Simplify with a Slow Cooker

The slow cooker takes the concept of the oven casserole and applies it to an electric counter top unit that cooks a dish at a very low temperature over a period of several hours.

Folks often interchange the name ‘crock pot’ and slow cooker – Crock Pot is a brand name while slow cooker is the name of the appliance.

You would probably not leave a pot cooking on the stove or your oven on all day while you are at work – but with a slow cooker – you toss in all of the ingredients in the morning, set it on low, head off to work and viola! It does all of the cooking for you so when you come home from work, dinner is waiting for you. This is the ultimate tool for busy people.

Because the process of cooking in a slow cooker is ‘low and slow’, the average temperature of a slow cooker is 200°, it’s perfect for soups, stews and braised meat dishes, requiring virtually no further attention after you push the ‘on’ button.

Because so many of the less expensive, tough cuts of meats work well in the slow cooker, you can save a lot of money buy buying these cheaper cuts (and stock up on sales and two-for-one offers) with these certain cuts of meat. Pork shoulder, beef brisket and country ribs are great cuts to use for this braised type of cooking in the slow cooker.  The fat melts into the meat which becomes moist and tender and starts to fall apart – perfect for pulled pork, tacos, or just serve alongside polenta or risotto for the ultimate in comfort food.  Stew meats are usually cubed and often less expensive than finer cuts of steak.

Vegetables are not as easy as meat as they absorb moisture to varying degrees and may become mushy in the cooking process. Water-heavy vegetables such as onions and celery should be added toward the end of the cooking process while many hearty root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips can be added at the beginning.

Today’s slow cookers, well, they’re not your mother’s slow cooker. With digital readouts, programmable timers, and some have automatic shut off setting but keep the dish warm until you are ready to serve. It’s like having a friend in the kitchen. The removable ceramic insert easily wipes clean and is also dishwasher-safe.

Invest in a good slow cooker as once to learn to cook with it, you will use it often so you will want once that will last!

We have listed a few of our favorite slow cookers here [ click here ].