Crock Pot Cooking

[Auntie Jan]

Stickied and changed the title so its more eye catching.

[Chicagoland Chef du Jour]

Chocolatl wrote:

DEEP wrote:
I'm not sure that a sticky would do anything. Chefs are looking at the recipe when they ask this question, not browsing the Q&A forum.

I tend to agree with you. From my experience here and elsewhere, most people never look at stickies when they have a question, anyway.

True but now we can refer the to "look up"!



Thanks Auntie Jan!

[Auntie Jan]

Chicagoland Chef du Jour wrote:

Chocolatl wrote:

DEEP wrote:
I'm not sure that a sticky would do anything. Chefs are looking at the recipe when they ask this question, not browsing the Q&A forum.

I tend to agree with you. From my experience here and elsewhere, most people never look at stickies when they have a question, anyway.

True but now we can refer the to "look up"!



Thanks Auntie Jan!

You are very welcome!

[Chicagoland Chef du Jour]

Checkout the Crock Pot Forum for more ideas, help & advise

http://www.food.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=35&sid=ebf977936d85b0eccd7c19e05a83fc45

[Chicagoland Chef du Jour]

And another: TOTM http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=380872

[pinky kookie]

Here is this interesting info about converting recipes for a crock pot or slow cooker:

HOW TO CONVERT A COOKING TIME FROM AN OVEN TO A CROCK POT -
http://www.livestrong.com/article/534878-how-to-convert-a-cooking-time-from-an-oven-to-a-crock-pot/
By Katina Coleman

Cooking recipes designed for the oven require conversion of cooking time for a Crock-Pot, as a slow cooker is -- naturally -- a slower device. If the oven cooking time for your recipe is less than 45 minutes, a Crock-Pot might not be a suitable cooking alternative, as the conversion times do not surpass the recommended cooking lengths for slow cooker use.

Crock-Pot suggests using recipes that require cooking times of at least three hours on high and seven hours on low -- this is the time required to reach the simmer-point temperature of 209 degrees Fahrenheit.

STEP 1
Select the temperature you want to use for your Crock-Pot. Crock-Pots have two cooking settings -- high and low.

STEP 2
Convert the estimated cooking time needed for the oven to a Crock-Pot set on low. Oven cooking times of 45 minutes to one hour take seven to eight hours in a Crock-Pot; 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours translate to nine to 12 hours; and three to five hours convert to 12.5 hours to 18 hours.

STEP 3
Convert the approximate oven cooking time required for the oven to a Crock-Pot set to high. Oven cooking times of 45 minutes to one hour convert to three to four hours; 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours convert to 4.5 to six hours; and three to five hours need five to seven hours.

STEP 4
Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of your food. Food should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit when fully cooked. Taking the lid off your Crock-Pot to test the temperature cools the pot and increases cooking time, so test toward the end of the cooking time when you think the dish is done.

TIPS AND WARNINGS
Cooking times will vary depending on your Crock-Pot model. Fill your Crock-Pot 1/2 to 3/4 full for the best cooking results.

HOW TO CONVERT RECIPES FOR A CROCK POT -
http://www.ehow.com/how_5777259_convert-recipes-crock_pot.html

HOW TO CONVERT REGULAR RECIPES FOR A SLOW COOKER -
http://www.ehow.com/how_5796912_convert-regular-recipes-slow-cooker.html

[pinky kookie]

I had posted the same info here:

TOPIC THREAD:
http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=370238
pinky kookie - Food.com Groupie - 18 Jan 2012 -

And here is again just in case that someone else may need it:

ADAPTING FAVORITE RECIPES FOR SLOW COOKING -
http://www.slow-cooker.com/adapting-recipes.html

As a general rule, lifting the lid off the crock pot or slow cooker lengthens the cooking time by about 30 minutes or more.

Adapting recipes for the slow cooker or crock pot is not difficult but you have to follow some guidelines. The most important thing to remember is that there is no evaporation in slow cooking so liquid amounts will not decrease with cooking time.

In fact, you'll have more liquid at the end of cooking than you started out with. So it's best if you reduce liquid by half or 1 cup total at most.
I have found that 1 cup of liquid IS really more than enough for most recipes. Exceptions are if you're cooking pasta, rice or soup.

When choosing recipes to adapt, choose those that take 45 minutes and above to cook. This is because those recipes generally use ingredients that will hold up to long cooking times.

Here's a time-conversion chart:

OVEN OR STOVETOP COOK TIME: 15 TO 30 minutes
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON LOW: 4 TO 6 hours
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON HIGH: 1-1/2 TO 2-1/2 hours

OVEN OR STOVETOP COOK TIME: 35 TO 45 minutes
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON LOW: 6 TO 8 hours
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON HIGH: 3 TO 4 hours

OVEN OR STOVETOP COOK TIME: 50 minutes TO 3 hours
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON LOW: 8 TO 12 hours
COOKING TIME IN SLOW COOKER ON HIGH: 4 TO 6 hours

If adapting recipes for soups, add soup ingredients to slow cooker or crock pot. then add only enough water or broth to cover. If a thinner soup is desired, add more liquid at serving time.

TIPS ON ADAPTING RECIPES FOR THE SLOW COOKER OR CROCK POT:

1. AMOUNT OF LIQUID: When adapting recipes, reduce amount of liquid in your recipe by one-half (1 cup of liquid is enough for most recipes).

2. AMOUNT OF SEASONING: Reduce amount of seasoning in proportion with reduced amount of liquid. Use whole or leaf herbs and spices rather than crushed or ground forms.

3. DAIRY PRODUCTS: Sour cream, milk or cream tends to break down during long cooking processes. Add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking. In come cases, you can add condensed soup or evaporated milk in place of milk when using the slow cooker for several hours.

4. MEAT: Less tender, cheaper cuts of meat are better suited to slow cooking than expensive cuts of meat. Remove excess fat before slow cooking if desired. Browning meats is not required but is worthwhile if you have the time.

5. RICE AND PASTA: When rice and pasta are cooked for long periods of time they become starchy and pasty. To prevent this from happening, cook rice or pasta on the stove and add them to the slow cooker a few minutes before serving.

6. SOUPS: Add all ingredients except water or broth to pot; add only enough liquid to cover ingredients.

7. THICKENING JUICES FOR GRAVIES AND SAUCES: To thicken juices for gravies and sauces after cooking, mix 2 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch or flour and 1/4 cup cold water. Pour mixture into dish. Bring to a boil at HI. Solid foods may be removed first if desired.

8. VEGETABLES: Make sure vegetables are cut into pieces that are similar in size and shape. Vegetables that cook quickly (such as peas, spinach) should be added during the last 20 or 30 minutes of the cooking process.

So, for this recipe: Stewed Beef Chunks - with 325 oven temperature and cooked for 2 to 3 hours, converting this recipe to cook in a crock pot will be aproximately: from 4 to 6 hours on HIGH temp. and from 6 to 8 hours on LOW temp.

[pinky kookie]

More interesting related info for this sticky note:

The USDA does not recommend cooking frozen meats in the crock pot. It takes too long to reach a safe cooking temperature:

SLOW COOKERS AND FOOD SAFETY -
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Focus_On_Slow_Cooker_Safety/index.asp

OVEN TO CROCKPOT CONVERSION - GENERAL INFORMATION -
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blcrocktips.htm

And here is this interesting info and recipes that hope can help you to slow cook a pot roast:

SLOW COOKER BEEF - 20 RECIPES -
http://www.slow-cooker.com/slow-cooker-beef-recipes.html

The tougher cuts of beef are the brisket, chuck, round and shank. They are tougher because they are well-exercised muscles, solid muscle tissues and I guess they are not fatty. These tougher cuts of beef require long, slow, moist cooking methods (perfect for the slow cooker!) to soften the meat. The cooking methods include stewing, braising and boiling.

Dishes like pot roast, beef stew and braised shanks were almost made for the slow cooker. They require long cooking time, so while you're hard at work, the tough meat is being tenderized and will be perfect by the time you get home.