Do I need to adjust slow cooker recipes for high altitude?

Question

I live at a high altitude and love to use my slow cooker, but I don't think the meals are coming out as expected when I follow the recipes. Do I need to adjust the recipes for high altitudes?

Asked by challen

Answer

It really depends on the length of time recommended. Due to the usual long length (>4 hours) of slow-cooker recipe cook times most elevation differences would be negligible. However if a recipe calls for a cook time of less than 4 hours you may see some foods not cooking as usual. Legumes might especially be sensitive to this as they take a very long time to cook completely. Below is a table from Wikipedia on elevation vs water boiling temperatures.

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Altitude, m Boiling point of water, °C

(0ft) 100 (212°F)

(984.25ft) 99.1 (210.3°F)

(1968.5ft) 98.1 (208.5°F)

(3280.8ft) 96.8 (206.2°F)

(6561.68ft) 93.3 (199.9°F)

(13123.36ft) 87.3 (189.1°F)

(19685.04ft) 81.3 (178.3°F)

(26246.72ft) 75.5 (167.9°F)

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You may need to experiment with longer cook times for foods that you are having trouble with.

Answered by Derrick Boudwin

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How can I save my curry - it's way too oily!

Question

I cooked a chicken curry in the slowcooker last night, I came down this morning and its way too oily. I think because of this the coconut milk has separated a little too.

Any way I can save this, even a little?

Thankyou

Asked by serenskye

Answer

Allow it to cool, then put it in the fridge for a few hours. The fat should rise to the top and harden, making it easier to scoop away.

If you can't wait for it to cool, either skim the oil off with a spoon or use some kitchen paper to soak it up.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Crockpot recipe when converting temperature from low to high?

Question

I have a crockpot recipe for burritos, located here, that I really want to make. It says to cook the mixture on low heat for 6-10 hours but that is too long/short. I really want to convert the recipe to a high heat so I can cook it quicker. Do you think it is possible to cook this on high? If so would the recipe itself change and how (more/less water required)? How long should I cook it on high?

Asked by Kyra

Answer

You can probably get away with high heat, but you need to watch the liquid content. Since you're not cooking something that is liquid and can circulate to heat evenly, you risk burning the food or having it dry out.

I can't see any reason this needs to cook for such a long time. Ground beef is finely divided, so cooking for extended times won't benefit it that much. I'd say bring it to a boil either on high in the crock pot or on the stove, then transfer to the crockpot for 2+ hours (as long as you have).

Answered by Adam Shiemke

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How should I choose a BBQ sauce for root-beer-braised pulled pork?

Question

I made some pulled pork using this slow-cooker recipe a few weeks ago. Ingredients include:

• 1 (2 lbs) pork shoulder
• 1 (12 fl oz) can or bottle root beer
• 1 (18 oz) bottle "your favorite barbecue sauce"
• 8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

The pork was very shreddable due to the acidic root beer. The flavor of the meat was also pretty good. The only thing that I was unhappy with was the BBQ sauce I choose.

What should I consider when choosing a BBQ sauce? What style of BBQ sauce would pair well with these ingredients? Is there a "standard" BBQ sauce or type of sauce used in traditional Southern pulled pork?

Asked by sixtyfootersdude

Answer

A Southerner will probably tell you that there is no type of BBQ sauce to go with this type of pulled pork because it's not actually real pulled pork... or real BBQ. Authentic pulled pork is smoked, and that comes with a completely different set of pairings. This is technically just braised, shredded pork.

Which is not meant as a criticism, mind you - I often make a similar recipe in the winter time using a dutch oven. But terminology is important here because there's a huge difference in flavour between pulled pork and braised pork. I'll note for the record that any kind of slow-cooking will make a pork shoulder fall right apart; you do not need the root beer (which isn't that acidic anyway, and acid-tenderizing is somewhat of a myth) to tenderize the pork. The heat and moisture do that all by themselves, although root beer is as good a choice as any if you're braising.

Now onto the flavouring. Because the braise, unlike smoke, only minimally flavours the meat, you're going to need strong flavours from elsewhere. If you're really trying to mimic an authentic Southern-style pulled pork then you need to incorporate the smoky flavour somehow, which means using a smoky BBQ sauce (hickory is common) or better yet, incorporate this flavour at the very beginning of the cooking process by applying a dry rub containing smoked paprika or including a small amount of liquid smoke in the braise.

If you do use a rub then the other flavours are up to you - there are plenty of recipes out there - just don't use salt in it because pork already has plenty. As with any braise, stick to aromatics like garlic/onion powder, various chili powders/peppers, cinnamon, etc.

Once you've successfully incorporated the smoke (or what passes for smoke in indoor cooking) then a little sauce goes a long way. Definitely incorporate some of the leftover braising liquid so as not to waste those delicious drippings - I use about half of it but that's with a much milder braise. Ketchup and dijon mustard in a 50/50 to 60/40 ratio is very simple and surprisingly effective when mixed in with the juices.

If you still find this to be lacking punch, you can throw in some cider vinegar, which pairs well with both the pork shoulder and your root beer braise. I actually boil off the pan (after reserving some braising liquid) and use cider vinegar as a deglazer for the fond, but since you're using a crock pot (or equivalent), you probably won't have much/any fond and this would require an extra vessel, so... just throw a splash or two into the finished sauce, and reduce if that makes it a bit watery. Worcestershire sauce is also a good way to punch up any homemade sauce, and if it starts to get too intense or tangy from either that or the vinegar, tone it down with some brown sugar or molasses if you have any.

If you're dead-set on following the recipe to the letter, then, as above, I think I'd choose a hickory or mesquite sauce, something smoky and not overly thick. Some of the better brands/products will actually include a small amount of alcohol, like whisky or bourbon. Almost all will contain onion, garlic, paprika, sugar, molasses, and vinegar (often cider vinegar, as above) - not surprisingly, exactly the same kinds of ingredients as I'm suggesting in the dry rub and homemade sauce.

Answered by Aaronut

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Converting oven recipe to slow cooker

Question

I have a casserole recipe that I generally cook in the oven. I'd like to try it in my slow cooker for several reasons: convenience, timing, opening up the oven for another dish. Is there a general rule of thumb to convert the directions for the oven to an equivalent for a slow cooker?

Answer

Roughly speaking, the low setting on a crock pot is 200 degrees, and the high setting is 300 degrees.

Crock pot time vs oven time 4-6 hrs on low = 15-30 min oven 6-8 hrs on low = 35-45 min oven 8-18 hrs on low = 1-3 hrs in oven

In addition to the liquid notes above, you may want to make these changes as well:

• reduce the amount of whole/leaf herbs by half
• add ground spices during the last 30 min of cook time
• you may prefer to brown meat before cooking in the crock pot; it's a flavor & fat issue
• add rice or noodles in the last two hours of low cook time

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Cooking with a crock pot - temp

Question

I'm thinking about getting a slow cooker, so I was checking out some recipes. Many say something along the lines of:

Cook Time
4 - 5 hours on LOW
2 - 2.5 hours on HIGH
Slow Cooker
4 - 4.5 Quarts
6 - 6.5 Quarts

Two questions:

1. Is it better to cook it on low or high? Obviously the time will be different, but will it usually taste better when done on low?

2. What is the stuff under Slow Cooker referring to?

Thanks

Answer

Cooking "Low and Slow" allows the heat to break down the connective tissues that cause toughness in meat, creating a more tender dish.

As for what the "Slow Cooker" is referring to, that is the volume of the crock pot.

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To sear or not to sear - slow cooking beef dishes

Question

I want to make beef goulash in my slow cooker (first time). The instructions call for adding the beef as is. Something in my gut (rightly or wrongly) tells me to sear it first. Will it turn out basically the same if I don't sear? I'm a little concerned because of the summer temperatures but would love it if I can just plop in the completely raw beef safely.

Thanks.

Answer

Will it work without searing it first? Yes.

Will it have as much flavor? No.

Searing does two things: Create flavor through the browning process and jump-start cooking. Searing does not "lock in juices". The mere sound of the sizzling that goes on is indication that juices are exuding and sizzling against the hot cooking surface.

Benefit of Searing for a Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker recipe: In the case of preparing meat in a slow cooker or in a pressure cooker, the purpose of first searing the meat is to brown the meat for better flavor.

If you have the time and don't mind having another pan to clean, then sear the meat before adding it to your slow cooker. If time does not permit then it will still work to put the meat in without first searing, the flavor of the finished dish will just be a bit more subtle and not as "meaty".

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Slow-cooking pork 'chops'?

Question

I was in Austria recently, and at a restaurant there I ate a very simple dish that consisted mainly of two large pork chops in a light, thin gravy. The pork chops were super tender and came apart really easily.

So I have some leftover pork chops at home and I want to know how I can cook them so that they are like that. I usually fry chops, but that gives a different kind of texture I think.

I'm not really sure what to do with them. I don't have a crockpot or a slow cooker so I don't have too many options. I guess the choice is either boiling them (e.g., in gravy, or a stew) or cooking them in the oven, but I have no idea on how to do either of those things without turning it out horrible. Do you have any tips?

Answer

Try making braised pork chops with onions. Salt and pepper then brown chops on both sides in a heavy frying pan or skillet. Remove chops, add a little oil if needed, and add a sliced onion, stirring occasionally until the onion is lightly browned. Add water or chicken stock or a combination to the onions to deglaze the pan, then nestle the chops back into the onions, cover and reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cook this way for about a half hour to 45 minutes (test for fork-tenderness). Check occasionally to add more liquid as needed and to turn the chops.

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Slow cooking without a slow cooker

Question

I frequently hear people telling me about how wonderful their slow cookers (AKA "crock pot") are. In many cases they're right - meat that tends to come out tough in normal cooking comes out very tender from a slow cooker.

But do I really need a slow cooker to pull this off? It seems like such a basic concept - simmer and/or steam at low heat. What's so special about these devices? For kitchens with very limited space, can a slow cooker be "synthesized" from other cooking implements, or is there really no substitute?

Answer

Your best bet would be a dutch oven on a low to medium low heat in the oven. You could use a regular pot in the oven, but you'd need to stir it regularly (maybe every hour) to stop everything from sticking to the sides and burning.

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Flank postmortem (how I was outflanked)

Question

Picture yourself a flank veal-cut. The grease and silver tissue are off. I open the flank with a knife to extend it. It's filled with ground meat, apple and raisins. It's rolled and bound and goes into the oven at 50ºC to get the enzymes working full speed. It stays at 50ºC with high humidity for an hour.

Then, the dial goes to 180ºC until the center of the flank reaches 65ºC.

Result: the outside is overdone and tough to eat.

I'm guessing I could get better results taking the meat to 65ªC slowly, then let it cool before giving it a blast of heat to get a crust on the outside.

Normally, this kind of meat is seared first, and then stays in liquid on a slow fire for some time (braising). I wanted to obtain the same or better result the other way around.

Does anybody have any additional idea? Should I stick with braising, if so, for how long?

Answer

"The other way round" certainly works. Only not with a blast of hot air.

You can happily get the meat cooked to your 65°C first, then take care of the crust. But convection heat isn't enough to give you a crust. You need either conduction, or radiation.

For conduction, you need contact with a hot material which gives off lots of heat at once, commonly known as "searing". I know that searing after the roasting is unusual in the kitchen, but this is only one of those things which is done because it has always been done this way, or maybe because great men like Leibnitz posed the untested hypothesis that searing "seals the juices in", and the world hasn't caught on that it has been disproved. Disregard, and plop the cooked meat on a hot griddle brushed with a thin layer of oil. BTW, the food lab swears on exactly that technique.

A more common approach is to use radiation heat, and lots of it. This is why most ovens have a thing called grill/broiler. Put the roasted meat close to it, use it until there is a crust, turn it to another side, continue. Here, you have to pay a bit more attention. The heat is enough to warm the inside too, so stop the first cooking stage at less than 60°C. I can't tell you how much less, but would probably try it with 60°C the first time. If you brush the meat with some fat first (really thin, use a pastry brush), you will get a crispier crust. You can also look into "advanced" techniques like putting something on the meat, usually dusting it with flour, but sometimes batter is also used.

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Storage after slow cooking…

Question

I love my slow cooker but cooling food seems to take forever. Usually, I just pop the crock into the oven (no heat) and store until the next morning. So we're talking from 9PM (I eat dinner late) until 8 or 9 AM next day; some goes into the fridge; some into the freezer.

Is this safe or is there a better way without putting it in the fridge right away and subjecting my already cold foods to heat/steam?

Answer

I tend to agree that you're probably not going to kill someone, trying to apply restaurant standards to domestic environments is pretty difficult because they are very different in scale but obviously the fundamentals apply.

Putting food in a different container and then in an ice bath is reasonable if you're worried about condensation or heating up your fridge. Darin (see comments below) advises that bathing the food in a metal container is best for cooling the food quickly. This approach OR putting the hot food straight in the fridge is supported by the advice here:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/refrigeration_&_food_safety/index.asp

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Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown?

Question

I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve.

Here's what I've been doing:
1. Brine pork for a few hours
2. Slow cook all day with carrots, celery, and onions
3. Shred and toss with Montgomery Inn or Hickory Brown Suger Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce

Here's the question: Would browning the pork help in any way? Could the pan drippings be used to jazz up the bbq sauce?

EDIT: this also popped into my head: Should I sautee the onions ahead of time?

Thanks.

Answer

A few things...

1. I brine for 12-24 hours. It really does make a difference.
2. Don't bother browning the meat... you don't want a crust, you want the meat to break down.
3. Make your own barbecue sauce! There's a zillion recipes, and it always tastes better. When I make pulled pork, I take the cooking liquid (you are cooking in liquid, yeah?) and reduce it right down to almost a demiglace, and use that as the base for my bbq sauce.

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What is the difference between roasting, baking, and broasting?

Question

For example, when making a turkey for Thanksgiving, I generally place it in the oven (covered in foil or a turkey bag), and cook it for many hours at the recommended heat setting.

I can crock-pot a "roast" cut of meat for many hours, or put it in the oven (again covered) for several hours at a low temperature.

How is that different from "baking", other than when baking the top is generally not covered?

Answer

Traditionally roasting used radiant heat to cook meat. This would have taken place over an open flame, typically on a rotating spit. In modern times this method is now called Rotisserie. Modern roasting refers to dry heat cooking that takes place in an oven, the food is cooked by convection. Until the late 19th century this method was referred to as baking.

Baking is essentially the same as roasting in modern times. Baking most often refers specifically to the cooking of "baked goods" (breads, pastries, etc.). However, the terms baking and roasting are often used interchangeably (baked chicken, roast chicken). There doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule here as to which term is used. For example, you roast asparagus, turkey, chicken, but bake lasagna, casseroles, and also chicken.

Braising uses a combination of moist and dry heat to cook the food. This is what occurs in a crock pot, or in dutch oven/stock pot in the oven. Your meat will be cooked in an ample amount of seasoned liquid such as wine and/or stock.

Broasting I had never heard of before. According to Wikipedia it's a trademarked method of pressurized deep frying. I doubt this is what you were referring to.

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