Anyone Crockpot?

[Brandon]

just picked one up. haven't really looked up recipes, but vaguely remember some of the stuff we ate as a kid.

any recipes, ideas, favorite meals, tips, advice? 

[Rico]

Straight up pork roast and favorite seasoning is all you need to make a good meal.

[Jay]

We use crockpots to keep things warm mostly, when we are having a party or if we have to go to a pot luck type party. Crockpots are really good for that.

I don't usually cook anything in them. They say you just throw your ingredients into the crockpot and then 10 hours later or whatever, it's done.

Here's a typical crock pot recipe for beef chuck roast:

http://www.crock-pot.com/slowcooker-recipe?search=true&rid=3014

Quote

Heat oil in large skillet, medium to high. Salt and pepper well, Dredge in flour. Sear on all sides until browned. Put in Crock-Pot®.

You still have to brown your meat in a separate pan before you put it into the crockpot, and who wants to brown a beef chuck roast at 6 in the morning, then clean the kitchen before leaving for work?

Maybe with beef stew you can skip the browning step but I always brown the meat.

As far as soups, there's no reason to use a crockpot on soups, most soups are done cooking in an hour or two...

 

[red321]

Really easy to end up with dry meat when using the crockpot...seems the opposite of what you would expect...but true. Especially chicken. We actually don't use our crock pot a bunch anymore and have been moving to an instapot pressure cooker.

One of the easiest recipes is take a pork shoulder or butt. I prefer bone in. This is "carnitas" style.

Make deep thin slits in to the pork, add whole cloves of garlic. Various depths and throughout...I usually use 6-10 depending on the size. Season outside with oregano, salt and pepper, or a Mexican style seasoning of your choice. No need to go overboard with 20 different spices.

Cut up a large onion into thin rings. Line the bottom of the crockpot with half. Open a Large can of whole Ortega Chiles (28 oz can). Line the bottom with half the chiles. Eat one of the chiles, because even if they are canned, they are good.

Put in seasoned pork. Drop in a few bay leaves if you want. Cover with the remaining onions and chiles.

You do not need to add any liquid. The cooking pork will create it's own liquid.

Cook 6-8 hours. If I'm in the 6 hour range I usually start on high and then turn to low for the last half. If I'm cooking it 8-10 I usually just cook it on low.

When it's done it will fall off the bone. If you want you can toss the shredded pork pieces in the broiler or in the cast iron to add a quick char.

 

[Stradling]

My wife asked for a crock pot for Christmas (one of the kids is getting it for her so I know nothing about it).  The one she wants has the ability to sear the meat, so it would take away the browning step that someone brought up.  

Outside of cooking a couple million burgers in my life, I know next to nothing about cooking.  Wouldn't a crock pot be pretty similar to a Dutch oven, except it sits on the counter and gets plugged in versus going into the oven?  

[NJHalo]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

My wife asked for a crock pot for Christmas (one of the kids is getting it for her so I know nothing about it).  The one she wants has the ability to sear the meat, so it would take away the browning step that someone brought up.  

Outside of cooking a couple million burgers in my life, I know next to nothing about cooking.  Wouldn't a crock pot be pretty similar to a Dutch oven, except it sits on the counter and gets plugged in versus going into the oven?  

LOL. I just picked one up for my wife for Christmas. (See Christmas shopping thread) Not much creativity involved there since she killed the old one last week.

She uses it once or twice a month at most. I do love the way it cooks the corned beef and cabbage and potatoes all together on St. Patricks Day. She makes a great Beef Barley Soup.

[OCAngelsNotLAA]

The best is meatballs!  Any time I need to bring a dish to an event I bring meatballs. Directiontions; Fill with frozen meatballs, add one bottle BBQ sauce, and cook for 4-6 hours.  Grab a box of toothpicks and you are set.  I always get a ton of complements on them too.

[arch stanton]

I like to do red beans with smoked ham hocks in mine. That and green chili are my main uses.

[Adam]

Best for pork shoulder as others mentioned. Season it. Use a sauce - BBQ or green enchilada are my general go tos

[Homebrewer]

Pork shoulder is right. Did one last night with carrots red potatoes celery onion garlic and cabbage. Trick I've found are the vegetables and not overcooking to keep the meat from drying out. Cooking on low, also NOT adding water (letting the meat cook in it's own juices) improves flavor and texture greatly. I often do pork with green chilies garlic and onions for tacos and burritos. 

Another one I like is beef tongue in chilies and a dark beer.

[Jay]

1 hour ago, NJHalo said:

LOL. I just picked one up for my wife for Christmas. (See Christmas shopping thread) Not much creativity involved there since she killed the old one last week.

I make it a rule to never buy a kitchen utensil as a gift for my wife. I learned this by watching my father.

 

[Jay]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

My wife asked for a crock pot for Christmas (one of the kids is getting it for her so I know nothing about it).  The one she wants has the ability to sear the meat, so it would take away the browning step that someone brought up.  

Outside of cooking a couple million burgers in my life, I know next to nothing about cooking.  Wouldn't a crock pot be pretty similar to a Dutch oven, except it sits on the counter and gets plugged in versus going into the oven?  

A Dutch oven would be similar, except the Dutch oven sits on the stove, and you can brown the meat, then cook it, in the same pot. The idea is the same: cook low and slow. The crock pot takes this to the extreme with the idea that it's more convenient to cook during the day while you are out of the house.

 

[Tank]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

We use crockpots to keep things warm mostly, when we are having a party or if we have to go to a pot luck type party. Crockpots are really good for that.

I don't usually cook anything in them. 

 

Same here.

[red321]

How does Tofu work in the crockpot Tank?

[mrwicked]

hell yeah. slow cooking is the sh*t. just throw stuff in there, turn it on, and when you get home from work you have meals for days.

carnitas baby. make sure to get quality pork. and always char a little in oven/broiler after slow cooking.

or coq au vin.

just get a slow cooker cookbook.

[BaseballMom]

I am going to make Crock pot french toast for Christmas morning.  I use mine for the usual...pulled pork, stew, roast beef, beans and ham etc.

I made my Thanksgiving stuffing in one this year and it came out great.  

[NJHalo]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

A Dutch oven would be similar, except the Dutch oven sits on the stove, and you can brown the meat, then cook it, in the same pot. The idea is the same: cook low and slow. The crock pot takes this to the extreme with the idea that it's more convenient to cook during the day while you are out of the house.

 

I still remember cracking up the first time someone told me the alternative meaning for a Dutch Oven.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dutch oven

[HaloMilliVanilli]

I cracked up at the sentence urban dictionary gives as an example.  Ha!  Poor Dave, his wife sounds rank!

[Brandon]

good stuff.

yeah, i'm the same as the meatball post. someone asked us to bring them for a potluck so we bought it just for that. figured i might as well use it and experiment.

i'm more worried about the time aspect since i'm at work about 8-10 hours. i don't want to come home to some dried out meat. i need to find something in the 8 hour cooking range. prep at night and let it rip in the morning and leave for work.

[Tank]

2 hours ago, red321 said:

How does Tofu work in the crockpot Tank?

never tried it.

we don't eat as much tofu as some here might imagine. we eat a whole lot more soy protein for our meat substitute, though i don't eat nearly as much since my surgery last summer.

[Homebrewer]

14 minutes ago, Taggart said:

good stuff.

yeah, i'm the same as the meatball post. someone asked us to bring them for a potluck so we bought it just for that. figured i might as well use it and experiment.

i'm more worried about the time aspect since i'm at work about 8-10 hours. i don't want to come home to some dried out meat. i need to find something in the 8 hour cooking range. prep at night and let it rip in the morning and leave for work.

A timer works. I'll put the crockpot in the fridge all ready to go, overnight...the take it out before I leave in the morning and set the timer to come on at 10 or so...everything stays plenty cold in the crockpot until it turns on..and then things are not overcooked.

Also crockpots vary greatly in temperature from brand to brand..every time I get a new one, there's a learning curve to figure out how long things take .

[Homebrewer]

Anyone done split pea soup? I have a large ham hock with lots of meat in the freezer from Thanksgiving. Was thinking of making split pea soup in the crockpot

[Jay]

I make split pea soup all the time but I use the conventional (stovetop) method.

 

[NJHalo]

1 hour ago, Homebrewer said:

Anyone done split pea soup? I have a large ham hock with lots of meat in the freezer from Thanksgiving. Was thinking of making split pea soup in the crockpot

My wife makes it all the time in the crock pot and it comes great

[Rico]

For parties we fill the crockpot with nacho cheese and buy a big bag of tortilla chips so guests can make their own nachos.  Makes a good appetizer.