I need to cook a 9 pound pork roast in a crock pot/slow cooker. How long do I need to cook it? I have a recipe for a 3-4 pound roast; is there any way to adjust it for a larger roast?
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3Invest in a meat thermometer. Without knowing what type of pork roast, the shape of it, fat content, the temperature of your slow cooker, etc. we cannot give you an answer to this. You should never time the cooking of meat from a "recipe" anyway. You must always check temperatures. Especially for pork.– Mr. MascaroDec 29, 2014 at 22:08
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There seems to be a black hole in my memory when it comes to this topic. I am convinced that, within the last 2-3 weeks, we had such a question about scaling a slow cooker recipe. I wanted to close as a duplicate, didn't find the original question, and left a comment asking if somebody can find it. Now I can't find neither an old "original" question nor the question I commented on recently :( If somebody else remembers similar questions, please point them out.– rumtscho ♦Dec 30, 2014 at 9:53
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3 Answers
If you cut the nine pound roast into three equal three-pound sections, each should heat to recipe specs.
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Welcome to Seasoned Advice! I would suggest you improve upon your answer by adding more detail, or suggesting alternatives.– PhrancisDec 30, 2014 at 20:48
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@Phrancis : what does he need to add? Do we have to explain why dicing potatoes makes them cook faster than a whole potato, too? Although, I should mention that although it'll speed up the cooking, it might not be the exact same time, as it'll take longer to get up to temperature initially.– JoeDec 30, 2014 at 22:02
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I just felt it was not really a well-researched answer is all. Plus, depending on the type of roast, that may not be very feasible. (if it has a bone in like a shoulder roast, that would require a bone saw)– PhrancisDec 30, 2014 at 22:09
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I didn't see much need for extensive research, as the OP asked a simple question, and I tried to provide a simple, intuitive path to the answer. In terms of a bone-in shoulder roast, the bone doesn't bisect the entire roast; it generally "floats" in one end, therefore the roast can still be relatively easily divided. Of course, you now have one out of the three sections that has different properties than the other two, but given the forgiving tolerances in long, slow, and moist cooking techniques, I don't think it will have to much influence on the final result.– Chris RDec 31, 2014 at 5:00
TL;DR: Never use cooking time as a measure for meat doneness.
Why? Well it's pretty simple. According to the CDC:
What is trichinellosis?
Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous (meat-eating) animals such as bear or cougar, or omnivorous (meat and plant-eating) animals such as domestic pigs or wild boar.
There is no accurate way to know the doneness of your large roast judging by the time. With scary infections like Trichinellosis you don't want to risk it for your family.
Instead:
Invest in a meat thermometer! You can get a digital thermometer at most grocery and general stores, and online. They are inexpensive, many read temperature practically instantly, and some types you can even leave the thermoter in the meat while it cooks. Those normally have a digital display that is connected to the thermostat probe with a heat-safe wire.
Again, according to the CDC page above:
For Whole Cuts of Meat (excluding poultry and wild game)
- Cook to at least 145° F (63° C) as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, then allow the meat to rest for three minutes before carving or consuming.
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Some newer crockpots have probes so you can tell them to cook to a given temperature ... but you shouldn't but one of the digital controlled ones if you live in an area with inconsistent power, or if you think you might need to leave it unattended for more than 12-16 hrs.– JoeDec 30, 2014 at 22:04
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I agree with using a thermometer, but a 9 lb, Boston Butt bone in, is about 8 to hours, make sure it is completely thawed and trim as much fat as you can before cooking
