Crockpot basics
So, you have acquired a crockpot and you wish to use it DS style. Very good :-).
There are MANY crockpot cookbooks that have fancy assed recipes. You don't need them because the fancy assed stuff generally involves carby **** The secret to cooking a yummy hunk-o-meat in the pot is so simple you should kick yourself for ever being afraid.
Here's the secret:
1. Hunk-o-meat
2. Bit-moisture
3. Seasonings
4. Time
Dang. FOUR STEPS? Not even a whole hand's worth of fingers? WOW.
Okay. I shall give you Four-Step-Directions for beef, pork, chicken and mutton. You can DO THIS. And you will never again have an excuse to whine about not enough protein, yes?
Okay.
1. BEEF
Hunk-o-meat = grab the cheapest boneless piece of beef you find at the store, around two pounds' worth. Likely to be pot roast or something similar. It should be nice and red and have a use-by date not longer than 48 hours beyond purchase. Take it home, keeping it cold along the way, unwrap it and throw the wrapping bits away. If you want a bit of color and thickening, sprinkle a little flour on all sides and press it in, shaking off anything that doesn't stick. Totally unecessary, but hey, if you want it.....
2. MOISTURE
Throw hunk-o-beef in the crockpot. Choose some veggies, in particular onions, carrots, celery or any other strongly flavored solid veggie you love. Whack 'em up and throw 'em in till crockpot is full.
THEN throw in a can of: tomatoes OR broth OR mushrooms OR a bottle of beer OR a cup of red wine OR some water OR a can of cream-o-crap soup.
3 SEASONINGS
ADD seasonings of choice. If you don't know how to do seasonings of choice, throw in a package of onion soup mix or a tablespoon or two of some seasoning mix that's labeled as good for beef.
If you want to grow your herb cupboard, add: two whole bay leaves, a couple teaspoons of dried Italian style seasonings, a major spoonful of refigerated chopped garlic and several turns of freshly ground black pepper.
4. TIME
Put on the lid, turn on the crockpot and ignore the beast for at least eight hours. Pull out hunk-o-meat and slice, dice or shred. If it's less than fall apart cooked and tender, cook it longer. Serve with sides of choice.
There are MANY crockpot cookbooks that have fancy assed recipes. You don't need them because the fancy assed stuff generally involves carby **** The secret to cooking a yummy hunk-o-meat in the pot is so simple you should kick yourself for ever being afraid.
Here's the secret:
1. Hunk-o-meat
2. Bit-moisture
3. Seasonings
4. Time
Dang. FOUR STEPS? Not even a whole hand's worth of fingers? WOW.
Okay. I shall give you Four-Step-Directions for beef, pork, chicken and mutton. You can DO THIS. And you will never again have an excuse to whine about not enough protein, yes?
Okay.
1. BEEF
Hunk-o-meat = grab the cheapest boneless piece of beef you find at the store, around two pounds' worth. Likely to be pot roast or something similar. It should be nice and red and have a use-by date not longer than 48 hours beyond purchase. Take it home, keeping it cold along the way, unwrap it and throw the wrapping bits away. If you want a bit of color and thickening, sprinkle a little flour on all sides and press it in, shaking off anything that doesn't stick. Totally unecessary, but hey, if you want it.....
2. MOISTURE
Throw hunk-o-beef in the crockpot. Choose some veggies, in particular onions, carrots, celery or any other strongly flavored solid veggie you love. Whack 'em up and throw 'em in till crockpot is full.
THEN throw in a can of: tomatoes OR broth OR mushrooms OR a bottle of beer OR a cup of red wine OR some water OR a can of cream-o-crap soup.
3 SEASONINGS
ADD seasonings of choice. If you don't know how to do seasonings of choice, throw in a package of onion soup mix or a tablespoon or two of some seasoning mix that's labeled as good for beef.
If you want to grow your herb cupboard, add: two whole bay leaves, a couple teaspoons of dried Italian style seasonings, a major spoonful of refigerated chopped garlic and several turns of freshly ground black pepper.
4. TIME
Put on the lid, turn on the crockpot and ignore the beast for at least eight hours. Pull out hunk-o-meat and slice, dice or shred. If it's less than fall apart cooked and tender, cook it longer. Serve with sides of choice.
PORK:
1. Hunk-o-meat: Boneless pork loin, as roast or chops. Put them in the pot fat side down.
2. MOISTURE: Slice up enough onions to fill the pot with meat in it. Add onions. Then throw a glob of butter, size your choice (I use a whole stick to three pounds of meat) on top.
3. SEASONINGS: Of choice. Simplest version is salt, pepper and garlic. Yum yum
4. TIME: Turn on the pot and ignore for at least eight hours. Slice, shred or dice meat. Dang that was hard.
1. Hunk-o-meat: Boneless pork loin, as roast or chops. Put them in the pot fat side down.
2. MOISTURE: Slice up enough onions to fill the pot with meat in it. Add onions. Then throw a glob of butter, size your choice (I use a whole stick to three pounds of meat) on top.
3. SEASONINGS: Of choice. Simplest version is salt, pepper and garlic. Yum yum
4. TIME: Turn on the pot and ignore for at least eight hours. Slice, shred or dice meat. Dang that was hard.
OH YES. Hunk o pork, onions to fill the pot and can/bottle of rootbeer or coke. YUM YUM YUM. Doesn't matter what hunk o pork, bone in or boneless. LOVELINESS. Better yet, throw in some hot pepperiness of choice along with onions and soda.
Don't have a crockpot? Don't have Goodwill from which to obtain crockpot for cheapo? No problem! Put hunk o pork etc. in pan you can tightly close with lid or layer or two of foil. Put in oven. Turn on to 325 and go away all day. Same result.
Don't have a crockpot? Don't have Goodwill from which to obtain crockpot for cheapo? No problem! Put hunk o pork etc. in pan you can tightly close with lid or layer or two of foil. Put in oven. Turn on to 325 and go away all day. Same result.
CHICKEN:
1. Hunk-o-meat: Get you a whole fryer bird, thaw him out, remove his bagged gizzards and throw him in the pot. If you forget his bagged gizzards that's okay, they are disgusting but bagged and not poisonous.
2. MOISTURE: Get a nice package of fresh mushrooms. Brush all the dark bits off and whack them in half and throw them in. Then slice a couple onions and throw them in. Then throw in about a cup of white wine or light beer.
3. SEASONINGS: There is a mixture called poultry seasoning. Get this and throw in a tablespoon or so. Otherwise use salt, pepper, garlic and sage. Meh. Get the mix and make it simple.
4. TIME: Ignore the beast for at least eight hours. (Notice a theme here?) Pull out the bird and remove skin and bones that stick out at you. Remind all who eat to pay attention to potential skin and bones.
Hate skin/bones potential? Use skinless boneless breasts or thighs. Easy peasy.
1. Hunk-o-meat: Get you a whole fryer bird, thaw him out, remove his bagged gizzards and throw him in the pot. If you forget his bagged gizzards that's okay, they are disgusting but bagged and not poisonous.
2. MOISTURE: Get a nice package of fresh mushrooms. Brush all the dark bits off and whack them in half and throw them in. Then slice a couple onions and throw them in. Then throw in about a cup of white wine or light beer.
3. SEASONINGS: There is a mixture called poultry seasoning. Get this and throw in a tablespoon or so. Otherwise use salt, pepper, garlic and sage. Meh. Get the mix and make it simple.
4. TIME: Ignore the beast for at least eight hours. (Notice a theme here?) Pull out the bird and remove skin and bones that stick out at you. Remind all who eat to pay attention to potential skin and bones.
Hate skin/bones potential? Use skinless boneless breasts or thighs. Easy peasy.
LAMB or MUTTON:
1. HUNK O MEAT: Go get one. I hate mutton, but if you love it be my guest. I still know how to cook it. Rinse it, dry it and throw it in the pot.
2. MOISTURE: Stick o butter and a cup of yellow beer of white wine.
3. SEASONINGS: Mega garlic, rosemary or thyme, salt and pepper. Very simple, don't complicate it.
4. TIME: Ignore the pot for eight hours minimum. Pull out the meat and serve it with mint jelly and yummy side dishes. This bone-in hunk-o-meat LOVES the crock pot.
1. HUNK O MEAT: Go get one. I hate mutton, but if you love it be my guest. I still know how to cook it. Rinse it, dry it and throw it in the pot.
2. MOISTURE: Stick o butter and a cup of yellow beer of white wine.
3. SEASONINGS: Mega garlic, rosemary or thyme, salt and pepper. Very simple, don't complicate it.
4. TIME: Ignore the pot for eight hours minimum. Pull out the meat and serve it with mint jelly and yummy side dishes. This bone-in hunk-o-meat LOVES the crock pot.
Samaro ..
on 9/2/10 6:04 am
on 9/2/10 6:04 am
Let me make this even easier for those unfamiliar with the wonders of crock pot cooking. Buy a package of Reynold's Crock pot Liners to line your crock pot. When you are finished cooking you simply remove your food from the liner and toss the liner in the trash. That's it for crock pot clean up.
A girl after my own heart. Or pouch. Or something.
I got a slow cooker at a garage sale for .50. It's more loaf shaped and it pops into the dishwasher.
McCormick makes some "rast 'n bag" thingies that are good for rookies. Cook in the bag as directed or ditch the bag and proceeded with directions above, but they've given you the seasonings.
Don't know anything about seasonings? A wise woman told me when I was a young bride of 19 or so. Flip thru the cookbook and write down the seasonings you see the most often in recipes that look interesting. Buy one seasoning per payday.
Wow, was that ever invaluable. By the time I dared actually COOK something (this was before crock pots, BTW - lol) I had the basic group of seasonings
She had a WALL of them, but she was a retired teacher, so she'd had a lot of time to collect and perfect.
Eventually I grew quite a few. Can't do that now, of course, but Generally, I cook much as she has listed.
One easier one (got off the radio! lol)
1 chicken
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
1 hour
My variation is 6-8 hrs. I can do this with my coat on and keys in my hand on my way out the door. Smells like I worked all day on it.
I got a slow cooker at a garage sale for .50. It's more loaf shaped and it pops into the dishwasher.
McCormick makes some "rast 'n bag" thingies that are good for rookies. Cook in the bag as directed or ditch the bag and proceeded with directions above, but they've given you the seasonings.
Don't know anything about seasonings? A wise woman told me when I was a young bride of 19 or so. Flip thru the cookbook and write down the seasonings you see the most often in recipes that look interesting. Buy one seasoning per payday.
Wow, was that ever invaluable. By the time I dared actually COOK something (this was before crock pots, BTW - lol) I had the basic group of seasonings
She had a WALL of them, but she was a retired teacher, so she'd had a lot of time to collect and perfect.
Eventually I grew quite a few. Can't do that now, of course, but Generally, I cook much as she has listed.
One easier one (got off the radio! lol)
1 chicken
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
1 hour
My variation is 6-8 hrs. I can do this with my coat on and keys in my hand on my way out the door. Smells like I worked all day on it.
Michelle
RNY, distal, 10/5/94
P.S. My year + long absence has NOTHING to do with my WLS, or my type of WLS. See my profile.
DANG, fifty cent crockpot???? I knew I loved you!!! Got a bread maker like that, which now no longer appeals to me much to my annoyance. Cost two bucks I think.
Yeah, this is another mega simple way to make MEAT. Hunk, bottle, end of story. Variations are as endless as what you can fit in either category.
Yeah, this is another mega simple way to make MEAT. Hunk, bottle, end of story. Variations are as endless as what you can fit in either category.
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