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14 Easy Cooking Tips for Meat and Poultry Slow Cooker Recipes
The first Christmas we spent with my in-laws in their newcountry home, my mother-in-law wisely gave me a slow cooker. Herthoughtful gift helped Dan and I enjoy the most convenient ofall cooking methods, even with our long work days and commute.
I'll always treasure the memories of delicious aromas waftingthrough the front door as we stepped into the house after a longday at work and a nerve-jangling commute in heavy traffic.
Most of the slow cooker recipes I used were based on meats andpoultry. Here are 14 easy tips to make your slow cooker recipestasty and safe:
Tip # 1 - According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,bacteria in food are killed at a temperature of 165°F. Meatscooked in the slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170°in beef and as high as 190°F in poultry. It is important tofollow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover onyour slow cooker during the cooking process.
Tip # 2 - It is best not use the slow cooker for large pieceslike a roast or whole chicken because the food will cook soslowly it could remain in the bacterial "danger zone" too long.
Tip # 3 - Always defrost meat or poultry before putting it intoa slow cooker.
Tip # 4 - Meats generally cook faster than most vegetables in aslow cooker.
Tip # 5 - Trim all fat from meat and poultry. Fat can increasethe temperature of the liquid in the slow cooker and decreasethe cooking time. This will cause the food t be overcooked. Fatswill also melt with long cooking times, and will add anunpleasant texture to the finished dish.
Tip # 6 - Cooking at higher temperatures will generally give youa tougher piece of meat. for all day cooking or for less-tendercuts of meat, you may want to use the low setting.
Tip # 7 - The slow cooker recipes are best used with the toughercuts of meats.
Tip # 8 - For the best color and texture, ground beef is bestbrowned before using, except in meatloaf or other similar dishes.
Tip # 9 - It is not necessary to brown meat before slow cooking,but it
gives more depth of flavor in the food and removes someof the fat, especially in pork, lamb and sausages. If the meatis lean, well trimmed and not highly marbled, it doesn't need tobe browned.
Tip # 10 - For roasts and stews, pour liquid over meat. Use nomore liquid than specified in the slow cooker recipes. Morejuices in meats and vegetables are retained in slow cooking thanin conventional cooking.
Tip # 11 - Dark meat takes longer to cook, so if a whole cut upchicken is used, put the thighs and legs on the bottom.
Tip # 12 - The slightly coarser texture of corn-fed, organic orfree-range poultry is ideal for slow cooker recipes.
Tip # 13 - Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Usecheaper cuts of meat - not only do you save money, but thesemeats work better for slow cooker recipes. Cheaper cuts of meathave less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking.Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.
Tip # 14 - Farberware FSC600 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker ovaldesign accommodates oversize roasts, whole chickens, hams,and/or ribs. It features a large, 6-quart capacity stonewareliner, which nests inside a chrome slow cooker base and the autosetting switches to a lower 'keep warm' setting after cookingfood.
For those who are not concerned about cooking in aluminum theWest Bend Versatility 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker will work well tocook meats. It has a removable aluminum insert that can be usedon the stovetop to brown meats and caramelize onions before slowcooking. The bottom unit can also be used on its own as a smallgriddle. Its dishwasher-safe insert has a nonstick interior andan included roasting rack.
About the author:
Anjali Dawson has 45 years of experience in cooking, from exoticIndian cuisine with her family in Nepal and India, to home-styleAmerican cooking with her mother-in-law in Alaska. She refinedher gourmet talents working with her chefs as a Restaurateur.Visit Anjali's slow cooker recipes site for free recipes andtips. http://www.easy-slow-cooker-recipes.com/
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