JGDean
Sous Chef
I'm making beef and vegetable stew in the crock pot. If I cut the vegetables fairly large and the meat is cubed on the smaller side, where should the vegetables go to get more heat??
Highest area temperature in slow cooker
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I don't think it matters. The liquid in the CP will even out the heat distribution. Because the meat will take longer to cook than the veggies, larger veggie pieces will encourage everything's being done at the same time.
keltin
Washing Up
It doesn’t really matter. Are you throwing everything in at once, or are you browning the meat first?
Personally, I put the veggies in first, then the meat, then the liquid and let it go. Eventually, you’ll be stirring the pot, so trying to lay the veggies in a particular spot is rather futile. Further, the whole mixture will come up to a set temp anyway (the boiling point of the liquid) and won’t get any higher than that. Granted, the walls of the crock pot can be a little hotter, but for the most part it doesn’t matter since the temperature throughout the liquid is fairly uniform.
Personally, I put the veggies in first, then the meat, then the liquid and let it go. Eventually, you’ll be stirring the pot, so trying to lay the veggies in a particular spot is rather futile. Further, the whole mixture will come up to a set temp anyway (the boiling point of the liquid) and won’t get any higher than that. Granted, the walls of the crock pot can be a little hotter, but for the most part it doesn’t matter since the temperature throughout the liquid is fairly uniform.
keltin
Washing Up
Uh, yeah....what Andy said! 
DramaQueen
Head Chef
Ahhhh,looks like someone else forgot to read the owner's manual. All owners' manuals and slow cooker cookbooks state that the veggies and potatoes should always go on the bottom - under the meat - because vegetables will take longer to cook than meat and there is more heat concentrated at the bottom of slow cookers. They don't recommend cutting vegetables or potatoes larger than 1 1/2 inch dice. Now for tonight's homework..........
All owners' manuals and slow cooker cookbooks state that the veggies and potatoes should always go on the bottom - under the meat - because vegetables will take longer to cook than meat and there is more heat concentrated at the bottom of slow cookers. They don't recommend cutting vegetables or potatoes larger than 1 1/2 inch dice. Now for tonight's homework..........
Actually, I've done it both ways and didn't notice any difference in the two and also diced my veggies all different ways and, again, saw no discernible difference.
keltin
Washing Up
Me too! I've put meat in first and I've done it veggies first, and I can't tell a difference.
I've done it both ways, too ... and if there was a difference it wasn't significant enough for me to notice.
But, yes, DramaQueen is right ... I think the books do say to put the vegies in first and the meat on top.
But, yes, DramaQueen is right ... I think the books do say to put the vegies in first and the meat on top.
OP
OP
JGDean
Sous Chef
I did veggies on the bottom, meat on top. Meat slightly overcooked veggies done. Will get larger beef cubes next time. Thanks to all for input.
