Slow-cook crock pot a real timesaver

richmondregister ^ | October 13, 2010 | Gina Noe

[JoeProBono]

Slow-cooker cooking is a rite of fall.

In this hurry-up society, cooking a hot, nutritious meal seems almost a thing of the past. But, if you have the discipline to think about dinner at breakfast time, your reward can be a meal that’s ready when you get home.

The slow-cook crock pot not only improves the variety and flavor of the food you serve, but it can cut the time you spend in the kitchen almost in half. The slow cooker won’t replace the stove top or the oven because it cooks foods in a different way. Main dishes, casseroles and soups are particularly adaptable to this method.

Slow cookers can be purchased in a variety of sizes. There is a one-quart model for singles and a 12-quart roaster oven that not only slow cooks, but performs a variety of other cooking functions. So slow cooking can fit any family’s needs.

Here are a few tips for using your slow cooker:

• The slow cooker should be 1/2 to 3/4 full when in use.

• Liquids do not boil away, so the liquid amount should be reduced by half from what an oven or stove top recipe requires.

• Keep the lid on the slow cooker while it is in use. There is no need to stir the food once cooking has started. Do not remove the lid until you are adding final ingredients during the last half hour of cooking or the cooking process is done.

• It is not safe to use the slow cooker to thaw or cook frozen meats.

[JoeProBono]

All Day Crockpot Delight

Ingredients: •2 to 3 pounds stew beef or lean chuck, cut in cubes •1/2 cup flour •1/4 cup butter •1 medium onion, sliced •1 teaspoon salt •1/8 teaspoon pepper •1 clove garlic, minced •12 ounces beer •1/4 cup flour Preparation: Coat beef cubes with the 1/2 cup flour. Brown in skillet in the butter. Drain off excess fat. In slow cooker, combine browned meat with onion, salt, pepper, garlic and beer. Cover and cook on low 6 to 9 hours, or until meat is tender. Turn control to high. Dissolve remaining 1/4 cup flour in small amount of cold water. Stir into meat mixture, cook on high 30-40 minutes longer. Serve with rice and salad.

[curiosity]

Funny you should mention that! I just set my crockpot this morning, and plan to eat some delicious buffalo stew tonight!

[Blueflag]

We are big fans of our slow cooker. It is so old it is almond coloured with cute little mushrooms painted as decor.

A question for you. From the article the text says “Slow-cooker cooking is a rite of fall.” Do we no longer capitalize Spring and Fall to denote seasons? Shouldn’t this be “ a rite of Fall”? Or am I an anachronism....

[kidd]

I like the convenience, but crock pots tend to dry out whatever meat is being cooked.

[cripplecreek]

I use mine year round. In fact I have several.

[NEMDF]

One of my easiest favorites: take a 3 lb or so pork roast, put in the slow cooker. One can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, one packet of dry onion soup mix (can be cheap store brand). Mix the onion soup stuff into the mushroom, then add approx 1 can of water, combine this well. Pour over the roast. Put the lid on, set on medium/medium high. Go to work. YUM If you want to be fancy, stick some potato chunks and carrots down around the edges.

[Persevero]

Our grammar textbooks teach us that we don’t capitalize the seasons.

[US Navy Vet]

All depends on how much water you add.

[SAJ]

Tasty variation: marinate the beef, cubed, in Merlot or , Sauvignon overnight. Then, follow the recipe above exactly, only instead of beer, add 12 oz. of Merlot/Cabernet. Essentially, a poor-man’s beef Bourginon.

[scott7278]

It seems contrary to logic, but the seasons are not capitalized.

[Netizen]

I like the convenience, but crock pots tend to dry out whatever meat is being cooked.

I haven't found very many recipes that I like from a crock pot. Takes longer than just coking it on the stove or oven and as you pointed out, tough meat. My sil used to do her roasts in the crock pot all the time. They were tough.

[BunnySlippers]

Although I still have my old Presto Harvest Gold pot ... the original, I don’t like the way crock pot recipes come out.

They are all overcooked and too much liquid.

[Charles Martel]

I like the convenience, but crock pots tend to dry out whatever meat is being cooked.

Yes, you have to avoid lean cuts of meat, such as pork tenderloin. It works fine for pork or beef roast, though.

My favorite slow-cooker recipe is "Ultimate Crock-Pot Oatmeal" from mrbreakfast.com. I heavily doctor it with extra apple and dried fruit and use steel-cut oats (they don't turn to mush as easily). Definitely worth a try.

[Atlas Sneezed]

crock pots tend to dry out whatever meat is being cooked.

---

That’s all about the cut of meat. You won’t dry out a Chuck roast, pork shoulder, lamb shank, or short ribs.

[Unassuaged]

I have the crock pot pictured above. It must be defective because it cooks food in about half the listed time. On low, a pot roast is done in 4-5 hours, not the 7-9 listed in the manual. I was very disapointed in my roasts until I stopped cooking one after 4 hours and it was perfect (160deg). If I tried to cook longer than my work day, all the fooods came out dry or overcooked. anyway, my $.02.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Don’t use too much water either, allow the fat in the meat to do it’s job and not float to the top of water that you might pour off.

[Dooderbutt]

SUPER easy recipe here: take country style pork ribs, put them in the crock pot. Pour 1 large can of sauerkraut over them and cook all day. Super simple, super yummy!!!!

[scott7278]

I bought a Rival model that features a digital timer. When you set it on low, it cooks it in 4-5 hours and then lowers the temperature to where food doesn’t overcook.

[Calvin Locke]

I had Summer jobs at a regional retail chain in college. You could tell what the big Christmas items were going to be because of the massive influx of the “same” item from different vendors. Crock pots from Rival, Sunbeam, etc. Shower heads, curling irons, and toaster ovens bring back memories. (Finding legal room to store luggage was the worst.)

Almond was the alternative color at the time to Harvest Gold or Avocado Green. “Platinum” was the classy synonym for “Almond” used by some vendors.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>They were tough.

Then she’s not doin’ it right. I take about a 4 pound pork shoulder, put some dry rub on it - then put it in the crock with some carrot, celery, and onion under it - and dump in a can of cola - and let it go for 8+ hours... couldn’t slice it if I wanted to because it falls apart.