Slow Cooker

maman

Collyflower1 said:

It wasnt tough , it needs more flavour/seasoning!

Like @joedenise, I use Tesco red wine stock pots and a beef stock cube when cooking a beef casserole. If you have it, you could add some mustard powder as well as the usual salt and pepper. 

Like all new recipes, it's a case of trial and error. Good luck for next time. Do ask if you want to try something different from casserole steak. 😊

Katiehound

Tomato puree is a good addition too.

bouicca21

What seasoning did you use?  I tend to use some really cheap red wine ( once opened you can freeze the rest for another time) but beer is traditional - use some, drink the rest.  Stock cube(s), tomato purée, mustard, herbs, dash of Worcester sauce, onions and garlic should all work.  Or you could get more adventurous and add ginger, cumin, coriander and chilli to make it into curry.

Pollycat

Collyflower1 said:

Thanks again! Ive just had my first portion with a baked potato and peas! It was ok'ish but not great. But it was definitely cooked and the meat was tender and fell apart when i poked it with the thermometer which shot up to 72 deg c when the alarm went off.
   After eating i then put two portions into separate containers. I dont think i chopped enough carrots and parsnips so there only looked like there was enough for three portions in total. I'm terrible at guaging proportions though , one box was 2/3 rd's full with the other 1/3rd full. I stood them on the kitchen top for 15 mins then placed in cold water for another 5 mins. They were just slightly tepid when i put them in the freezer.
   Finally, i suppose i defrost overnight in the fridge when i want my next meal? And do i reheat in the microwave?

In what way was it 'not great'?
Did you season the dish?
I have a big range of herbs/spices that I use depending on what I'm cooking.
I also sometimes put mustard (dijon, english), horseradish or mint sauce depending on what I'm cooking.

I would never put food that isn't totally cool in the freezer.

Re defrosting & reheating:
Sometimes I decide I want something that is still in the freezer.
I use the microwave to defrost. That works on things like chilli, bolognaise etc that you can stir but not on shepherds pie (I always freeze bases and mashed potato separately then assemble once defrosted).
I reheat chilli, bolognaise etc by microwaving, a shepherds pie will go in the oven.

P933alilli

Yes lack of seasoning seemed to be the problem. The knorr stock pot, 28g with 500g boiled water, didnt seem enough and was rather watery. I put in four dollops of tomato puree' and mixed it with the stock. I think i should have mixed enough salt & pepper in with the stock at an early stage. I put some in towards the end but could barely taste it. I dont want too much salt anyway but there is 1.1g of salt in the stockpot!  But it was ok, maybe average but not delicious!

Wraithlady

Obviously I have no idea a/ what it tasted like and b/ what you like in terms of taste, but some suggestions for next time:

1/ Definitely more salt - you can add it at the end if you're worried about salt consumption
2/ Garlic puree
3/ Freshly ground black pepper
4/ Pinch of sugar (peps up tomato puree/canned tomatoes no end!)
5/ Red wine/ dark beer/stout
6/ Date molasses (amazing stuff, I use it in all sorts of things)
7/ Woody herbs - thyme or rosemary, bay leaves if you have them
8/ Dried orange or tangerine peel
9/ Spices such as star anise or cinnamon

Obviously, not all in the same dish!

You say the recipe 'has other ingredients' for flavour - apologies if you'd already said, but what are these, and what weights? I find I always increase the amount of flavourings - especially in older recipes, they seem seriously taste-phobic to my palate!

CJRyder

Katiehound said:

I'm not sure I would call a slow cooker a 'multicooker'- there's only really one function, and a slow one at that!!

Mine is a multifunctional cooker with a slow cook setting. My Instant Pot is categorically the best kitchen investment that I have ever made.