Advantages To Cooking With A Slow Cooker

Some foods do not take well to boiling. In particular, cheaper cuts of meat with connective tissue and lean muscle fiber, are suitable for stewing, and tastier than stews using expensive cuts; but if they are cooked for a short time, the connective tissue and hard-worked muscles will be tough and gristly. Long boiling will dissolve the connective tissue, but the muscle will be dry and tough. Long slow cooking (simmering) will soften the connective tissue without toughening the muscle. Boiling dissolves the connective tissue and enriches and thickens the cooking liquid; slow cooking leaves the gelatinous tissue in the meat, so that it may be advantageous to start with a richer liquid.

Even with foods that do not suffer from boiling, the temperature in a slow cooker is low enough, to avoid badly overcooking food even if cooked for far longer than necessary. However, success does depend to some extent on timing, as in all cooking. Meat will become nearly tasteless if overcooked. The long cooking time can be an advantage: food can be set to slow-cook before leaving for a day's work, and will be ready on return; an inexpensive timer can also be used if necessary.

Because they stay warm for a long time, slow cookers are becoming more and more useful for potlucks and other social meals. To cater to this use, many companies now offer methods of sealing the lid on during transport (normally with elastic bands or clamps) to prevent the contents from spilling. Cooking the meal in a single pot reduces wash up time, and the low cooking temperature and glazed pot make cleaning it very easy.

Recipes intended for other cooking methods, must be modified for slow cookers. Often water must be decreased, as ordinary cooking at higher temperatures requires enough liquid to allow for evaporation, while slow cookers prevent vapor loss. Some slow cookers are supplied with recipe booklets; many slow cooker recipes can be found in cookbooks and on the Internet. Some cookbooks provide recipes for making complete dishes in a slow cooker using fewer than five ingredients, while others treat the slow cooker as a serious piece of culinary equipment capable of producing gourmet meals.

With some experience, timing and recipe adjustments can be successfully made for many recipes not originally intended for these cookers. The long moist nature of the cooking method gives good results with cheap (and tough) cuts of meat. If excessive liquid is present at the end of cooking, it can be reduced and concentrated by rapid boiling in a saucepan. Here is a good slow cooker recipe. Enjoy.


CROCKPOT 'BAKED' POTATO SOUP

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 3/4 lbs)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 (14-oz) cans chicken broth with roasted garlic
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 (8-oz) container sour cream (optional)
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled, Shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a 5-qt slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours OR on LOW 8 hours until potatoes are tender.

3. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened. Stir in whipping cream, cheese and chives. Top with sour cream if desired and sprinkle with bacon and Cheddar cheese before serving. Makes 12 cups.

NOTE: You can Reduce the fat in this soup by using fat free half-and-half along with reduced fat cheese and sour cream.