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I could be overcooking the meats but I was never a big fan of crock pot cooking to begin with. If someone had not given one to me as a gift I probably would have never bought one.
My crockpot was a lifesaver for me when I was a working parent and worked 10 hour shifts. The crock was on from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. I made bean soup (navy bean, 15 bean, split pea, lentil), chili, pot roast, beef stew, corned beef/cabbage, turkey soup (from the leftover carcass from Thanksgiving), vegetable soup, creamy potato soup and more. That first pot had a auto-shift feature, which switched from high to low heat, so I think that may have helped. They aren't made like that anymore.
I'm least satisfied with the newest crock pot but I still use it frequently. You have to add lots of liquid. For stew, after I load the pot to the top with potatoes, carrots, onion, celery & seasonngs, I add a large can of tomatoes and then refill the can with water & add that, then maybe a little red wine if I have some. It always turns out great, the stew meat is tender and moist.
I am banned from making any meat in the crock pot. I have made beef stew, pot roast, pulled pork, ect.. and the meat is dry as hell according to my husband. I have done corned beef and it comes out ok. I even did bone in chicken thighs once. I agree that the meat falls apart but it is so dry and no amount of sauce or gravy will fix that. anyone who says the meat isn't dry is fibbing LOL
BS. Never had anything come out dry in a crock pot. Sorry but you are doing in wrong.
Use a thermometer to check the contents temperature. If the meat is dry, it is overcooked at too high a temperature. I refuse to use crock pots because the temperature of the food can be much higher than claimed by the maker or required for slow cooking (read: cheap manufacturer afraid of food poisoning claims). Instead, I do sous vide, where the temps are EXACTLY where I set them.
I think some of the makers of crock pots hire the same legal teams that put the wording on TV dinners:
Generic 6 oz beef and potato TV dinner instructions:
Cook in microwave for three minutes, stir potatoes and cook for an additional minutes, let rest until contents are a solid cooled mass that can be tossed into the garbage can safely.
Use a thermometer to check the contents temperature. If the meat is dry, it is overcooked at too high a temperature. I refuse to use crock pots because the temperature of the food can be much higher than claimed by the maker or required for slow cooking (read: cheap manufacturer afraid of food poisoning claims).
It's a slow cooker, for goodness sakes. It's either Lo, Medium, or Hi. No temp to worry about. Figure out which of the three settings you want, and do it.
No thermometer needed. If it's too high, lower it a setting. I've never had any of these problems you refer to.
PS: I'm pretty sure food poisoning claims against the cooker are urban myths. That's like suing GE because your chicken was raw.
It's a slow cooker, for goodness sakes. It's either Lo, Medium, or Hi. No temp to worry about. Figure out which of the three settings you want, and do it.
No thermometer needed. If it's too high, lower it a setting. I've never had any of these problems you refer to.
PS: I'm pretty sure food poisoning claims against the cooker are urban myths. That's like suing GE because your chicken was raw.
Back when they first came out, I had one that did a slow boil at two of those settings. It was a Rival, IIRC. I tossed it. Back around the mid 1980s, I bought another to try out again, again with poor results, plus the crock in that one wasn't even removable for cleaning. It got relegated to heating butter into ghee at a theatre I had. My GF has a large one she uses (much more rarely now) for a couple of pot roast type dishes. I note that it also appears to overheat.
There is a convenience factor to crock pots, if you use bag liners so you don't have to deal with cleanup issues and are willing to leave one cooking while you are out and away from it. I can see they have a purpose for large families. For me, most of the time, the difference between crock pot stews and a can of beef stew aren't enough to deal with the hassle.
I did try hay box slow cooking a couple of times and liked the results much better, but again, it was a hassle and took up a lot of space. My sous vide stick sits in a small drawer and there is no cleanup after I use it. The pot only has clean water in it to pour down the drain, the cooking bags get tossed, the wand goes back in the drawer.
I'm sorry that all your crock pots seem to have had issues. I've had two in my many years (I'm old!), and both worked like a charm. And did exactly what they are supposed to... slowly heat/cook your food.
Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea
For me, most of the time, the difference between crock pot stews and a can of beef stew aren't enough to deal with the hassle.
If the diff between a can of highly processed food, and a true slow cooked stew aren't much to you, then we have located the problem!
I am banned from making any meat in the crock pot. I have made beef stew, pot roast, pulled pork, ect.. and the meat is dry as hell according to my husband. I have done corned beef and it comes out ok. I even did bone in chicken thighs once. I agree that the meat falls apart but it is so dry and no amount of sauce or gravy will fix that. anyone who says the meat isn't dry is fibbing LOL
I've rarely had success with a roast in the crockpot either. I read these recipes where people swear the roast is so tender it falls apart. Never happens for me. There can be plenty of liquid and it can cook for a typical time but it's never great, usually tough. I've had a pressure cooker for years and that makes a much better roast. So you're not alone.
I've rarely had success with a roast in the crockpot either. I read these recipes where people swear the roast is so tender it falls apart. Never happens for me. There can be plenty of liquid and it can cook for a typical time but it's never great, usually tough. I've had a pressure cooker for years and that makes a much better roast. So you're not alone.
Thank you someone who stands by me
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