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Food Slow Cooking

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by Zyr, Jan 7, 2012.

  1. Zyr

    Zyr New Member

    I received a slow cooker for Christmas and I'm looking for ideas on how to use it

    There are the obvious ones, such as chilli or stews, and I'm planning on cooking lamb shanks tomorrow.

    Does anyone have any good recipes, or can think of anything else that might go well if cooked for a long time? Also, any tips for using a slow cooker in general?
     
  2. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    I really like using the cooker for larger cuts of meat that need time to soften.
    Think large cuts of venison, pork shoulders.
    Remember to start with a bit of water or cooking liquid on the bottom but not too much because the cooking process will generate plenty of liquid.
    Root vegetables like carrots, rutabaga, parsnip hold up well to the prolonged cooking.
    Have fun and just remember that the edges of the cooker may be hot so don't burn yourself!
     
  3. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I like it for Italian Beef. Put in a roast, lots of garlic, salt, pepper, a jar of peppercinis, half an onion, and let it cook all day. Pull it apart when it's finished and serve over a bun with some provolone cheese.
     
  4. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    We use ours every couple of days to cook up beans from scratch. Beans from dried taste soooo much better than beans from cans, and they're stupid easy. You don't even need to soak them. Just rinse and sort the beans--aka make sure there are no rocks and sticks in there--cover them with water a couple inches past where the beans are and a bit of salt, then put it on low for up to 8 hours, or whenever the beans are done. Check the water level every so often. Beans can absorb a lot.
     
  5. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    I definitely rate them.

    My simplest two meals are

    1, tomato & fish soup

    1 tin tomatoes
    1 small tin /half tin of kidney beans
    1 tin of sardines

    I pour all of this into the pot and add maybe 1 pint or a bit more boiling water on top

    Add:

    A good bit of paprika
    a bit of black pepper
    a bit of Basil
    a segment of garlic (crushed or broken up)
    a bay leaf

    Mix it all up, leave it on all day, lovely.

    2, beef stew

    1 however much beef you like, brown it off in a pan for 5 or 10 mins
    While its going chop of the following

    2 sticks of celery
    2 medium carrots
    1 big onion
    2 segments of garlic
    2 potato's chopped up nice and small
    about 20 green beans chopped up

    Now pour boiling water over the top so it just covers the meat

    Add the following for flavour
    1 vegtable stock cube
    a nice bit of worcestershire sauce
    good bit of paprika
    some rosemary

    (the main thing is to put in plenty of worcestershire sauce)

    You might want a bit of conflour so that gravy is nice and thick by the end.

    Beautiful.

    (Works really well with liver also, but if you have liver I personally would have a cup or so red wine in it too)
     
  6. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Strange have you always added boiling water to your crock pot recipes?
    I've always just used tap water, or room temperature broth. Have not heard of using boiling water.
     
  7. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    There is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish called cholent (or chulent), which is a kind of meat and bean stew, usually with beef. It is specifically designed to be cooked slowly, since it is usually made for Shabbat (the sabbath, during which we are prohibited from cooking), so it was put up to cook before sunset on Friday, and let cook until people returned from synagogue for lunch the next day, at which point it was served. There are a nearly infinite number of variations, but this is the version that I make. Now, I usually cook this in a dutch oven on the stovetop, or in a stew pot inside the oven. But I know many people who cook it in a slow-cooker or crockpot, and they say it comes out wonderfully.

    2 lbs meat (I usually use beef cheeks or flanken, but standard cubed beef for stew works fine also; I have occasionally used lamb instead, and it works very well)
    1/3-1/2 lb very tiny gold potatoes, or small gold potatoes cut in quarters
    2 medium sweet yellow onions, roughly chopped
    1/2 cup diced rutabaga
    1/3 cup roughly chopped carrot
    6-10 cloves of garlic, according to taste
    1 can small white beans, drained well
    1 can butter beans, drained well
    1 can small red or pink beans, drained well
    2/3 cup pearled barley
    1/3 cup faro (any other sturdy grain can be substituted, such as wheat berries, if it's hard to find faro)
    1 tbsp tomato paste
    1/4 tsp anchovy paste
    4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
    2-3 sprigs fresh marjarom, stripped
    2-3 sprigs fresh sage, stripped
    1 small fresh bay leaf (or 1 large dry bay leaf)
    1/8-1/4 cup fresh curly parsley, minced fine, according to taste
    1/2 tsp mace
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
    1-2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
    1/2 bottle good quality hard cider
    1/2 bottle good quality ale or lager
    1 cup water
    4 cups beef broth (low sodium if possible)
    2 tbsp margarine

    Brown the meat lightly in a pan, over medium-high heat using some of the marg, then remove. Using the rest of the marg, and covering the pan, cook down the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add in the herbs (except for bay leaf), the spices, the anchovy paste, and stir to incorporate well. The anchovy paste should kind of dissolve into everything after a minute or two. When that happens, add in the tomato paste, mix well to incorporate, and after that cooks for a couple of minutes, add the worcestershire sauce, the cider, the ale, and cook for another couple of minutes. (At this point, I would suppose that if one were using a slow cooker, now would be the time to put in the meat, and add all the ingredients from the pan.) Add the meat back in, and add all the other ingredients as well. If there is not enough liquid to cover everything, add in some more water or beef broth (or both). Toss them a bit, cover, and set to cook on a very low flame for around 18 hours. Serve hot, with warmed fresh bread.

    This dish is supremely good on cool winter days, but be warned: a large enough serving will result in uncontrolled napping. Also, Beano before eating this is a kindness to everyone around you.
     
  8. Zyr

    Zyr New Member

    I'll have to make a note of all these hearty recipes, to bring up when the season is right. The timing of a slow cooker as a southern-hemisphere Christmas present isn't great, but I'll definitely be trying some of these as things get colder again.
     
  9. Zyr

    Zyr New Member

    Alright, the lamb shanks didn't turn out great, but I think I have all the mistakes covered for next time.
     
  10. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Lamb shanks are a tall order, with high "bust" potential no matter what you do with them.
    Get yourself a nice fatty pork shoulder or a big venison roast. You can't miss with those, and you will learn and get more confident as you go.
     
  11. Daval

    Daval Getting Tilted

    I'm definately going to try this one. What type of beans do you typically cook? Do you put any seasonings at all or do you cook them again after the crock pot?

    I always thought that salting beans was a no=no until they are fully cooked or they get all hard or something?
     
  12. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Complete food myth. Actually, salting the beans helps them stay together. They don't stay hard. It helps keep the skins intact.

    We typically cook them until just creamy and then use them in cooking or use them on salads. Last week, we made navy beans, black beans, chickpeas, and adzuki beans. This week we'll make more navy beans and black beans, as well as pinto beans. It should be noted that red kidney beans should be boiled for at least 10 minutes before being moved into the slow cooker. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_beans#Toxicity
     
  13. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I really need to get on with the slow cooker.

    I just put this on hold at the library: Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking: More Than 150 Tasty, Nourishing Slow Cooker Recipes That Practically Make Themselves. Though it now has 40 holds, so it will take a few weeks before I get it. (There are 30 copies on order. It's new-ish.)

    However, this one should come in before the end of the week: Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money. It has a slow cooker section.

    I need to come up with some standard recipes that I can use for lunches. I will report in with any decent recipes when I come across them.
     
  14. Never thought about dried beans in a slow cooker. Have to try that.
     
  15. CaptainBob

    CaptainBob Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    Kingston, eh?
    I make macaroni casserole in the ceramic pot from the slow cooker. But I cook it in the oven. The problem is, the stupid lid had a plastic handle that isn't meant for the oven. Now I need to get a knob from the hardware store to replace it as it cracked.

    I've tried a number of recipes in the slow cooker. It is good for a pot roast of beef. I also like jambalaya.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/colleens-slow-cooker-jambalaya/
     
  16. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    I thought you can't mix meat and fish?
    I like cholent. It is tasty. I really liked what we ate in Jerusalem for the sabbath.
    I make beef stew in my slow cooker. Chili is good too.
     
  17. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Amazon says that the vegan slow cooker cookbook isn't out yet, and that the publication date is in March. I think I will order it.
     
  18. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    March is it? I suppose I'll get it sometime this spring then. :)
     
  19. Levite

    Levite Levitical Yet Funky

    Location:
    The Windy City
    Some people have a custom not to serve fish and fowl together. But there is actually nothing in Jewish Law that says that you can't have meat and fish together.

    Cholent rocks. So many variations. Almost impossible to make a bad cholent.
     
  20. EventHorizon

    EventHorizon assuredly the cause of the angry Economy..

    Location:
    FREEDOM!
    i can't imagine a food besides chili that anyone would ever want to eat

    ever