Is crockpot cooking safe?

[FryBoy]

The operative part of crockpot is "crock." I tossed mine after a couple of uses.

 

[bullseye]

Hi bullseye
The purpose of the searing step is to form a crust around the meat that will hold the juices in during the longer cooking processes required for many cuts of meat. If you are searing correctly, there is no way you can bring the temp up to a safe zone because the middle of the meat should still be cold. Searing is only to brown the uppermost layer.

I do not believe you can sear in the ceramic part of your crock pot because I don't believe it can get hot enough. As you can probably tell, searing is done at very high temperature. You can eliminate the searing step when you use your crockpot. The flavours won't be effected overmuch, and the meat will still be moist due to the slow cooking.

Vera,
My mother used to make pot roast in the CP. No searing = grey meat that has good flavour, but lacks somewhat in texture (we used to call it camel humps!). I think that the sear gives a bit of extra flavour due to the fond and the deglazing, and adds some texture to what can be a very soft meat. You're probably correct regarding the raising of the internal temp of the meat. It may rise some, but cetainly not to over 140 degrees. Still, it must rise somewhere above what it would be if just thrown in the CP or Dutch oven before searing? Thanks for confirming my reservations about the ceramic part of the CP. I had visions of it shattering just when the browning/searing was about to take place, and I'd have to get out the Dutch oven and start afresh. And what would it do with the shock of deglazing?

 

[Nonni]

The operative part of crockpot is "crock." I tossed mine after a couple of uses.

Oh, that's too bad. Sorry you didn't like it. I've used crockpots for over 20 years and have never ONCE had a meal that wasn't absolutely delicious and worthy of company. Have never gotten sick, have never fussed over the prep, and have fed AirForce Generals and their wives, Co-workers, entertained up to 100 people at a time using slow cookers, crock pots, etc.
Hope you'll try again some day!

 

[BreezyCooking]

I have to admit that these days I use my crockpot primarily for stews & hot dips only - have been sort of disappointed with everything else I've tried - & all the recipes I've tried were supposedly specifically devleoped for the crockpot.

I remember particularly a delicious-sounding stuffed pepper recipe I tried last year. I followed it exactly & ended up with falling-apart peppers surrounded by soup. Whoever developed that recipe definitely didn't take into consideration how much liquid fresh peppers exude - lol!!!

 

[carolelaine]

I braise my pot roast and then put it in the crock pot. The reason I like the crock pot is it doesn't tie up my oven for hours, and in the summer it doesn't heat the house up the way the oven does.

 

[VeraBlue]

I braise my pot roast and then put it in the crock pot. The reason I like the crock pot is it doesn't tie up my oven for hours, and in the summer it doesn't heat the house up the way the oven does.

That is precisely the reason I'd consider using a crock pot. You'd think there were nuclear thermal shields on the roof of my house during the summer. It's impossible to cook anything in here from June till September. I either use the toaster oven or cook outside over a fire. I would entertain the idea of purchasing a crock pot next summer, for sure.

 

[Elf]

I have used a crock pot for over 25 yrs no problems, even lived thru miss use. Don't recomend it now that I know, but in my young and fooless days I use to prepare chicken dishes the nite before the stick the crock pot in the ice box over nite and then set a timer to start after I went to work. I use it mostly for chicken dishs or pork roasts for pulled pork.

 

[carolelaine]

Verablue, Sounds like your house is just like mine. Ever since I discovered the crockpot, it's been a little better not dreading ever turning on the oven. In the summer, I couldn't live with the outdoor grill, toaster oven, crock and microwave.

 

[babetoo]

i have been cooking food in my crockpot(pots) for many years. haven't made anyone sick yet.

babe