Get the most out of your slow cooker
Here are some helpful tips for using this favourite fall-friendly appliance
As the weather finally gets chilly and weekdays become increasingly busy, this is the season when I start to really lean on my slow cooker. Over years of slowcooking failures and triumphs, I’ve figured out a few best practices. Here they are, along with one of my favourite slow cooker recipes:
Dos
Pre-sauté meat if you have time. Browning meat before slow-cooking it adds an irreplaceable depth of flavour. It’s annoying (I don’t love taking time and dirtying another pot), but it makes all the difference to meat-based soups, stews and chili.
Use the Crock-Pot to cook dried beans. The beans don’t even need to be pre-soaked, just cover with lots of water and cook on low for eight to 10 hours.
Slow-cook overnight, whether to prepare a delicious hot breakfast such as steel-cut oatmeal or to fill the freezer with homemade chicken stock.
Keep foods warm in a slow cooker during parties. I’ve used mine to serve meatballs, baked beans, taco fillings and even mulled wine.
Leave the slow cooker’s lid off while it’s in the cupboard so any lingering smells will slowly dissipate, and not perfume your next dish.
Choose the right cut of meat. Tender pieces of meat such as chicken breasts, pork or beef tenderloin don’t take well to long braising. However, tougher cuts such as pork shoulder, lamb shanks and brisket become meltingly tender in the slow cooker. Don’ts
Use too much chopped fresh onion or garlic if you’re not sautéing them first. These two aromatics have a tendency to become both acrid and unpleasantly undercooked in the Crock-Pot. Substitute with garlic and onion powders (not salts).
Open the lid unless the dish is almost ready and you’re just adding some last-minute seasonings. Removing the lid, even for a few sec- onds, has the same effect as opening the front door of the house when it’s — 40 C, and will dramatically slow down the dish’s cook time.
Make roast chicken in a Crock-Pot. In fact, anything “roasted” must be done in an oven to get properly browned and crisp. That said, don’t forget that you can finish a dish under the oven broiler. Sometimes a dish that comes out of a slow cooker needs a final quick blast of dry heat to finish it off — I’m thinking of braised ribs or casseroles.
Limit the Crock-Pot to just soups and stews. Consider it for chicken stock and oatmeal, caramelized onions (see below) and applesauce.
Slow Cooker Caramelized Onion Brisket
Star Tested This recipe shows off the best qualities of slow cooking by taking affordable ingredients such as onions and brisket and using long, slow heat to turn them into a delicious supper great for family meals or a big party. To make quick work of the onions, use the slicing blade of a food processor or mandoline. You can also complete step one and use the caramelized onions on burgers or pizza. 3 lbs (1.4 kg) yellow onions, thinly sliced 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, melted 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 3 cups (750 mL) ready-to-use beef broth 2 tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour 5-1/2 lbs (2.5 kg) beef brisket Combine sliced onions, butter and salt in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours. Stir, then cook another 4 hours with lid slightly ajar, stirring once or twice or until deeply browned.
Pour broth, Worcestershire and garlic into caramelized onion mixture and stir well. Heat oil in a large wide frying pan over medium-high. Sprinkle flour all over brisket then add to the pan, fat side down, and sear 2 minutes on each side or until deeply golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 12 hours or until very tender.
Serve immediately or chill brisket and broth together. Remove and discard any fat that accumulates on top, then slice the brisket. Return to the liquid to reheat. Serve brisket and sauce together over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes if you like.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.