bit size pieces
1 onion chopped
2 leeks sliced (keep one back to use nearer the end of cooking time)
4 carrots (peeled and chopped)
half a swede (peeled and chopped)
3 parsnips (peeled and chopped)
4 biggish potatoes (peeled and cut into fairly large pieces)
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 beef stock cube
Dried mixed herbs (or chopped fresh ones if you have them)

I don't use any salt or pepper in my cooking - just let folks put their own on their food - there's plenty of salt in the stock cubes anyway!

Dissolve the stock cubes in half a pint of boiling water.

Put everything else into slow cooker. Pour stock over and add more water to almost cover everything. Set on auto and leave it alone for about 8 hours. After about 4 hours add the remaining sliced leek - this way there will still be some recognisable leeks in the pot and not just mush.

At the end, I take out some of the veggies and give them a whiz with my stick blender then add back into the dish and give a stir. If it's still a bit 'thin' sprinkle some gravy granules over and stir in (or slaked cornflour if no granules).

Serve with crusty bread and beetroot/red cabbage!

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Have now got it back on again with more carrots, remaining half-swede, onions, leeks and potatoes with vegetable stock cubes for soup for tomorrow! It may get a tin of chopped tomatoes added to it - IF I feel generous :rotfl: .

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I would love some hints about dumplings in a slow-cooker. I usually put them into a casserole about 20 mins before cooking is finished but when it's bubbling FAST! As a slow-cooker only 'gloops' would they need longer cooking time - or would you just make smaller dumplings?

lbt_2

Mmm ... sounds lovely. I love mush though - it makes the sauce feel thicker, so I will just put everything in together.

I have cooked quite a bit in the last few days, including some things that I would usually cook on the hob such as the filling for an apple and cinnamon pie, so that I can get to know the slow cooker a bit better.

My girls love the food that I have cooked in it. Being young they like their food quite soft so it really works well for all of us.

I didn't know what to do with myself the other night when they were eating their dinner. I would usually be tackling a mountain of washing up, but I had done what there was if of it that morning! I sat down and caught up on their day with them instead. It was great

P.S sorry to be divvy, but what is a stick blender? Is it a hand blender?

Olliebeak

ermmmmmm I think a stick blender is what you call a hand blender. One of those things that you hold in one hand and has a blade at the bottom. They usually come with a tall plastic container that you can put stuff in while you 'whizz'.

Love using it - makes really short work of whisking cream; also useful for making your own baby foods from whatever you're eating yourselves; AND for taking lumps out of gravy/custards/white sauces etc.

~Chameleon~

Am I the only one that thinks everything cooked in a slow cooker tastes the same? Maybe it's just me, but I can't seem to get on with mine and everything tastes like overcooked/stewed mush

torianut

Should meat go in raw or be 'browned' first? Does the stock always go in hot? Not used mine yet!

GardenMillie

You guys have inspired me - I bought myself a slow cooker at the beginning of the year and have only used it twice (smack myself on the wrist). I seem to lack inspiration but am going to have a go at some different things including soup as it makes sense to use it and it's lovely to come home to a nice cooking smell.

I must look up the slow-cooker thread for inspiration or I'll end up putting tinned tomatoes in everything and it can taste a bit samey.

Happy cooking folks.:j

gingerchick

lbt wrote: »

Hi All

I have Jamie Oliver's Steak in Guinness (:beer: )in my slow cooker today. This can be used as a pie filling or served potatoes and vegetables. I am happy to share the recipe if anyone fancies trying it - it's absolutely delicious.

lbt

I'd love the jamie oliver recipe please:D

poodlehorse

We had honey and mustard "dump chicken" in ours tonight. First time I have tried any dump chicken recipes and I am really impressed, even DH made an appreciative noise as he took the first bite. I did think maybe there might not be enough liquid with just the marinade though so I added a bit of water out of kettle to get more, stuck it on after lunch and it was perfect by 6pm. I am really learning to live my SC.

Olliebeak

torianut wrote: »

Should meat go in raw or be 'browned' first? Does the stock always go in hot? Not used mine yet!

So far I haven't browned any meat yet - but I think I may do if I decide to use minced beef or minced turkey - otherwise it may just stick in a lump!

Up to now I've used hot stock to give the cooker a bit of a 'helping hand' in getting going. I just think that it would take ages to come up to temperature.

I think much depends on your ingredients as to how different the meals taste. If you always put onions, carrots and tinned tomatoes in - then it will pretty much taste the same - no matter what meat you put in. I've been using the ASDA Smartprice Stewpacks of veg - good selection but you don't have to use them all and you can add others depending on what you want the end result to be. I love celery in stews - but OH can't stand the taste! I also added a tin of mixed bean salad last week to a turkey casserole.

Pink.

Hi lbt,

This older thread may help with dumplings:

Has anyone done dumplings in the SC?


For other slow cooker questions have a look through The Complete Slow Cooker Collection or have a look on the slow cookers quick questions thread.

Pink