I love to cook, but sometimes life just gets in the way.
The solution? A slow cooker! I gather the ingredients, toss them in and forget about it for a few hours. And if you get busy, food doesn’t overcook or burn if left longer than required. My particular model switches to a “keeping it warm” mode until I return.
Liquids do not boil away as in conventional methods of cooking. Meats are marinating in their own natural juices and tend to be “fall of the bone” tender.
Here are some tips for easy use –
- I always “brown” the meat before adding it to the recipe. While this step may not be necessary, remember it takes longer for cold items to warm up and begin cooking. Browning also reduces the grease from items like ground beef.
- Again, to jump start the process, when adding liquids (beef or chicken stock, for example) recipes work best if the liquid which is added to the other ingredients has been already heated to boiling point.
- Traditional recipes can be modified for the slow cooker; most moisture based recipes can easily be prepared for the slow cooker – stews, soups, and sauces.
- Just remember that since liquids don’t evaporate as they would if boiled, less is required. Play with your favorite recipe; it’s pretty hard to kill it in a crock-pot.
- Don’t over do it – cookers should be filled somewhere between half full and no more than two-thirds full.
- Vegetables cook slower than meat and poultry in a slow cooker so if using them, put vegetables in first, at the bottom and around sides of the utensil. Then add meat and cover the food with liquid such as broth, water or barbecue sauce.
- One hour on high equals two hours on low.
- Dairy products such as milk, sour cream and cheese also do not hold up well to several hours of simmering. To avoid curdling, wait until the last hour of cooking time to stir in these items. Heavy cream can stand up to heavy cooking.
- If you prefer your vegetables on the al dente side, add them in the last hour of cooking.
- Almost anything is improved with wine – both in and out of the chef.
After a long day working around the cabin, nothing beats the aroma beef stew or chicken noodle soup simmering in the slow cooker.
Sit back, pour a glass of wine and take things slow. You deserve it!
