Using a slow cooker - techniques and tips

Swan_2

Curry_Queen wrote:

It also depends on the size and type of slow-cooker you have. I've got the 6.5l MR that quite a few of us here have (think we completely cleared out Tesco, Argos and Amazon at one point earlier in the year ) and this one has a higher wattage than most - 330W - so tends to cook things quicker!

I find 6 hrs on low is adequate for most meals - i.e. whole chicken, leg of lamb or half-to-three-quarter pot full of chilli/stew/casserole etc - usually containing approx 2lbs meat with veggies etc. Depending on the liquid content of the meal I could push it to 8 hours, but with thicker sauces it might start to catch after this long

I'm glad you posted that, I thought the simmer would be 'invisible', but mine was bubbling round the edges on medium & I was worried, thinking it might be faulty, but having read what you've said, I guess that's normal. I'll try it on low next time (today, trying out my chilli recipe )

Curry_Queen wrote:

Can I just say here that if you're using a decent quality mince then you can skip this process because there should be very little excess fat in it, and the little that there is actually adds to the flavour, and we do need a certain amount of fat in our diet

Draining mince after browning, unless it's excessively fatty, loses all the essential juices and flavour too which is what enhances the flavour of the dish

glad you posted that too, I usually brown the (good quality!) mince in the same pot I'm cooking it in & never drain it (for all the above reasons) but I was wondering if I should do it on this occasion, on account of the slow cooking being new to me.

old dogs, new tricks ... I'll get there in the end, lol

tootles_2

Draining mince after browning, unless it's excessively fatty, loses all the essential juices and flavour too which is what enhances the flavour of the dish.

Should have said that I use a seperator after I have poured the fat into the jar, and pour back in the juice, the fat then gets saved for making into birdseed cake to hang out for the birds in the winter

frak

Hi,
Not been much of a user of the old style money savign board. However after reading up i bought myself a slow cooker and i now have a pot of stew bubbling away for later. Didnt realsie how good this board was
thanks
for the links to argos cookers guys
Just need some more recipes now
frak

arkonite_babe

Hi Frak

There's a slowcooker website listed at the bottom of this page in the mega indexed thread HERE

HTH!

Bargain_Rzl

Not to mention the huge selection of recipes in our very own slow cooker recipe index:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=490232&postcount=9

squeaky

We also have an Index of the recipes in the Slow Cooker thread which will help you pick out meals you might like to try.

You can find it via our "Indexed Collections" sticky at the top of the forum listing, or you can follow the clue in my signature any time you see it or...

..you can use the Indexed Collections link in the Blue Bar at the top of every page which looks something like this:-





Edit: Crossed with B_R, sorry :)

jennyjo_2

well there are so many slow cooker threads on this forum martin should ask for a sponsorship deal

competitionscafe

arkonite_babe wrote:

Hi Frak

There's a slowcooker website listed at the bottom of this page in the mega indexed thread HERE

HTH!

This one? http://crockpot.allrecipes.com/ [Over 450 Crock Pot (slow cooker) Recipes] Should keep you busy for a while!

Swan_2

I've been without a proper cooker since I moved home 4 months ago (lo-o-ong story soon to be resolved) & great though my George Foreman grill is, having only it & a microwave to 'cook' on is a bit limiting

I just want to say many thanks for the inspiration to buy a slow cooker, I'd never even have considered one before reading these forums

it's saved me a fortune already, my freezer is stuffed full of HM 'ready meals' & best of all it's been so good having real food again ... sausages in gravy, chilli & HM soup so far, & I'm drooling thinking of curry or stew for the weekend

thanks everyone

mrsm

Firstly, sorry if its already been posted but I'm in process of changing my broadband provider and my service is very off on so I haven't had chance to check previous posts.
I have a stew cooking in the slow cooker, can I add pearl barley (yummy) and if so when and do I just bung it in? Also what about dumplings, when do they go in and do I need to pre cook them first?
I have the morphy richards beast if it makes any difference.
Thanks in advance, and sorry if i get cut off and am unable to reply