Using a slow cooker - techniques and tips

steve_r123

I'm new to this whole slow cooker thing. The OH has a gammon joint she wants to do this weekend, can you just plonk the joint in the SC and turn it on, or have you got to cover it in water etc as well?

Sorry if this seems a really stupid question, but we haven't got a clue!

squeaky

Look in the new Slow Cooker Collection sticky at the top of Old Style - there are a couple of links to gammon threads

foreverskint

There is a thread somewhere with slow cooked gammon on it.


When I do mine, i plonk it in (after soaking overnight in cold water in case it's salty), and add water to cover, along with a roughly chopped carrot, onion stick of celery, a bayleaf and some peppercorns. I cook for about 6 hours on low dependeing on size. I did this using cola a la nigella over christmas and it was yummy.

I then lift it from the stock, remove any rind, leaving the fat on, pour some honey over it and bung it in a very hot oven for about 20 mins until it caramalizes.

steve_r123

Cheers to both of you thanks very much for your help

smokey112

Hi all

Looking for a little advice

I know that you can cook stew and joints of beef in SC

I have a large 6l one and was wondering if I could cook both the same time

My meal planner this month includes joint of beef for Sunday dinner , steak pie and stew and sausges (twice)

I thought that I could cook all of my stewing ingredients with the joint on top all at the one time to save time and electricity. Then freeze stew for when required

Do you think this will work

Thanks in advance

Ang
x

comping_cat

I would think it would work, if it all fits in, i would just watch to make sure the joint doesnt disintergrate into the stew!!!Catherine x

squeaky

A great question for our main Slow Cooker hints and tips thread which can be found in the Complete Slow Cooker Collection sticky at the top of Old Style and so I shall merge this post with it

And yes, it should work out well

The_New_Caz

I am sure this has been asked before but is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 10.5 hours, and are there suitable recipes that can be left to cook for this long or would the food be ruined?

Peem

Hi & help

got my Swan 3.5l SC yesterday and tried to make porridge overnight. It ended up disgusting - top thick and hard, underneath runny and thin, mixed together to become a lumpy mess. And I had to soak the pot to get all the stuck porridge off the bottom.

I did what the recipe said - 250ml porridge, 750ml water (which is the same proportion as my packet of oats said, and the proportion I successfully use on the hob) and some salt. Put in and cooked on low for 8 hours.

What did I do wrong? What should I have done?

This is making me nervous of using it for cooking food which actually costs money.

thanks in anticipation

CFC

OK I've read through a lot of the SC recipes, and here's my question: in some of the recipes for cooking joints/chickens, posters have not covered the whole lot with water,but just put a couple of inches in the bottom. In my handbook (morphy richards 3.5L) it says that the whole joint should be covered in water.

So is this necessary, or is the handbook erring on the side of caution? I've bought half a shoulder of lamb that I'd like to cook in the SC so it's ready when I come home from work on Tuesday - I've got a moroccan sauce that I'm going to put in with it, but I don't want a whole pot full of watery, runny stuff if I can help it...so do I really need to cover the whole joint with water, or not?

PS you naughty lot are costing me money, I went out and bought the SC yesterday!!!