Questions tagged [slow-cooking]

Questions around slower, normally lower temperature cooking methods. Covers preparations, techniques, risks, advantages and equipment.

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33 votes
12 answers
120k views

Slow cooking without a slow cooker

I frequently hear people telling me about how wonderful their slow cookers (AKA "crock pot") are. In many cases they're right - meat that tends to come out tough in normal cooking comes out very ...
Aaronut's user avatar
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20 votes
9 answers
230k views

Is there any danger to letting food cook in a slow cooker for a very long time?

I've recently started using a slow cooker and I was thinking about recipes that could be cooked for days. My main concern is if there are any side effects for leaving food cooking for days that would ...
Lawtonfogle's user avatar
19 votes
1 answer
3k views

'Caramelization' of tomato sauce in slow cooker

For the last few years I've made my tomato sauces in a slow cooker ('crock pot'), or actually, in a machine that is sold as a 'plate warmer' but works great for low temperature cooking. I pre-heat the ...
Roel's user avatar
  • 323
18 votes
10 answers
444k views

Do slow cookers require liquid to operate?

I have a Butterball turkey breast roast that I'd like to cook tomorrow, and I'm planning to do it in my slow cooker. The recipe as provided online is the same one that is on the turkey packaging: ...
Steve V.'s user avatar
  • 283
17 votes
4 answers
47k views

Do I need to coat beef in flour mixture for slow cooked stew?

I've recently bought a slow cooker and my first meal will be a simple beef stew. According to this recipe, step one is to: In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt and pepper; pour over meat ...
user avatar
17 votes
9 answers
521k views

Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

I was wondering if I can put meat directly from the freezer into a slow-cooker. I want to be able to put chicken in the slow-cooker without having to let it defrost for a whole day in the fridge. It ...
Pierre-Alain Vigeant's user avatar
16 votes
7 answers
33k views

Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown?

I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Here's what I've been doing: 1. Brine pork ...
user1575's user avatar
  • 532
15 votes
7 answers
137k views

How long should I cook pork for (at 100° C)?

I have a pork shoulder cooking in the oven right now at 100° C (212° F). I was planning on roasting it for 7 hours, will this be long enough to cook it safely? I saw the FDA chart about minimum ...
lainie's user avatar
  • 325
15 votes
2 answers
774 views

What flavorants stand up to long cooking?

My answer to this question (link) prompted a question in my own mind. I wanted to share some tips regarding when to add herbs, spices, aromatics, etc., and had a few suggestions (bay leaves and garlic ...
Ray's user avatar
  • 6,164
14 votes
4 answers
16k views

Can I slow cook noodles?

I’m an avid user of slow cooking due to my schedule and need to budget my meals. I haven’t tried but wanted to know if I could slow cook noodles.
Bluebird's user avatar
  • 243
14 votes
4 answers
24k views

Is there a difference between a slow cooker and a crock pot?

What is the difference between a crock pot and slow cooker? Both terms seem to be used for the same thing. Is this correct? Are they the same? Or is there some key difference between them?
AttilaNYC's user avatar
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14 votes
2 answers
6k views

Would cooking a leg of lamb for 12 hours be a problem?

I found a nice recipe for a leg of lamb. It is however supposed to be baked for four hours. It would be more practical for me if I could let it bake for 12 hours (overnight) -- would 12 hours vs. 4 ...
WoJ's user avatar
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14 votes
8 answers
140k views

Can I Brown Beef For Slow Cooking the Night Before

Many slow cooker recipes suggest that beef be browned before being added to the slow cooker, which is definitely better for the flavor of the dish. I've always believed that this browning must occur ...
justkt's user avatar
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13 votes
5 answers
44k views

What is the difference between roasting, baking, and broasting?

For example, when making a turkey for Thanksgiving, I generally place it in the oven (covered in foil or a turkey bag), and cook it for many hours at the recommended heat setting. I can crock-pot a "...
warren's user avatar
  • 583
13 votes
2 answers
7k views

Converting oven recipe to slow cooker

I have a casserole recipe that I generally cook in the oven. I'd like to try it in my slow cooker for several reasons: convenience, timing, opening up the oven for another dish. Is there a general ...
Rebecca Chernoff's user avatar
12 votes
4 answers
23k views

To sear or not to sear - slow cooking beef dishes

I want to make beef goulash in my slow cooker (first time). The instructions call for adding the beef as is. Something in my gut (rightly or wrongly) tells me to sear it first. Will it turn out ...
apaderno's user avatar
  • 7,052
12 votes
9 answers
33k views

What is slow cooking and what it is good for?

I've read several question about slow cooking, but I don't know what is it and what it's good for. Can someone explain it? Thank you!
Wizard79's user avatar
  • 4,603
11 votes
9 answers
92k views

Why is there a watery run-off after cooking my bolognese?

It's a fairly standard recipe with passata and wine, simmering on a low heat for a couple of hours. After stirring and putting the bolognese onto the pasta, after a couple of minutes the sauce ...
paprika's user avatar
  • 530
11 votes
2 answers
95k views

Do canned kidney beans contain Toxins?

I'm attempting my first slow-cook today but, of course right after I started it, I read that there's some nasty chemical in uncooked kidney and cannellini beans that can cause vomiting. And apparently ...
Edd Morgan's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
49k views

How (or is) "low & slow" turkey safe?

If I slow-cook a turkey over low, low heat for 12-18 hours, how does it stay "safe" when the turkey has been in the danger zone for a large majority of the cooking time? I've been slow-cooking ...
Robert Cartaino's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is it ok to leave a slow cooker unattended?

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker (Crock-Pot) on unattended (for example, while you're at work and no one is home)? Or is that a fire hazard?
jrdioko's user avatar
  • 211
11 votes
5 answers
19k views

If a recipe calls for canned beans and I want to use dried beans, what do I need to do to the dried beans first?

This is for chili in a slow cooker and I'll be using red beans of some kind--kidney I suppose. I know I need to soak them, but do they need to be pre-cooked too?
derGral's user avatar
  • 213
10 votes
13 answers
35k views

Sous vide without plastic bags?

I really like the idea of cooking steak using sous vide. However, I am very wary of heating food up together with plastic, and then eating the food, as I believe that at high temperatures, chemicals ...
bguiz's user avatar
  • 217
10 votes
5 answers
71k views

Stew in the oven or on the stove, does it make a difference?

What is the advantage (if any) of finalizing a stew or other slow-cooked meals in the oven instead of on a hob? A lot of recipes tells you to set the pot in the oven to cook for x hours after the ...
Jakob's user avatar
  • 165
10 votes
1 answer
26k views

Cooked meat diaper: toxic?

I accidentally left the meat diaper underneath my roast in a slow cooker. After 8 hours, the diaper is mostly disintegrated. I am able to fish out fragments, but big chunks seem to be missing. (For ...
bongbang's user avatar
  • 341
9 votes
2 answers
148k views

Can I cook a slow cooker recipe on high instead of low, but for shorter time?

This morning, I was supposed to prepare our chili recipe for tonight in the slow cooker, but I have forgotten. Now it's too late to start the recipe as usual and cook it on low. However, it's not ...
Zibbobz's user avatar
  • 1,185
9 votes
2 answers
5k views

Does using a larger slow cooker than called for by the recipe make a difference?

I have a recipe that specifically calls for a 4-quart slow cooker, however the slow cooker that I own is a 6-quart. Will using a 6-quart slow cooker make a difference, or does it not matter?
user2767's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
9k views

Sous vide octopus for maximum tenderness

A few years ago I had a delicious 15-hour slow-cooked (then charred) octopus at a japanese restaurant in New York. The flesh was moist and tender without being gelatinous, and I could sense the ...
tohster's user avatar
  • 583
8 votes
6 answers
104k views

Storage after slow cooking

I love my slow cooker but cooling food seems to take forever. Usually, I just pop the crock into the oven (no heat) and store until the next morning. So we're talking from 9PM (I eat dinner late) ...
apaderno's user avatar
  • 7,052
8 votes
3 answers
31k views

Should you, and how do you, grease a crockpot?

I know that this may be a silly question but I came across a crockpot recipe that asks for the crockpot to be greased before adding the ingredients into the pot. Do you just grease the pot normally? ...
Kyra's user avatar
  • 4,576
8 votes
2 answers
10k views

When is Slow Cooking done - time vs temperature of meat

I have read that slow cookers manufactured recently (not sure what time period that actually means) rise to their cooking temperature faster because of FDA concerns of keeping a food at a dangerous ...
Marcy's user avatar
  • 81
8 votes
3 answers
9k views

How to stop oatmeal from sticking to the sides of my slow cooker?

When I cook oatmeal, I usually do steel-cut oats in the slow-cooker overnight. They are tasty, etc., but invariably there is a layer of oats stuck/burned on to the side walls of the ceramic slow-...
sdg's user avatar
  • 1,897
8 votes
2 answers
44k views

I would really like to go to bed, but the slow cooker isn't done

I've got a 6.5qt slow cooker going, with about 7lbs of corned beef in it. I had put it on HIGH around 4:30pm, figuring that it would take six to eight hours to cook. Well, it's half-past midnight, ...
Codeswitcher's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

What does "wedge" mean, as in "wedge" a head of Cabbage?

In a recipe on Corned Beef and Cabbage, the instructions read "wedge" the head of cabbage before putting it in the slow cooker.
Tom Taggart's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
5k views

How to cook a pot roast without it tasting like vegetables

I usually cook a beef pot roast by putting the meat and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) in a slow cooker with a little bit of water and letting it go for ~8 hours on low. This works well int ...
Ryan Elkins's user avatar
  • 6,203
7 votes
3 answers
181k views

Pork butt roast: slicing temp vs pulling temp

At internal temp of 170F, will the pork butt slices be very tender and moist or should one continue to higher temp closer to pulled of 195F to achieve?
julie krawchuk's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
44k views

What is the best cut of beef to use for stews?

What cut of beef should I use for a beef stew? I heard that you want a little bit of fat in the meat, but what part the animal is best to use?
It Grunt's user avatar
  • 383
7 votes
1 answer
32k views

How to convert slow cooker recipes to pressure cooker with different cooking times?

Google results for this question either don't answer the question at all or don't address what happens when multiple ingredients have different pressure cooking times. I'm specifically looking to ...
Tootsie Rolls's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
11k views

Slow cooker lid gasket smell

I bought a Hamilton Beach slow cooker a while ago. I never had success with it since all the stuff that I made didn't smell good. I finally figured out that it was the rubber gasket on the lid that ...
highBandWidth's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
6k views

Cooked beef roast covered with red coloring

After cooking a beef bottom round rump roast, a red coloring is covering, and penetrating, the meat. The roast was purchased at a reputable grocery chain and properly refrigerated for two days before ...
Nextstop60's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
251 views

Stuffed pumpkin on a burner

I have been asked to make a main for a potluck this Halloween and I thought I would be "clever" and bake a lamb stew in a pumpkin. I plan to hollow out the pumpkin and add meat, veg, spices, etc. and ...
Max's user avatar
  • 63
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

How should I choose a BBQ sauce for root-beer-braised pulled pork?

I made some pulled pork using this slow-cooker recipe a few weeks ago. Ingredients include: 1 (2 lbs) pork shoulder 1 (12 fl oz) can or bottle root beer 1 (18 oz) bottle "your favorite barbecue ...
sixtyfootersdude's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
29k views

Chicken curry in a slow cooker turns out watery

My first question on here, so please go easy on me. I have recently got a slow cooker and have been very pleased with the results, but that was using ready-made sachets of cooking mixes. I am ...
Carl H's user avatar
  • 507
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is the green button on this frozen young turkey breast to be removed before being cooked in a slow cooker?

Is the green button on this frozen young turkey breast a thermometer? should it be removed before being cooked in a slow cooker? How can I remove it? Thanks
Tim's user avatar
  • 1,869
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

Cranberry beans on a slow cooker (crock pot)

I have only made a few stews on my slow cooker so I want to try a different recipe. I want to try cooking cranberry/cargamanto beans for a bandeja paisa (similar to a Brazilian feijoada) on a slow ...
Jaime Soto's user avatar
6 votes
6 answers
10k views

Slow Cooker makes a mess

I tried googling this one but I just kept getting recipes. I bought a slow cooker (Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker), which seemed to have good reviews. However I try to make stock, which I ...
Tai's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
2 answers
534 views

Can I shorten bean soaking time if they'll be slow cooked?

I'm making something using butter beans (fasiola gigandes) which will be cooked for a long time (12+ hours) in a casserole dish with liquid covering them. Normally I would soak the beans first for a ...
dbmag9's user avatar
  • 11.9k
6 votes
2 answers
629 views

dealing with curved ribs in a flat rib recipe

I'm trying to make a pork rib ragu, and the ribs I have got are rather... curled. the recipe doesn't really specify which ribs to get, but in the video they're rather flat, making browning them, and ...
Jarede's user avatar
  • 507
6 votes
1 answer
47k views

Is it okay to slow cook sausage casserole without pan frying the sausages?

We haven't got an oven/hob at the moment due to kitchen refurbishments and I'm currently slow cooking sausage casserole in a 2.5L slow cooker. There's about 6-8 thick sausages in there all cut up into ...
Mathew Thompson's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
470 views

Does the dum cooking process truly impact taste and texture, or is it merely a longstanding tradition?

While making biryani I find a lot of hype surrounding the "dum" cooking process. This involves: Pre-cooking the meat and rice separately. Mixing them together at the last minute into a ...
Mugen's user avatar
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