What's in Your Crock Pot

[Tye 1on]

Rest of your post was spot-on, but wonder a bit about this one:

2. ALWAYS salt and brown your meat beforehand, even if the recipe doesn't call for it (and pour any juices and scrape any brown bits from the pan into the slow cooker) - adds tons of flavor.

I get this is the traditional wisdom, but have you done a 'browned vs unbrowned' taste test? Just curious. I'm sure the browned is delicious as fuck [DAF, you heard it here first folks] but is it really any better than just carefully crocked?

[Tye 1on]

and, on a different note, anybody get fucked by power bumps resetting the crockpot while you're gone? Happened to me tonight, pissed me off, could tell as soon as I walked in that the beef rib recipe was NOT firing off as planned. Anybody running a small battery backup to just their crockpot? [overkill, ya maybe, but fuckkkkk....]

[Danno]

"Barbecued" ribs

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used alleppo pepper)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder and/or onion powder
2 1/2 lbs ribs
1 cup bbq sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to make dry rub.
2. Liberally rub spice mixture on all sides of ribs.
3. If you want, wrap and leaving in fridge overnight
4. Prop ribs into slow cooker against the sides and leaning in like a tent. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just propped up so there can be a bit of air around the ribs.
5. Pour the barbecue sauce over the ribs.
6. Cook on low for 7 hours, if you want you can turn ribs over at 3 1/2 hours
7. Preheat broiler on hi. Carefully transfer tender ribs to a broiler pan. Set aside.
8. Pour sauce and drippings from slow cooker through a sieve into a medium sauce pan. Skim of fat.
9. Heat on high until boiling, reduce heat to medium/medium-high and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick and syrupy.
10. Brush sauce on ribs and place under broiler for 10 minutes or until caramelized. Pull out 2-3 times during cooking and baste with more sauce. Serve with more sauce on the side.

Not quite barbecue because there's no grill/smoke flavor, but really tasty with a carmelized crust.

[mobygrape]

would a surge protector help here? Or are you talking about really short power loss. Which might require a small UPS, but never had this problem, and never used a UPS at home. so kinda talking out my ass... It might help if you're really counting on the cooker to run.

[Tye 1on]

would a surge protector help here? Or are you talking about really short power loss. Which might require a small UPS, but never had this problem, and never used a UPS at home. so kinda talking out my ass... It might help if you're really counting on the cooker to run.

ya, would be a UPS, or a new crock pot that has an old-school manual switch instead of the electronic version...Note to self, buy next crock pot at thrift store, not new...

[mobygrape]

old-school manual switch instead of the electronic version

ah, yeah. I also have a new electronic w/ a timer and all. never thought of coming home to a cold meal. That could really put a damper on a day on the slope.

[mobygrape]

This one was pretty good last night
chicken taco soup

optional: fry up a bunch of garlic, onions + peppers, brown some chicken.
You could just throw it in the pot if you're lazy.
add a can of black and kidney beans.
small can tomato sauce
big can diced tomatoes
a bit of chicken broth
a packet of taco seasoning, or make you own with garlic powder, chili, cumin, etc.
cook several hrs.
pull chicken out and shred it, and add some frozen corn w/ 2 hours left.
serve w/ shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, warmed corn tortillas.

awesome

[Pegleg]

Rest of your post was spot-on, but wonder a bit about this one:



I get this is the traditional wisdom, but have you done a 'browned vs unbrowned' taste test? Just curious. I'm sure the browned is delicious as fuck [DAF, you heard it here first folks] but is it really any better than just carefully crocked?

I have, actually. I make the same chili recipe several times a winter (using cubes of chuck or brisket), and have done it both browned and unbrowned based on time limitations, as well as on the stovetop. For some reason, it's just better on the stovetop than in a slow cooker - not sure why. But of the slow cooker versions, the salted and browned meat version is better. The meat is better seasoned (especially if you salt it and let it sit for a half hour before browning it - the salt really gets into the meat) and the browning adds a layer of depth, savoriness, umami, whatever you want to call it to the whole dish. Makes it taste deep and meaty. Sometimes slow cooked meat can have kind of a blandness, like the meat was steamed - if you brown it really well beforehand, it just tastes meaty. It's still good without the browning step, but it only takes a few minutes and definitely adds something to the party.

I read something recently saying that the best way to brown meat for a chili/stew is to only brown one side of it really well. The idea is that you want the flavors from the browning, but you don't want to overcook the meat and make it tough. By browning only one side, but getting it very dark, you get the flavor but avoid overcooking the meat. Brilliant.

[Pegleg]

and, on a different note, anybody get fucked by power bumps resetting the crockpot while you're gone? Happened to me tonight, pissed me off, could tell as soon as I walked in that the beef rib recipe was NOT firing off as planned. Anybody running a small battery backup to just their crockpot? [overkill, ya maybe, but fuckkkkk....]

This happened when I made Rick Bayless's cochinita pibil recipe from this thread. Came home and the slow cooker was off - power blip had reset it. No idea how long it had been cooling off; it was still kinda warm but not very. Probably not safe to eat at that point, but fuck it, I finished it on the stove and ate it. It did not kill me. I wonder if a standard office UPS would work to keep it going long enough to cover a small power failure (a few minutes, say)? I don't know how much power a crock pot draws.

[Danno]

I have pork shoulders defrosting in the fridge, but don't know what to make. Searching...

[Danno]

ooh, filipino pork!

[mobygrape]

I wonder if a standard office UPS would work to keep it going long enough to cover a small power failure (a few minutes, say)?

Generally, yeah, an office type of UPS should have an hour or more of power with multiple devices plugged in, depending on how much draw.

If it's just a crock pot, it should have enough draw for a few hours, depending on the model.
My experience is more with datacenter-scale models, which are a whole nother ball of wax...

[whipski]

Pork pintos and potatoes

[LightRanger]

Cooking this right now:

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
5 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, thawed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
3/4 cup medium pearl barley

Directions

In a large skillet, brown beef and onion in oil until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add water, tomato sauce, carrots, celery, salt, oregano, paprika and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add the beans, corn and barley; cover and cook on low 2 hours longer or until barley, beef and vegetables are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Originally published as Beef Barley Stew in Taste of Home August/September 1998, p39

Will report back later this evening.

[milton]

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...my-chili/page2

I posted a pretty good recipe in this thread.

Made this a couple weeks ago, SOLID chili. Currently thawing out the second 1/2 of it to eat this week.

My crockpot overfloweth...

2 tbs veggie cooking oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 0.5 inch cubes
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbs ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85% (85% is important!) lean ground beef
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can diced tomatos
1 28 oz can pureed tomatos
1/2 tsp salt
1 package bacon
2 limes, cut into wedges (as garnish)


The directions called for doing it in a dutch oven. They also said not to use the entire package of bacon. Pussies. I modified it for a crock pot.

Brown the bacon up in a large skillet. Dump the excess grease and set the bacon aside. Then start browning the beef, with all the spices (except the salt), and the onions, in the bacony large skillet. It may take two loads. Dump everything else in the crock pot (not the lime garnish, you jackass). Dump meat, onion, and spice contents in the crock pot, too. Let it bubble away for a sufficiently long crockpot time (such as overnight).

Sirshred, you ever win that chili contest or what?

[Tippster]

No chile peppers in a chili recipe?

Lose the Cayenne & Chili Powder, go to grocery store, buy packages of dried New Mexico and Ancho peppers. Toast whole dried peppers in cast iron pan you're using (skillet) until fragrant and slightly darker. Pull off stems, tear into pieces, seeding as you go, and place in bowl to soak in hot water for 30 minutes. Place rehydrated peppers in blender along with 1 cup of soaking liquid. Blend that shit into a puree and add to your recipe -- so much tastier than powder.

Throw some Serranos or Chipotles into the mix if you want it hotter.

[abraham]

The seed removal is unnecessary most of the time, unless you are really white. Does it do anything flavor wise?

[Dantheman]

I have pork shoulders defrosting in the fridge, but don't know what to make. Searching...

Season the shoulder with salt, pepper and some paprika. Brown well on all sides. Saute two sliced onions and 4-6 garlic cloves until browned and softened. Add two cans of rinsed sauerkraut, then return the shoulder to the pot and surround with the kraut/onion mixture. Add quarterd red potatoes. Cook on low 4 hours.

[Dantheman]

The seed removal is unnecessary most of the time, unless you are really white. Does it do anything flavor wise?

They're pretty bitter in a puree. They come out of dried chiles pretty easy, it's a worthwhile step IMO.

[TBS]

The seed removal is unnecessary most of the time, unless you are really white. Does it do anything flavor wise?

Uhhh, its the white boys who seem to think chiles should be face-melting hot. Latinos almost always remove the seeds from dried chiles, and remove the inner glands from fresh chiles as well. As DTM said, the seeds are pretty bitter when puréed. Removing the seeds and glands also removes most of the capsicum so you can taste the fruit.

[Cayuse]

So easy Cayusette can do it but oh so tasty...

From a friend, just tried it and it was good, very moist and flavorful but needs to be spiced up a bit.

Mississippi Roast
3-4 pound chuck roast or other flat cut roast
1 package powdered ranch dressing
1 package au jus mix
6 pepperoncinis
1 cube butter

Coat roast in ranch. Add rest of ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Add some corn starch to the juice to make a gravy.

Don't add any water, there will be plenty of liquid.

Next time might use jalepeno or something to add a little more kick but then Mrs. Cayuse and Cayusette will probably complain.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using TGR Forums

[~mikey b]

Always trying to find recipes my wife wants to cook. She'll eat anything I make, but she's not a very adventurous cook.

But why all the powdered crap?

[Tippster]

The seed removal is unnecessary most of the time, unless you are really white. Does it do anything flavor wise?

They're pretty bitter in a puree. They come out of dried chiles pretty easy, it's a worthwhile step IMO.

What Dan said.

[LightRanger]

Cooking this right now:



Will report back later this evening.

Speaking of chiles. I added four fresh jalapenos, thin slices with seeds, at the four hour mark for my beef barley stew. Figured it would help spice it up. Came out way too spicy. Actually went through the whole pot and fished the chiles out at the end, which seemed to help. Good otherwise, but it was overpowering at first.

[~mikey b]

About 3 too many.

Anyone want some home canned jalapeño peppers? I've got a few extra jars.