Slooooooow Cooker Recipes

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Discussion

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 14th March 2014
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Mobile Chicane said:
That sounds good - I'd not thought of using jerk paste for a stew. Which paste are you using?
Shamefully I just use Tesco's own, it turns out well, just don't use too much! Tbsp and a half is about right for me smile and I forgot the sweet corn
lol!



Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 14th March 19:13

alan-87

393 posts

204 months

Sunday 16th March 2014
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Bought a half shoulder of lamb today and as we would be out all day gave me a great opportunity to use the slow cooker. I put it on some roughly cut onion and celery, with red wine to the top of the veg and a spoon of mint sauce.

I'd done some reading on here earlier about throwing it in the oven for a quick brown off after coming out of the cooker. Decided to try it today, needless to say it came out amazingly! Pictures below.

PREPPED & READY...


OUT OF THE COOKER READY FOR THE HIGH TEMP...


FULL TIME!

Pixel-Snapper

5,321 posts

191 months

Monday 17th March 2014
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Almost 3 days in prep and cooking but my god it was good.

Rub went on Friday afternoon then in the fridge till Saturday afternoon. While the football was on the radio it went in the oven at 180c for 90 minutes. Sunday morning came took the rind off the meat and popped it in the cooker at 8am with half a bottle of BBQ sauce and 2 onions. By 2pm the meat was so tender I pulled it with some tongs in the pot.



Went down really well with the guest in a bun sat on the patio in the sun.

Ended up buying one shoulder and one pork leg by mistake as I wasn't concentrating flying round Lidl on Friday, it actually turned out quite well.

ajprice

27,317 posts

195 months

Monday 26th May 2014
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This came up on the slow cooker Facebook page over the weekend. Anybody got one?

Breville VTP140 4 litre slow cooker, 60 full price but it's available for 50 at Currys/Argos/Amazon. It just looks like it shouldn't work, being a hot plate with the glass bowl on top.

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Finally bit the bullet and bought a slow cooker. I've got some questions:
1. How much are people paying for these "cheap" cuts of beef? I went to the butcher today, the cheapest he had was brisket and it was £20 for 1.5kg (enough for 6 people apparently) :shock:

2. Not wanting to spend the above £20 on my first go, I instead bought a boneless pork leg for a tenner. Plan was to make this: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1977653/thai-be... . Going to go for some sort of
- leave the fat on or take it off and make some crackling at the end of the cook?
- cut the leg into smaller parts or leave whole?
- any tips on amount of liquid/length of cooking appreciated! Only done pork leg slowly twice (in a BBQ).

donaircooleone

427 posts

176 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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You can find fairly cheap cuts from Sainsburys (see Beef Skirt in the chiller areas).

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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donaircooleone said:
You can find fairly cheap cuts from Sainsburys (see Beef Skirt in the chiller areas).
Was in the (reasonably) big one in Edinburgh (Gorgie) last night and they had nothing! In saying that, it was late in the day, maybe some other slow cooker fanatics had raided the place smile

Mobile Chicane

20,740 posts

211 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Beef brisket has become a 'fancy' cut of meat, ever since people started slow BBQing it, American stylee. Beef shin, and ox cheek are good cuts for slow cooking. Or skirt, as suggested above.

Most of what's sold as 'stewing steak' in butchers and supermarkets is far too lean. Avoid this like the plague unless you want a casserole with the taste and texture of soggy chipboard.

The meat needs fat for richness (you can always skim it off), and lots of gristle. This will melt down into a lovely savoury unctuousness in the finished dish.

Not really the weather for slow cooking. I'd get either a pork shoulder and pull it, or mutton / boiling chicken (from halal butchers) for a tagine.

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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I live in Scotland, it's always the weather for slow cooking! smile

Thanks for the help guys. Will try another butcher next week.

Mobile Chicane

20,740 posts

211 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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I'd roast the leg.

Score the skin, rub it with salt, and let it dry out in the bottom of the fridge overnight.

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Too late! It's already got a rub on it and is sitting in the fridge ready to be cooked tomorrow biggrin

It'll hopefully come out something like this: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/slow-roasted-po... . Will check in the pork about 4 hours in on lunch (fortunately live 10 mins from work at the minute) and decide whether to add the sauce then or wait till later.

zygalski

7,759 posts

144 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
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bicycleshorts said:
Finally bit the bullet and bought a slow cooker. I've got some questions:
1. How much are people paying for these "cheap" cuts of beef? I went to the butcher today, the cheapest he had was brisket and it was £20 for 1.5kg (enough for 6 people apparently) :shock:

2. Not wanting to spend the above £20 on my first go, I instead bought a boneless pork leg for a tenner. Plan was to make this: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1977653/thai-be... . Going to go for some sort of
- leave the fat on or take it off and make some crackling at the end of the cook?
- cut the leg into smaller parts or leave whole?
- any tips on amount of liquid/length of cooking appreciated! Only done pork leg slowly twice (in a BBQ).
Shin of beef is still relatively cheap & just about the best slow cooker cut.
£10 worth should easily be enough for 4 hungry people.

tedmus

1,883 posts

134 months

Sunday 21st September 2014
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Had a go at this recipe yesterday, added a few sprigs of thyme and a good splash of worcestershire sauce in the slow cooker with the onion, beer and bay leaves. I used a double chocolate stout instead of Guiness.

End result, very tasty. Removed the meat when done and set aside, transferred the liquid and onions into a wide, shallow pan (minus the bay leaves and thyme bunch), added a little beef stock and reduced a bit then added a blob of buerre manie to thicken. Carved the beef thickly and added to the sauce to warm. Served with the mash and vichy carrots.

Sauce was so tasty, beef was soft but a tiny bit dry, 1kg joint so would probably cook for 6 instead of 8 hours next time, wasn't that keen on the bean mash, would serve with colcannon next time I think.


bluelightbabe

297 posts

167 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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I made a lovely macaroni cheese the other day....

200g (7oz) macaroni
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
50g (2oz) butter
50g (2oz) plain flour
450ml UHT milk
450ml vegetable stock
175g Stilton
Quarter teaspoon of grated nutmeg
200g (7oz) tin of sweetcorn
6 rashers grilled smoked back bacon, diced.
Salt & pepper
Grilled cherrry tomatoes on the vine to serve.

Preheat slow cooker if necessary. Tip the macaroni into a bowl, cover with plenty of boiling water and leave to stand for 10 mins while preparing the rest of the dish.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently, stirring, for 5 mins or until softened. Add the butter and, when melted, stir in the flour. Gradually mix in the milk and bring to the boil, stirring until smooth. Stir in the stock, 125g (4oz) of the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring back to the boil, stirring.

Drain the macaroni and add to the slow cooker pot with the sweetcorn. Pour over the sauce and gently stir together. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Stir the spinach and bacon into the macaroni, replace the lid and cook on low for 15 mins. Lift the pot out of the housing using oven gloves and stir once more. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the macaroni, then brown under a hot grill until the top is golden. Serve with grilled cherry tomatoes on the vine.

I made a few minor alterations but it still turned out ok. I used normal milk and not UHT, used frozen sweetcorn instead of tinned and put the spinach leaves in whole. I also bought a pack of bacon lardons instead of rashers. I didn't bother with the tomatoes either.

Matt_N

8,900 posts

201 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Great thread.

Apologies for a bit of cross threading, but I'm keen to try the Jailhouse chilli but in the slow cooker, how should I re-adjust the cooking times?

The recipe calls for simmering on a low heat for approx 2hrs.

Oscarmac

342 posts

168 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Matt_N said:
Great thread.

Apologies for a bit of cross threading, but I'm keen to try the Jailhouse chilli but in the slow cooker, how should I re-adjust the cooking times?

The recipe calls for simmering on a low heat for approx 2hrs.
Matt, just by chance I put the jailhouse chilli in the slow cooker last night. I made a few adjustments in that I used twice as much steak to mince and put all of the spice mix in, just pre-browning of the meat.

I reduced all liquid quantities by half including tomatoes. I did add some tomato puree to compensate.

Cooked it overnight (10p.m-6.00a.m) on low setting. The result as I left the house this morning looked pretty good. Tasted good although that was just one piece of meat. Texture was excellent, spice seemed right not sure about depth of the tomato. Will also probably need reducing just a bit more to my taste.

Won't know for definite until tonight which I cant't wait for. Will report back.


Matt_N

8,900 posts

201 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Oscarmac said:
Matt, just by chance I put the jailhouse chilli in the slow cooker last night. I made a few adjustments in that I used twice as much steak to mince and put all of the spice mix in, just pre-browning of the meat.

I reduced all liquid quantities by half including tomatoes. I did add some tomato puree to compensate.

Cooked it overnight (10p.m-6.00a.m) on low setting. The result as I left the house this morning looked pretty good. Tasted good although that was just one piece of meat. Texture was excellent, spice seemed right not sure about depth of the tomato. Will also probably need reducing just a bit more to my taste.

Won't know for definite until tonight which I cant't wait for. Will report back.
thumbup

Good tip on reducing the liquids too.

Mobile Chicane

20,740 posts

211 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Definitely reduce the liquids for the slow cooker / UK tastes.

'Jailhouse' is a Texan recipe, and it's quite runny.

Mobile Chicane

20,740 posts

211 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
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Heads up. There's a 2.5 litre slow cooker on offer for £11.99 in Robert Dyas at the moment.

GOG440

9,247 posts

189 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Bought a nice 3.5L crockpot from Tesco,marked down to £15 and I am currently having my very first attempt at slow cooking.
I am currently on a diet so I am doing a slimming world recipe for a beef goulash (that I have done succesfully in the oven). Smells bloody lovely but the proof will be in the eating this evening.