Since I'm stuck at home today because of weather, I thought I'd pen an article today. Also, since I'm doing this on a smartphone, it's going to be brief.
Slow cookers are great tools when used properly. However, they have been abused by the likes of Pinterest users who want to put something in the pot, add a canned soup, leave it all day, and come home to a wonderful meal. Sadly, this does not happen as often as people would like. One thing to keep in mind that is that if you wouldn't braise it, it won't do well in a slow cooker. As such, things like beans, chili, stew, and other items that need long slow cooking time are prime candidates. Recipes that call for adding boneless skinless chicken breasts at the beginning of an all day cooking time should be ignored. With that, here are my tips for slow cooker usage.
First, find a good one. I prefer a single pot model, as opposed to the three pot models you find. The multi pot models take up a lot of room, and the individual cooking compartments aren't very big. If you do a lot do entertaining, I can see their desire. For the average user, stick with a single pot model. Find a model that doesn't get too hot. Sadly, most of them do, so you're going to have to do your own research. Anything hotter than a bare simmer is too hot.
Second, I want everyone to raise your right hand, and repeat after me. "I will not put lean meats like chicken breast, pork loin, or pork tenderloin into my slow cooker for an all day cook." These meats cannot handle all day cooking, and you end up with dry, chalky meat that isn't fit for consumption. If you must use these, put them in the pot last so they will cook to doneness and don't dry out. Stick with meats that have more connective tissue that can withstand the longer cooking time.
Always brown whatever meat you're putting in the pot. Slow cookers don't get hot enough to create tasty brown bits, so they have to be carried into the pot. For that matter, brown your vegetables too. If you put raw meat and veggies into the pot, you'll end up with something that resembles pot au feu (which isn't a bad thing if done right) than a dish that has a lot of depth. Brown food tastes good, and this is important to remember when using a slow cooker.
Ingredients that add depth are extremely important. Bacon, the browned vegetables from above, and umami rich foods like mushrooms, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan rinds add a lot of depth and complexity to dishes. Sweet notes from tomato paste or brown sugar are also good for adding depth.
Save your crunchy vegetables for the end. Veggies added at the beginning end up mushy and unappetizing. Add them add the end so they hold their shape and retain their flavor. This goes for fresh herbs as well. Fresh herbs added at the beginning look bad and taste worse.
Vinegar or other acid added at the end are critical for brightening a dish. Things like red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice add a bright note. They should be added when you are adjusting the final seasoning.
If you're following the rules and making a dish with chicken thighs that have been browned, be sure to remove the skin before serving. The skin after cooking that long isn't appetizing, and it looks terrible.
Avoid using cream of x soups if at all possible. This has been covered before, but it bears repeating. Make your own stocks and sauces. It isn't that much more work, and the flavor differences are striking.
Hopefully these tips will help those of you that want to use your slow cooker for what it is intended to do: making dishes that take a while to cook taste good. If someone gives you a recipe for pork tenderloin that cooks in a slow cooker all day and they say it tastes good, you should question their advice on other topics as well.
Slow cookers are great tools when used properly. However, they have been abused by the likes of Pinterest users who want to put something in the pot, add a canned soup, leave it all day, and come home to a wonderful meal. Sadly, this does not happen as often as people would like. One thing to keep in mind that is that if you wouldn't braise it, it won't do well in a slow cooker. As such, things like beans, chili, stew, and other items that need long slow cooking time are prime candidates. Recipes that call for adding boneless skinless chicken breasts at the beginning of an all day cooking time should be ignored. With that, here are my tips for slow cooker usage.
First, find a good one. I prefer a single pot model, as opposed to the three pot models you find. The multi pot models take up a lot of room, and the individual cooking compartments aren't very big. If you do a lot do entertaining, I can see their desire. For the average user, stick with a single pot model. Find a model that doesn't get too hot. Sadly, most of them do, so you're going to have to do your own research. Anything hotter than a bare simmer is too hot.
Second, I want everyone to raise your right hand, and repeat after me. "I will not put lean meats like chicken breast, pork loin, or pork tenderloin into my slow cooker for an all day cook." These meats cannot handle all day cooking, and you end up with dry, chalky meat that isn't fit for consumption. If you must use these, put them in the pot last so they will cook to doneness and don't dry out. Stick with meats that have more connective tissue that can withstand the longer cooking time.
Always brown whatever meat you're putting in the pot. Slow cookers don't get hot enough to create tasty brown bits, so they have to be carried into the pot. For that matter, brown your vegetables too. If you put raw meat and veggies into the pot, you'll end up with something that resembles pot au feu (which isn't a bad thing if done right) than a dish that has a lot of depth. Brown food tastes good, and this is important to remember when using a slow cooker.
Ingredients that add depth are extremely important. Bacon, the browned vegetables from above, and umami rich foods like mushrooms, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan rinds add a lot of depth and complexity to dishes. Sweet notes from tomato paste or brown sugar are also good for adding depth.
Save your crunchy vegetables for the end. Veggies added at the beginning end up mushy and unappetizing. Add them add the end so they hold their shape and retain their flavor. This goes for fresh herbs as well. Fresh herbs added at the beginning look bad and taste worse.
Vinegar or other acid added at the end are critical for brightening a dish. Things like red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice add a bright note. They should be added when you are adjusting the final seasoning.
If you're following the rules and making a dish with chicken thighs that have been browned, be sure to remove the skin before serving. The skin after cooking that long isn't appetizing, and it looks terrible.
Avoid using cream of x soups if at all possible. This has been covered before, but it bears repeating. Make your own stocks and sauces. It isn't that much more work, and the flavor differences are striking.
Hopefully these tips will help those of you that want to use your slow cooker for what it is intended to do: making dishes that take a while to cook taste good. If someone gives you a recipe for pork tenderloin that cooks in a slow cooker all day and they say it tastes good, you should question their advice on other topics as well.