Are electric crock pots useful... and hygienic?

[Dawgluver]

I've never seen a 2-cup!

Really? It's called a Little Dipper, and came as a bonus with one of my other c/ps. Temp is not adjustable.

 

[Dawgluver]

OMG!

Run Dinky, RUN!

No, no! Not slow cooking cats! Hoarding. Crazy Cat Lady? Too many slow cookers?

 

[SherryDAmore]

I have 3: a 6 qt. Hamilton Beach with a timer and temperature probe; a 3- 1/2 qt Cuinsinart with 4 temp settings and a timer, and a 1 1/2 qt. "Cooks" brand (from JCPenney's) and I love them all. I use the HamBeach for things like chicken that I can set to temp, and nothing gets overcooked. The CA I use for braising short ribs, stew, and pork shoulder for the two of us, and the little one I use for desserts and warming my canning lids.

Crock pots are one of my favorite inventions, next to a pressure cooker....

 

[Alix]

Do you sear a roast on all sides, on high heat first? Then add it to your crock pot?

I have done that. I didn't bother today. I put some potatoes down, tossed in some onions and carrots and plopped the meat on top. I poured a mixture of beef broth, tomato paste, onion powder, red wine and oil on top.

I thickened the liquid with a cornstarch slurry when we got home and we inhaled most of it tonight. So much for leftovers!

As for crockpots in general, I think they're pretty hygenic because you can take the cooking piece right out and toss it in the dishwasher. The heat levels are determined by the CSA so I'm going to trust them.

 

[Dawgluver]

I don't bother to brown stuff either. Tastes just fine.

 

[Selkie]

I browned my roast today, It may just be my imagination, but I think it adds a little extra flavor being caramelized (browned), just as caramelized onions taste different from raw.

 

[Dawgluver]

I browned my roast today, It may just be my imagination, but I think it adds a little extra flavor being caramelized (browned), just as caramelized onions taste different from raw.

You're right, Selkie, it does add some flavor. I find it doesn't matter if I am making shredded beef or pork.

 

[Timothy]

...slow cookers. I figured I would get a couple dozen cats, and maybe make the news...

OMG!

Run Dinky, RUN!

No, no! Not slow cooking cats! Hoarding. Crazy Cat Lady? Too many slow cookers?

Oh, whew! Scared me for a minute there!

Dinky? You can come out now...the nice lady was kidding...Dinky?

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

My brother came over a few weeks ago he likes my pulled pork, I had rubbed my butt and left it to mature over night in the fridge. The weather was foul so we could not light the smoker.
He browned the butt then rubbed it with some Stubbs L/S and put it in the slow cooker with nothing else for 10 hrs. The meat was tender we shredded it in the pan with the juice and a dash of BBQ sauce it was the dogs bolas

 

[Selkie]

My brother came over a few weeks ago he likes my pulled pork, I had rubbed my butt and left it to mature over night in the fridge. The weather was foul so we could not light the smoker.
He browned the butt then rubbed it with some Stubbs L/S and put it in the slow cooker with nothing else for 10 hrs. The meat was tender we shredded it in the pan with the juice and a dash of BBQ sauce it was the dogs bolas

Didn't your old butt get cold while in the fridge overnight?

You must be very close to your brother for you to let him rub your butt! Was that to warm it up?

 

[sparrowgrass]

If you were going to cook an old cat, the crockpot would be the way to go.

Just sayin'.

 

[jennyema]

At this moment I'm eating my pot roast, along with oven roasted carrots, Yukon fingerling potatoes, and covered with red wine gravy from the braising liquid.

If the roast is in your slow cooker, why do you oven roast your carrots? In the summer, too? I think carrots braised with a roast are better than the meat!

 

[Timothy]

If you were going to cook an old cat, the crockpot would be the way to go.

Just sayin'.

Dog recipe:

1 mean ole dog

1 crock pot

signed, The Cat

 

[Kayelle]

Hold on to your seats! I don't like my crock pot......I just don't like the "odd" flavor that I never have from cooking long and slow in my trusty dutch oven. I really enjoy checking on my food by the age old method of stirring and smelling and tasting and adding as everything is cooking. It's my therapy and it makes me happy, so that's what I do. For those who either don't enjoy that kind of cooking, or don't have the time for it, I'm sure crock pots are a prized appliance. They're just not for me.

 

[Kayelle]

PS
Here's my prized enamel covered cast iron Dutch oven. No, it's NOT a le cuistot, I don't own a Gucci handbag either.

 

[CharlieD]

Since I am at work the whole day not much checking I can do during that time. Not to say that I use my slow cooker all the time, but I do have 2 of them. One smaller, one larger, for a crowd of 10-15 people. I like it. I especially like turkey soup made in it.
Also I make baked milk, could not have done it without. A favorite of mine from the time I was a kid.

 

[SherryDAmore]

I make baked milk,

Perhaps you could explain that one......

 

[CharlieD]

It is literally baked milk. My mother uses her oven to do it. It is not boiled. I keep it on low for the whole day. Like for example today I turned it on, set on low and left around 6 in the morning, I think it will be perfect by 6 at night. Milk becomes somewhat brownish, Kind of with a red hue. I cannot describe the taste. But I love it, so do two of my kids the other two and their mother do not like it. The oldest one refuses to taste, he is afraid I think.

 

[Dawgluver]

It is literally baked milk. My mother uses her oven to do it. It is not boiled. I keep it on low for the whole day. Like for example today I turned it on, set on low and left around 6 in the morning, I think it will be perfect by 6 at night. Milk becomes somewhat brownish, Kind of with a red hue. I cannot describe the taste. But I love it, so do two of my kids the other two and their mother do not like it. The oldest one refuses to taste, he is afraid I think.

Is it kind of like custard? Have never heard of it. Do you add sugar? Is it a drink, or thicker, like pudding?

 

[CharlieD]

It is like the regular milk, but has different taste and color. Unfortunatelly American dairy products are not as great as one may think. There are so many products that are available in other countries, but not in the states. Like right now the big craze is Greek yogurt, all of a sudden everybody is talking about it. Nothing special. Not because it is not special, because it was always available in Greek stores. If you have a Russian store nearby, stop to see what they have. You might find interesting chocolate butter, or sweet chocolate farmer’s cheese.
But I am way off topic now.