Slow cooking goodness, or I got a new Crock pot for Xmas

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Well, I got me a brandy new crock pot under the tree this year.

I finally got around to washing it up, and trying it out-- it's running even now.

I decided to go with a tried-and-true on my first go, a pot of beans.

Years ago, I had purchased every kind of dried legume the local market carried, and mixed them all together in a bag, and stashed them in the freezer.

So I had my mixed beans already.

Today, I purchased some yellow onions, fresh garlic, a small pack of bacon and a jar of cherry peppers preserved in vinegar (my "secret ingredient").  Oh, and some fresh cilantro, for color at the end, and a pack of sliced mushrooms, also to add just before the end.

I have already learned that the pepper juice is best added at the end, too-- don't need as much, and it's brighter that way.

Anyway, dump in the dried beans, some long grain brown rice (which cooks up and thickens the whole), and let'em soak for a couple of hours, on low.

Next, coarsely chop the onions, smash & mince the garlic, cut the bacon into squares (more or less-- it cooks up pretty much all the way anyhow, due to being sliced thin), and dump that in, add enough water, and turn to high-- wait for the simmer, then switch back to low.

Salt, plenty of ground pepper to taste. 

At least, that's how I did it using my old "hybrid" pot, which always seemed to leave a burnt-sludge on the bottom, no matter what I did.  (I was careful to not scrape that up when dishing it up)

This new one, though, is taking *much* longer to reach temp (I have a probe in, snuck under the cover, just to see).  I suppose that could be why my old kit burnt the bottom? 

We shall see.   It already is beginning to smell up the house something lovely.   And it's only about 150F...

[Opsa]

Sounds fantastic, Bob. How did they turn out?

[Bluenose]

I love my slow cooker.  I've used it to cook all manner of things from the obvious like soups and stews to roasts and steamed puddings - Christmas pud cooked in the slow cooker is yummo!  One trick I have found is to use egg yolf to thicken the sauce at the end rather than trying to use flour, cornflour or arrowroot.  I find it gives an excellent result and does not have the issue of an uncooked taste to the thickener due to the (relatively) low temperature.  My favourite slow cooked goodness is spicy lamb shanks - they are just to die for.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Well, it cooked all night long, then I got up and had to run for work-- so I stashed the crock into the bottom of the fridge.  Beans always taste better reheated anyhap.   Just before that, I added in the "secret" ingredients, and some more fresh cilantro (for color).

When I got home, it was quite tasty.  I used a wee bit too much rice, so it was more of a casarole or pudding than a soup-- but after 10 hours of cooking, the rice just kind of goes away-- thickens everything quite lovely.

I even got the salt right-- didn't have to add any. 

I like your ideas, Blue.  I'm thinking of making a kind of roast next, one of those el-cheapo rump roasts, some carrots, potatoes, that sort of thing, let it cook overnight again.  I'll continue to use the brown rice for thickener, as I really like rice. 

I need to go to the Whole Foods place, and get some of that lovely wild rice stuff-- kinda pricy, but it has a nice mix of many different, non-domestic rice varieties.  I've used it before.   Some of those grains are actually black in color. 

[Lindorm]

I sometimes make a very slowly braised chinese beef dish that could perhaps be adapted for your slow cooker.

Grab some beef, preferrably some sort of tougher and more flavourful cut that stands well up to longer cooking temperatures. Cut into large dice and brown all over, then transfer to the boiling pot.

In the same frying pan or wok, add a splash more of oil if necessary and an absolutely unbelievable amount of garlic cloves, peeled but whole. I'd use about four to six whole heads of garlic, maybe eight if they are small. Lightly fry them until they start turning translucent on the edges, then transfer to the boiling pot.

Deglaze the frying pan with some water and chinese rice wine (Shaohsing) or other nice booze -dry sherry and vermouth both work OK- and transfer the liquid to the pot. Add dark mushroom soy, some star anise, some brown rock sugar/jaggery and perhaps a piece of cassia bark or cinnamon, perhaps a little bit of dried bitter orange peel, bring to the boil and let simmer for quite a few hours -say three to four-ish on a stovetop, on low and gentle heat.

You have to stir the meat every now and then, and add a extra splash of water, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom, at elast when doing it on the stovetop.

When done, the meat should fall apart easily and the garlic fairly mashed. There ought to be a notable garlic aroma, but the garlic itself should be pretty mild and nutty in flavour. There should be quite a bit of pan juices, but the meat shouldn't be swimming around in it either. Thicken with cornstarch slurry if you so desire, but it shouldn't really be necessary with the mushy garlic and all.

Add a bunch of sliced scallions and perhaps some sugar snap peas , let them heat through and enjoy.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

oooh... that sounds delicious.   I think that could easily be done in a crock-- start the browning in a skillet, then transfer to the crock with more liquid that you specified.  (the crock really works best with soups & stews)

[Bluenose]

OK, now for a non-crock pot slow cooked yumminess.

Steak Fantasy

1-2 slicees oyster blade steak per person
1 middle rasher bacon per slice of steak, rind removed
4-6 pitted prunes per slice of steak
Worcestershire sauce

Place the steak in a baking dish (I line mine with baking paper).  Cut the bacon into 1 cm (1/2 inch) strips acroos the rasher and place roughly crumpled over the steak.  Put the prunes on top of that, then liberally shake a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce of the lot.  Bake at 120°C (250°F) uncovered for three hours.  Serve with your choice of veges, but mashed potatoes and green beans are good.

Oyster blade has a line of connective tissue running down the middle.  Don't cut this out, it dissolves in the cooking and adds an unxious lusciousness to the dish.



For you non-Aussies (poor sods), some clarification:

Oyster blade steak looks like this:

I believe you USians call it top blade or (perhaps incorrectly according to my sources) flat iron steak, the UK bods I believe call it butlers steak.

Middle rashers of bacon look like this:

The UK people can use gammon or even streaky bacon, if they prefer, but I think you will recognise the cut.  I don't know what the USA equivalent is but I understand that salt preserved ham may be a suitable alternative, if you can't find something that looks like this.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Oh dear.... that sounds too yummy for my own good. 

I think I'll go out at lunchtime on Tuesday, and order up my once in a blue-moon steak.  My favorite place serves a lovely 6 oz (plenty for me) with a special asiagio rub (they call it that--it's heavenly, but I don't know what it is).

<pic of homer simpson drooling>