Slow cookers .....why ?

[Mitchamitri1]

Got a slow cooker. Everything tastes slow cookery and is beige or tomato brown . B made a soup last night in it. It tastes taupe. Bin the slow cooker or any great ideas ?

[Jambo]

Yes, Maillard reactions don't happen in slow cookers... I find mine useful but best to fry any meat first to get some colour on it. Same for onions etc. Also often have to transfer liquid to a pot on the hob to reduce it.

Good for an unsupervised low power consuming long cook, but if you use it start to finish you won't get a great meal.

[Jim]

OK for vegetable soups, but not much else.

[vacant]

We got one a few years. One of the recipes that came with it is a brown rice risotto with lamb - once of our favourites. We also do curries (chicken or vegetarian) and lately a weird chocolate pudding where the recipe ends with pouring in what looks like way too much water, but over the hours is self-mixes and forms something resembling a chocolate custard sauce.

Jambo is right about browning the meat.

[davew]

I have one with a metal dish so you can brown your meat and onions on the hob. Made some fantastic dinners and its pretty much set and forget. Very good for curries, stews and all in one type meals. I also cook a Christmas ham in mine with a can of coke. Secret is to not add too much liquid.

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[chefgage]

You dont just have to do soups and stews. Just because its a slow cooker does not mean you have to fill it with liquid. We use ours just for slow cooking joints of meat. For example put a joint of pork in the slow cooker, season with herbs and spices then turn on the low setting for 7 hours. DO NOT put any liquid in. When finished the joint comes out perfect, just falls apart. We do this for shin of beef, beef joints and rack of ribs

[chefgage]

Yes, Maillard reactions don't happen in slow cookers... I find mine useful but best to fry any meat first to get some colour on it. Same for onions etc. Also often have to transfer liquid to a pot on the hob to reduce it.

Good for an unsupervised low power consuming long cook, but if you use it start to finish you won't get a great meal.

I disagree. The slow cooked rack of ribs i do is certainly a fantastic meal. The rack of ribs get a dry rub of my special blend of spices, then its strainght in the slow cooker for 8 hours. The meat just falls of the bone

[Jambo]

OK fair enough - hadn't thought of cooking something 'dry' in it. Though I have to say if I'm cooking ribs or a lump of meat I'll generally get my ceramic bbq fired up

Still think my comments are valid for 'wet' stews and the like.

[chefgage]

OK fair enough - hadn't thought of cooking something 'dry' in it. Though I have to say if I'm cooking ribs or a lump of meat I'll generally get my ceramic bbq fired up

Still think my comments are valid for 'wet' stews and the like.

I think the last time i did a stew in mine was when we first got one years ago, must admit it was ok nothing special. It was just easy as you could put it on before work. That was the last time we cooked something 'liquid' in it. Give it a try for pulled pork or the like. It does wonderfull pulled pork for sandwiches or wraps

[MTW]

I find the chicken in a curry stays far more tender in the slow cooker over just a couple of hours versus simmering it on the hob. I've started using my Thermapen to check meat is (just) cooked far more often now as a result, realising how easy it is to overcook things on the hob and in the oven.

[BrewerBen]

I use slow cookers quite a lot and brown everything off in a pan first. Curry, chillie and goulash soup are firm favorites. If i put everything in cold it also seems to take forever before it gets up to temp so starting it off in a pan helps with that too. I also occasionally grab the temp controller from the brewery and use it as a water bath for sous vide cooking.

[brewpete]

hi what temp for the brisket and for how long

[BrewerBen]

it was in there about 7 hours @ 65C, maybe 70 i cant remmber 100% and annoyingly don't have pic with the temp controller in. I'd do it 60C next time anyway for medium. It wasnt Brisket but was a roasting joint from the supermarket.

[HLA91]

I use ours for chilli, curry stews, soups and my favourite is jacket spuds. Dry your spuds, rub them in a drop of olive oil and salt them liberally, then wrap tight in tin foil and place in slow cooker ensuring each one touches the bottom. I can fit 5 in mine. Then switch on low for 8 hours. Beautiful.


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[Fil]

with briskett you want a hotter cook temp than the minimum usually selected for beef/steak in souseviede cooking. to the best of my recollection Brisket is meat within pockets of collagen, and the collagen wont break down at the lower 'safe' cook temps which will result in a Very Chewy result..

I would goolge/read up on it a bit more before committing a meal to it.. I didnt and had folk round so I could show off this fancy way of cooking tender succulent meat WHOOPS!! the guests had endured a couple of mouthfuls of meat that Mr Wrigglies would be envious of. and were politely silent before i took a taste and realised the booboo..