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Slow Cooker recipes

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  • #542
    hbonbr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 73 ✭✭hbonbr


    Lack of liquid is rarely a problem as most foods seem to shed liquid as they slow cook. I have seen people say they have slow roasted a joint of meat with NO added liquid. I am not brave enough to try that, I would usually put some stock in the pot, but there is always oodles of liquid at the end. Both meat and veg shed liquid in my experience.


  • #543
    FortuneChip
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,864 ✭✭✭FortuneChip


    ronano wrote: »
    Would balsamic vinegar be a good substitute or something else?

    Honestly, if you left out the red wine, I don't think you're hurting the dish.
    As above, lack of liquid is rarely an issue in a slow cooker, something I found out the opposite way!
    Maybe half the amount of balsamic.


  • #544
    The Black Oil
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 19,080 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    The Guardian have a piece up today 20 best slow food recipes: part 1

    Posting so as to remember to read it.

    Moderator: Television, Psychology and Dublin County North.

    CMod: Entertainment



  • #545
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,045 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Okay, I bought my slow cooker back in January, and to my utter disgrace, I've really only used it for the Beef & Guinness pie mentioned, and a couple of other attempts at dishes that we'll pretend never happened.

    I've done most of the prep work for a beef stew and just have a couple of questions that some of the slow cooker aficionados might be able to help me with....

    My plan is to leave it on all day while i'm at work, so for that reason I've done all of the prep work this evening, including browning the meat (after dredging it in flour, salt, pepper). I don't mind leaving the beef like this overnight, but I don't fancy doing the same with the onions, and won't have time in the morning. Is browning the onions essential?

    The ingredients i have so far are: beef shin, carrot, celery, mushroom, peppers, courgette, broccoli and onions. For the liquid, I'll be using stock, tomato puree, the rest of the flour, and maybe a tin of tomatoes, though that might be too much liquid. Is there too much / anything glaringly absent, bearing in mind that i'll be serving it with potatoes when fully cooked?

    I plan to add some barley or soup mix, but I've been told to hold off on that until the last hour. Yea or nay?

    I promise to throw a photo into the "what did you have for dinner..." thread this time. Cheers in advance for any responses.


  • #546
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,662 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Merged with Slow Cooker thread.


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  • #547
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    It isn't essential to brown the onions - you could have them sliced in the fridge in a ziploc bag. Also, I put my barley in from the beginning and it's lovely.
    Honestly, the nicest beef stew I make in the slow cooker doesn't have the meat browned first. I use shin beef, and put it and all the veg and barley (just a handful) into the slow cooker, stir in a heaped dessertspoon of flour, then a pint of stock (hot water - not boiling- mixed with one red Oxo cube), thyme, salt & pepper, a squirt of tomato puree and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I give it all a good stir and leave it.
    You could prep all of this the night before and just add the flour, stock etc in the morning :)


  • #548
    hbonbr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 73 ✭✭hbonbr


    Dizzyblonde wrote: »
    It isn't essential to brown the onions - you could have them sliced in the fridge in a ziploc bag. Also, I put my barley in from the beginning and it's lovely.
    Honestly, the nicest beef stew I make in the slow cooker doesn't have the meat browned first. I use shin beef, and put it and all the veg and barley (just a handful) into the slow cooker, stir in a heaped dessertspoon of flour, then a pint of stock (hot water - not boiling- mixed with one red Oxo cube), thyme, salt & pepper, a squirt of tomato puree and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I give it all a good stir and leave it.
    You could prep all of this the night before and just add the flour, stock etc in the morning :)
    I completely agree with dizzy, especially, there is no need to brown, I would only suggest that you try adding peeled potatoes, I add them at the start, sitting on top, clear of the liquid, they come out fine, so it's a one pot meal.


  • #549
    notfromhere
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 326 ✭✭notfromhere


    hbonbr wrote: »
    I completely agree with dizzy, especially, there is no need to brown, I would only suggest that you try adding peeled potatoes, I add them at the start, sitting on top, clear of the liquid, they come out fine, so it's a one pot meal.

    Hi how long would u cook this for, and cud u add a tin of tomates or maybe a tin of cambells soup


  • #550
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    notfromhere wrote: »
    Hi how long would u cook this for, and cud u add a tin of tomates or maybe a tin of cambells soup

    I cook it for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low - although I've seen mention of the Tesco slow cookers being a bit cooler so if you have one of those it might take 5 hours on high/10 hours on low.

    Yes you could use a tin of tomatoes or a can of soup but in that case you'd need to halve the amount of stock.


  • #551
    hbonbr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 73 ✭✭hbonbr


    notfromhere wrote: »
    Hi how long would u cook this for, and cud u add a tin of tomates or maybe a tin of cambells soup

    If your question related to the potatoes, sorry for the delay in answering you. I use roosters, peeled and cut into large chunks, say two mouthfuls let chunk. I then cook it like dizzy says, usually eight hours on low.

    If you are adding liquid, you need to omit some stock. If using tomatoes, tinned, I would add a tablespoon of tomato puree at the start, when you come home, if time permits, you could add some herbs, give them about ten minutes to infuse.

    I hope this helps!


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  • #552
    cobham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭cobham


    Depending on ingredients especially vegs, you will find a lot of liquid accumulates by end of cooking. Nothing evaporates or very little so go easy on added stock/tomato/soup... just enough to nearly cover ingredients. I would add herbs, seasoning and tom puree at end and maybe remove some liquid to a saucepan and make a thicker sauce from it by adding some cornflour.

    I try and have ingredients hot before adding to the preheated stockpot. So meat/onions fried up a bit. Then add liquid pan to clean off and heat up before adding to stockpot. I might put carrots chunked into microwave to put some heat into them but not cook. Some stockpots have an automatic setting that does 'high' for an hour then sets to 'low'. I wait a while until I see the lid perking with escaped heat then turn it down. Depending on what is in the pot, this time can vary. And different models vary as well so you will get to know your own one.

    That liquid is all goodness so if too much save for a soup or to start off another cassarole.


  • #553
    Bassfish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 912 ✭✭✭Bassfish


    Got a 1km piece of housekeeper's cut, put it in the beloved slow cooker with some smoked garlic, onions and stock. I have it on high for the past two hours, how long should I leave it in so it's still sliceable before it gets to the point where it's falling apart (which is no bad thing really, just want to be able to slice it)?


  • #554
    Mrs Fox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭Mrs Fox


    Bassfish wrote: »
    Got a 1km piece of housekeeper's cut


    Whaaah?


  • #555
    Bassfish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 912 ✭✭✭Bassfish


    Mrs Fox wrote: »
    Whaaah?

    😄 Ha sorry, predictive text! 1kg obviously.


  • #556
    Loire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,036 ✭✭✭Loire


    For anyone new to slow cookers I'd like to offer the following time saving tip....and I know it seems like a contradiction as you are slow cooking after all! Anyway, if I'm adding any liquid like stock, wine or tins of chopped tomatoes, I will generally heat these up before putting them in the slow cooker...otherwise the cooker will spend the best part of an hour just trying to get these up to temperature.

    Loire


  • #557
    purple hands
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭purple hands


    Bassfish wrote: »
    Got a 1km piece of housekeeper's cut, put it in the beloved slow cooker with some smoked garlic, onions and stock. I have it on high for the past two hours, how long should I leave it in so it's still sliceable before it gets to the point where it's falling apart (which is no bad thing really, just want to be able to slice it)?

    Doing the same, 6 euro cut from Aldi? :)

    I have it on for almost five hours now (half the time on low, half on high) and it split in two when I took it out there...but need to thicken the sauce a little with cornflour so it will be going back in shortly for another stint!


  • #558
    Bassfish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 912 ✭✭✭Bassfish


    purple hands wrote: »
    Doing the same, 6 euro cut from Aldi? :)

    I have it on for almost five hours now (half the time on low, half on high) and it split in two when I took it out there...but need to thicken the sauce a little with cornflour so it will be going back in shortly for another stint!

    That's the one :-) I took mine out after four hours and it's perfect. Melt in the mouth but holding it shape in thick slices. It's going into a pitta this evening and in the lunchbox tomorrow!


  • #559
    uberalex
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 125 ✭✭uberalex


    A nice tip: Aldi do a fajita vegetable kit of onions, peppers and things like that with a nice spice packet thrown in. I chucked it into the cooker with some other veg and meat and it's a great quick fire and forget option.


  • #560
    hattoncracker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,091 ✭✭✭hattoncracker


    Just made the most fabulous brisket in my slow cooker recently!!

    Brisket with caramelised onions:

    1 brisket
    2 large onions sliced
    3 Garlic cloves, minced, or garlic paste if u have it.
    500ml of beef stock
    3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    1 tablespoon of soy sauce
    Salt and pepper

    First step, slice onions add to a frying pan and fry on a low heat for about twenty minutes, stirring the odd time.


    While that's going, season the brisket well with salt and pepper. In a hot hot pan, brown your brisket on all sides until it crusts on the outside.

    Lay your brisket on the bottom of your slow cooker dish and lay the onions on top and around it. Pour the stock in. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours minimum depending on the size of the brisket. Brisket is very tough so leave it for longer if needs be. I like it falling off the bone so I normally would leave it on for about 12. I think my slow cooker is starting to die on me so it took about 16 hours for me to get it how I wanted it.

    If you want to remove some of the fat from the dish, wait til the brisket cools and you can scoop it off the top.

    Amazing!!


  • #561
    cobham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭cobham


    I think the advice is to put veggies at base and meat sitting on top of same? So that would usually be onions/carrots for my concoctions. As for your slow cooker taking a longer time? I would suggest that you try not to open lid to check as you lose so much steam/heat each time and set back the cooking time.


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  • #562
    hattoncracker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,091 ✭✭✭hattoncracker


    cobham wrote: »
    I think the advice is to put veggies at base and meat sitting on top of same? So that would usually be onions/carrots for my concoctions. As for your slow cooker taking a longer time? I would suggest that you try not to open lid to check as you lose so much steam/heat each time and set back the cooking time.

    I've had it for a good few years and I normally put these in before I go to bed, so I don't open it. I think it's just coming to the end of its life. I normally would put veggies on the bottom for other things but I generally don't do that kinda thing. I use it for chilli every week, and i left it on overnight last time i made chilli and i had to cook it all day again because it wasn't fully done. It owes me nothing, though. I've done a lot with it over the years.


  • #563
    cobham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭cobham


    Right so... that is a decent chunk of time to leave overnight. I sometimes use a timer for socket to turn off if not around or if doing porridge out of whole oats that only take 3 or so hours.

    I got a small one from Argos recently but took it back as TINY and misleading info on box as to capacity... I got a better small one from Lakeland in UK. But still have the bigger one on the go :)


  • #564
    toadfly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭toadfly


    Got that 1kg housekeepers cut, will be leaving it on low as I have to go to town. Will 6 hours do it? Do you cover in liquid r just leave resting on veggies?


  • #565
    cobham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭cobham


    You need to get heat into good proportion of ingredients first. I would stir fry chunks of veg a bit, maybe blast carrots in microwave, into pot. Then sear outside of joint in pan and into pot on top of veg layer. Then add hot liquid... maybe stock from cube and boiling water or tin of toms heated in pan and to clean off last bits. I would then leave at least an hour on HIGH then reduce for at least 4/5 hrs or even longer. I would preheat the pot also while prepping the rest.


  • #566
    toadfly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭toadfly


    Perfect thanks. It will be on for 6-7 hours on low, might be too long?


  • #567
    cobham
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭cobham


    No never had a 'too long' complaint!... the pot is very forgiving and could be on for 12 hours and be lovely. Remember little moisture is lost so no drying out. When adding liquid bring level to just below the joint. The veg will generate more liquid as cook and bring up level. Try and avoid removing lid during cook time save at very end to check or add some last minute stuff. I would season at end or remove liquid to a pan to make a thicker gravy/sauce with bit of cornflour.


  • #568
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    Most things take 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.


  • #569
    hattoncracker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,091 ✭✭✭hattoncracker


    Maiden voyage of my new one tonight.. Brisket again!


  • #570
    toadfly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭toadfly


    Without a doubt, nicest dinner I've made in a long time. Thanks for the tips on cooking the housekeepers cut.


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  • #571
    nicki11
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 353 ✭✭nicki11


    can anyone recommend a brand of slow cooker or somewhere that sells one


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