Slow Cooker Tips and Tricks

I've had a few friends post lately that they're dusting-off their slow cookers and they're either

looking for recipes or dissatisfied with the outcome of the first recipes they've tried.  Since I've been around the block a few times with my own slow cooker, I thought I'd do a post with some do's and don't's based on hard food science and personal experience (and a whole lot of trial and error).

Tip #1 - Choose the Right Cooker
You'd think all slow cookers are created the same, but that's not the case.  The original Crockpot brand cooker your mother had was probably a simple heating element underneath a permanently fixed ceramic crock with a dial that had three settings: Low, High, and Off.  Also, it was probably no larger than 5 quarts.

Today's high-end cookers are upwards of 7 quarts and made of all kinds of materials.  Many have fancy computerized controls and timers, probe thermometers, removable pots (for easier cleaning), and non-ceramic ones often have "browning" settings or can convert to a fast-cooking electric stew pot.

My recommendations are middle-of-the-road.  You want a cooker that heats evenly since you're after a "low and slow" cooking method.  This means you should look for a ceramic crock, not a metal insert.  A timer with an automatic "keep warm" setting is nice since you probably want to be away from the house as it cooks and having it slow-down the cooking before you arrive home is usually a must with today's work schedules.  You won't usually find a browning setting on a ceramic model (ceramic will crack if heated fast), so that usually knocks that feature out of the running, but it's a reasonable price to pay for more even cooking.  I'd rather have a pot that does one job well rather than multiple jobs in a mediocre fashion.  Here's how I chose my favorite cooker.

Tip #2 - Choose the Right Recipes
We've all seen those quick 1-minute "dump, stir, cook, voila!" videos that float all over social media.  It looks so quick and easy and the results are usually gorgeous and look delicious.  Ever tried to make those recipes?  They usually end-up as a muddy-colored, dull-flavored mess on a plate.  They're also usually not as easy as they look because they leave out footage of all the chopping and prep work.

In order to understand what recipes work best, you need to understand what a slow cooker is designed for.  Slow cookers were designed to mimic the behavior of bean pots and dutch ovens, which sit over low heat or in a low oven (200 degrees or so) for long periods of time (4 to 8 hours).  Many foods don't stand-up well to that long of a cooking time like lean meats (fish, chicken breast, lean beef, pork tenderloin and loin, etc.).  Contrary to popular belief, they will dry out even if submerged in a flavorful liquid.  If you're going to cook lean meat in a slow cooker, be sure your recipe makes a nice gravy or sauce to re-moisten the meat at the table.

Slow cookers are best at braising and the best cuts of meat for slow braising have fat, marbling, or protective skin coatings.  Things like chuck roasts, pork butt (aka "Boston Butt), pork shoulder, chuck stew meat, whole chickens, chicken or turkey thighs and legs, and so on.  They contain natural fat, collagen, and connective tissue that will break-down and improve in texture and flavor with a long, low, slow cooking.  Hearty soups, stews, and chili are other excellent candidates.

Tip #3 - Maximize Flavor
One thing about long slow cooking is that all of the flavors in the dish will muddle together into a uniform, kind of flat taste.  It'll be savory, but lack dimension and one strong ingredient, like onions or garlic, may take-over the dish.  You can work around this in a variety of ways.

First of all, season your dish well upfront.  Use plenty of salt and pepper.  Add flavorful liquids like chicken stock or wine instead of water.  And make sure you include aromatic vegetables (celery, onion, carrot, garlic) and herbs and spices.  Depending on what you're making, you may want to use sacrificial aromatic veggies that will be removed or puree'd into a sauce and add fresh veggies close to the end of cooking to be eaten whole.

Second of all, adjust seasonings or make a sauce towards the end of cooking.  You may want to pour off the liquid, strain it, and make a simple gravy on the stove.  You may want to puree the softened vegetables into a sauce and add some cream.  Or maybe it needs a tablespoon of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon.  It may also need more salt and pepper or fresh herbs.

Thirdly, consider browning meat in a skillet before cooking.  Contrary to popular belief, browning does not "seal in juices," but it does create flavor, texture, and color.  If your schedule doesn't permit browning in the morning, meat can be browned the night before and all other ingredients measured and prepped and then stored in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, it becomes a dump-and-stir operation.

Lastly, bloom your spices and sweat your vegetables.  Place the aromatics (onions, celery, etc) and any dry spices into a bowl, coat with a little oil, and microwave until the vegetables begin to soften.  This does two things.  First, it cooks some of the sulfuric bite out of the onions and brings out the sweetness.  Without pre-cooking, onions can take over a pot of soup and make it acrid and inedible.  Secondly, it blooms the spices.  Most spices in your cabinet are oil soluble, meaning their flavor carries best in oil, not water.  Cooking them for a short time in oil brings out their best flavor.

Tip #4 - No Peeking!
Slow cookers cook best when a small head of steam builds-up inside the pot, which creates slightly increased pressure (similar to a pressure cooker, but not nearly as powerful).  Every time you open the pot, you're releasing that steam and it has to build-up again, which will add to the cooking time.  Open the pot as infrequently as possible.

Tip #5 - Size Your Recipe or Pot Correctly
Slow cookers are designed to work best when the pot is half to 2/3 full.  This is because the pot needs area for a head of steam to build-up and help with the cooking.  If you overfill the pot, there won't be enough extra room.  If you under-fill the pot, it'll take too long to recover when the lid is opened.  Also less of the food will be in contact with the heated sides of the pot.  You also may lose the cooking water and scorch the bottom of your meal.  If you're going to be cooking for 2 people on a regular basis and want to make smaller recipes, consider buying a smaller cooker or having two sizes.

Tip #6 - Spray the Crock
I have a cooker with a dark-colored crock and every time I'd cook something, I'd end up with "ring around the crock," a white haze that lines-up with water line of the cooked food that was impossible to scrub off, even when soaked in vinegar.  I believe this is a mineral residue, from hard water, chicken bones, etc.  If you spray your crock with cooking spray prior to adding the food, this will never happen.  Even if you're doing a soup that's all liquid, still spray the pot.  Your scrubbing arm will thank you later.

Tip #7 - The Amount of Liquid Matters
Slow cookers actually don't need a lot of water to cook.  An inch or so is plenty for large cuts of meat.  One of my favorite recipes is a chicken cooked in a slow cooker where you add the chicken dry, season it, place a few veggies around it, then start cooking.  The chicken releases just enough juice to do the cooking and makes a really concentrated flavorful gravy for serving with it.

Here are a few of my Favorite Recipes that work in a Slow Cooker:

• Halloween Pork Stew
• French Chicken in a Pot - Skip browning step, cook for 8 hours on low.
• Chili
• Beans
• All Day Red Sauce - Use your favorite recipe.
• Meatballs in Red Sauce 
• Overnight Breakfast Casserole
  
• Braised Pork Short Ribs
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Steel-Cut Oats
• Apple Butter

Here are some great Slow Cooker Resources:

• FoodInJars.com - Great recipes for Slow Cooker Fruit Butters
• Slow Cooker Revolution - By America's Test Kitchen
• Slow Food Fast - By Bob Warden
• Serious Eats
• Hamilton Beach Set 'N Forget Programmable Slow Cooker - My Favorite
• 365 Days of Slow Cooking Blog
• A Year of Slow Cooking - By Stephanie O'Dea

Another Good Reason to Eat More Local/Organic/Home-Grown/Etc.

Most of the time, I don't push a specific position on most of the "earthy crunchy" movement in food (as I like to call it).  I think that you need to do the research, watch the documentaries, talk to your local farmers, and make your own choices for you and your family.  Generally speaking, I do believe that our food supply has become more factory-oriented and that we're doing ourselves and our bodies a disservice by continuing to support such practices.

At the same time, I understand the cost-prohibitive nature of eating locally or choosing organic over conventionally grown foods--even for middle-class folks like myself.  I realize that many families don't have the financial luxury to shop at places like Whole Foods, local markets, or even the higher-priced farmer's markets.  The fact is, our cost of living and our paychecks are calculated on the 99 cent per pound chicken as opposed to the $5.49 per pound chicken.

My personal beliefs on the subject aside, I think that once you've done the research and ironed-out your position, you can achieve some of your goals.  Even if we only swap-out 30% of the food we eat with something that is better or something that advocates for the better, we're doing ourselves and the industry a service--by "voting with our forks," as they say.

This morning, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Unearthing this Life and Jennifer posted this article about a recent study involving the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables we eat and how that has changed over the years as farming becomes less about agriculture and more about manufacturing food faster and with fewer resources.  In a nutshell, the study found that the less time the food is spending on the plant, the less time it has to absorb nutrients and minerals that our bodies get from eating it.  It's really that simple and, if you think about it, it just makes sense.

I'm not saying we should all go out tomorrow and buy nothing but organic produce and pay the premium for it.  However, if you can swing by a farm stand on your way home or visit the farmer's market this weekend or even support your local non-chain grocer (who, in turn, can order better products for you if they are well supported and have the cash flow to do so), you're doing your part to say, "Yes, I want 130 mg of calcium in my broccoli instead of 48 mg."  And, you're doing your body some good...

Greek-Style Yogurt...On the Cheap

Greek-style yogurt is all the rage as of late. And why shouldn't it be, for all it's extra-creamy goodness?  What I don't like, though, is its premium price tag and I'll bet you don't either.

The fact of the matter is that there's nothing all that different between Greek Style yogurt and a quality American yogurt except for the fact that it's a little thicker--something achieved by straining out some of the water.  That is, of course, assuming that your choice of Greek yogurt isn't imported from Greece or made from sheep or goats, or something other than a cow.

Here's the awesome part though...you can make your own and save some cash and it does not require any specialized equipment or knowledge akin to cheesemaking.  Here's how you do it.


First, buy yourself a large container of quality yogurt.  If you like organic, by all means, indulge.  If you're partial to store brand, that'll honestly work just fine.  Full-fat will yogurt produce a decadent product akin to whipped sour cream (which I can testify is FAN-Friggin-TASTIC), but low-fat or nonfat is probably a more sensible choice if you're planning to eat this everyday.  Also, if you're into the whole "probioitic" thing, you can look for one with "active yogurt cultures".

(Okay, so the graphic was shamelessly borrowed from Stonyfield because I forgot to take a photo of my container of cheapo store brand.  Hopefully, they won't sue me cause I'm giving them free advertising).


Place a wire mesh strainer over a tall mixing bowl (you need at least 2-3 inches between the bottom of the strainer and the bowl).  You can get a mesh strainer at any discount or big box store for a couple of dollars.  Put a paper towel into the strainer (or two if you buy chintzy thin ones) and dump in all of the yogurt.  Fold the top of the paper towel over the top of the yogurt.

When you're done, it should look like this:

Next step, cover it loosely with some plastic wrap (optional), stick it in the fridge, and walk away.  While it's sitting there, moisture will begin to weep out of the yogurt and into the bowl.  How much depends on how long you leave it in there and how much fat the yogurt had in it.  I've found that nonfat drains much faster...sometimes in as little as 2-3 hours.  Overnight will give you a thick cream-cheese consistency (more on that later).

As you can see, I let this one go a little bit long and I ended-up with a spreadable consistency.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Add some herbs or some honey and walnuts or cranberries and slather it on a bagel.  However, that's not what we're after.  We want Greek yogurt.  See the water in the bottom of the bowl?

If you did what I did and went too far, add some of the water back in a spoonful at a time till it thins to the consistency we're looking for.  Alternatively, add a flavorful liquid like orange juice.

Now, I don't know about you, but I hate plain yogurt and one of the things I like about the Chobani brand of greek yogurt is the "fruit on the bottom".  So let's doctor this up a bit.  First, put your yogurt back into the original container (or if you threw it out like I did, find a suitable container in your kitchen).  Squirt in a couple tablespoons of honey.

If you don't like honey, some maple syrup, corn syrup, or agave nectar would also be appropriate.  Plain sugar won't melt in--if you want that, you'll need to make simple syrup.  Honey is easier.  If you're looking for vanilla yogurt, add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract--and yes, the fake stuff is fine.  Stir well.

In a suitable serving bowl (like the one above), add a tablespoon of your favorite preserves.  Looser preserves work better here than firm ones.  You can loosen store-bought preserves by adding a little water to it and microwaving on low for a minute or so.  After the preserves, pile-on the yogurt.

And voila!  Greek-style yogurt.

And the Price?
Last I checked, a large container of Chobani Greek-style yogurt was $5.99-7.99.  A container of store brand is $2.99-$3.99.  Assuming you're going to lose 1/3 to 1/2 of the contents in water, it works out to maybe $1 to $3 cheaper.  If you compare it to the individual cups, which average $1.29 when not on sale, you're making out like a bandit.  Even at $1 per cup, it's a bargain.

What about the Nutrition?
Nutritionally, you're probably looking at similar to the manufactured stuff.  Here's why...  When you take water out of a product, you're concentrating everything else that was already there.  This means that strained yogurt is going to have more protein, fat, calories, calcium, etc. than a same-sized portion of its American cousin.  The same applies if you make it yourself.  On the other hand, zero concentrates to zero, so nonfat when you start will be nonfat when you're done--keep that in mind when making your choice.

What I like the most is that I know what's going into it because yogurt is yogurt and you can always buy all-natural farmstand jams.  With the prepared cups, not so much.  I'd wager most of them are more akin to pie filling (which wouldn't be such a bad idea from a dessert perspective...maybe even some chunks of graham cracker).

So go ahead and mix yourself up a batch of easy Greek-style yogurt on the cheap and enjoy.

You Are What You Eat - It's Really True

Anyone remember that old PSA on the Saturday morning cartoons that went, "You are what you eat, from your head down to your feet...?"  The more I learn about food, gardening, and cooking and the more I read about research into food, the true I believe that statement is.

I recently ran across this post on the Wild Yeast Blog that talks about the health benefits of sourdough bread.  As a carb-phobic generation, we don't usually associate delicious crusty bread with being healthful.  Instead, we mentally place it into a category with ice cream, candy, and Oreos.  However, sourdough is made through natural fermentation processes--very similar to the processes and involving some of the same beneficial bacteria as active-culture yogurt, wine, and beer.

We've all heard the studies about red wine and its health benefits (a glass a day will keep the doctor away, or something like that).  And you can't watch TV without seeing Jamie Lee Curtis on an Activia commercial.  Apparently, someone recently did a similar study to the wine study in an extremely healthful village in a remote area of Greece and came up with a similar conclusion that sourdough bread can help us lead long and healthful lives (along with 10 other factors including reducing stress).

I love when a seemingly "bad" food like wine, chocolate, or almonds are shown to be healthy through scientific studies.  It shows us that focusing on the latest dietary "fad," be it reduction in saturated fats, cholesterol, refined sugar, or any host of other ingredients, is not nearly important as learning to eat a balanced diet of less-processed, more authentic foods and to and follow an, "everything in moderation," philosophy.

Heck, who wouldn't want to be part of a community where 1 out of every 3 people live past 90?  I know I would.

(Okay, so you caught me.  That's not a sourdough boule shown above--it's a wheat round.  Sorry, but it's all I had available without stealing something from the web.)

Cast Iron: Health Benefits?

Awhile back, I wrote a few posts about some cast iron cookware that I've found in second-hand shops and have been restoring. One of you, my readers, commented that her daughter's doctor recommended cooking in cast iron as a way to get iron into her daughter's diet.

Being the scientific person I am, I was curious if this had any truth to it or if it was just an old wives tale. It didn't make sense to me that a well-seasoned pan would give off that much iron. So, I did some Googling, and here's what I found.

It turns out that cast iron will indeed leach a bit of iron into your food. However, how much iron ends up in your food depends on a combination of how well-seasoned your pan is and what you cook in it.

Seasoning is that shiny black patina that everyone wants their cast iron pans to have. A well-seasoned pan can be as slick as Teflon coated nonstick pans if the pan is well cared for. The seasoning is built-up over time as the oil from the foods you eat chemically bond with the pan surface. In general, the more seasoned your pan, the less actual iron is in contact with the food and the less iron will leach out of the pan into your food while cooking.

The other factor is the food that you cook in the pan. Cast iron reacts with acidic food and will leach into the food much more quickly. That's why most chefs warn against cooking tomato products in uncoated cast iron. The leaching of the iron into acidic foods is so heavy that the foods will have a metallic taste. If you have a really great seasoning on your pan, you can sometimes get away with cooking acidic foods in it. It's not unhealthy to do so. It's simply a matter of personal taste.

So here's the kicker. There are something like only two manufacturers of cast iron cookware left in this country and both only sell "pre-seasoned" pans now. The pre-seasoning process isn't perfect, but it helps you develop a really durable seasoning in your home much faster than if you started with a shiny silver pan. Unfortunatley, since all new pans are seasoned, you're not going to get much leaching of iron into the food.

So the answer is yes, you can use cast iron cookware to get more iron into your diet. However, you're probably not getting anything close to what an iron supplement would give you if your pan is seasoned as it should be.