Slow Cooking – Savor that Flavor

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 8:49 pm

Slow cookers, which are also known as crockpots, are a great way for anyone who’s busy (and who isn’t?) to make a full meal with very little effort. There are a lot of advantages to using these nifty machines that over the years have gone from having one or two simple settings and an in/off switch to being digitized infusers of flavor and tenderness.

Slow cookers work on the basic principle that the food is cooked at a fast enough pace to ensure that bacteria will not set in but at a slow enough pace that allows whatever you are cooking to become ultra-tender. Whenever you use your slow cooker, you want to make sure that the top is securely in place. You do this for two reasons. First, the top keeps the heat in, allowing your meal to get done in a timely fashion. Second, that top traps the moisture, which, along with the low heat setting, helps to make your dinner savory.

Here are a few tips for fully utilizing your slow cooker:

1 Remember that you can combine meat, potatoes and vegetables all at once. Chilies, stews and roasts and especially good in crockpots.

2 Lower grades of meat are best when it comes to slow cookers. Even the toughest cut of beef will be cooked to a melt in your mouth texture.

3 Because seafood gets done quickly, it’s tough to properly cook it in a Crockpot. Often shrimp, scallops and other types of fish will, unlike beef and poultry, come out dry and flavorless.

4 When using a slow cooker, you don’t need to add as much liquid as you do for oven or stovetop recipes. If converting a non-crockpot recipe, the basic rule of thumb is to add about 1/3 the amount of liquid you’d normally use.

5 If you have the time, cook your meal on the lowest setting. It seals in flavor and tenderizes the best.

6 When purchasing a slow cooker, buy one with a large pot, that has at least four settings, and that includes an automatic warming feature. All of these options are invaluable.

These are just a few hints that you can utilize when using your Crockpot. For more information on slow cooker recipes and great secret recipes from your favorite restaurants go to this link: Recipe Secrets Review.