Crock Pot Cooking

I have only recently entered the world of crock pot cooking. Now that the weather is turning cooler I find myself wishing I had planned ahead and had something ready tog o at the end of the day. Cooking Light Magazine has some tips on their site for slow cooking and I thought that I would pass them along.

Tip 1: Brown meat for better flavor. Even though it is not neccessaary to brown meat before you place it inthe crock pot, this step provides stronger gflavors for the finished dish.

Tip 2: Spice judiciously.  Whole spices and dried herbs like cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and peppercorns will give intense flavor to a dish that cooks for several hours, so be careful not to overdo them. Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley remain vibrant if you stir them in near the end or when the dish is finished.

Tip 3: Use less liquid. Because the slow cooker generates steam that doesn’t escape, there will be more liquid in the food when it’s finished cooking than when it started. If you create or adapt a recipe for the slow cooker, decrease (by as much as half) the amount of liquid you normally use in the dish.

Tip 4: Know when to go High and when to go Low. Use the HIGH setting if you need to cook a more tender cut of meat relatively quickly. But for tougher cuts, it’s best to use the LOW setting and cook longer to allow time for the meat to grow tender. Generally, cooker temperatures range from 170° to 280°. This Smoky Slow Cooker Chili requires cooking a pork shoulder on low for 8 hours.

Tip 5: No peeking. Don’t be tempted to lift the lid until the dish is done. The steam generated during slow cooking is part of the cooking medium. Opening the lid will ¬release this steam and increase cooking time. Moreover, when you lift the lid, temperatures can drop into the “danger zone” (between 40° and 140°) where bacteria multiply rapidly

Tip 6: Account for variables. Our Test Kitchens professionals have found some slow cookers―particularly some newer models―cook hotter than others. In one instance, liquid imperceptibly evaporated from the cooker, leaving far less sauce than when the same dish was prepared in a different model. Because not all slow cookers are created equal, don’t rely on the stated cook time for a recipe until you know how your cooker behaves.

I will be offering a class on Slow Cooking soon... but for now I will be testing recipes so that I know the very best to pass along to you.

Happy Cooking!