Crockpot/slow cooker cooking

[Norelco]

LOL, this is probably the last place I should be asking, but does anyone else here cook with a crockpot/slow cooker? Every fall/winter season I start going crazy with this making stews, chilis, pot roasts, etc.

To me it's the best solution to cook a good home-cooked meal while away at work. Just dump all of the ingredients in there in the morning and by the time you get home from work dinner is done.

Anyone have any good recipes to share?

[Daydreamer]

Google good eats crockpot and you'll probably get some nice alton recipes =D

[Norelco]

Google good eats crockpot and you'll probably get some nice alton recipes =D

I've watched Alton a ton but never seen a crockpot episode. I'll have to check.

[Plow]

I'd have to look around for exact recipe I mostly do it by feel but I make some amazing corn chowder if you're interested.

[Daydreamer]

There isn't a crockpot episode, but I know he does use a slow cooker in a few.

[Nirokun!]

fully cooked center cut ham slice, or leftover ham bone from whenever you eat ham (hi holidays)
pack of those dry mixed beans (remove the ham flavoring packet)
large diced onion
water

let that shit cook forever and a day, serve over rice, add salt to taste

it is tied with southern fried chicken as my favorite meal in the history of the universe, and it costs like nothing (i use turkey ham [i gave up red meat a long time ago])

fucking delicious

[Norelco]

Here's a simple recipe I'm trying out today.

Chinese Pot Roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1 cup water
2 onions, chopped
3lb. boneless beef roast
salt/pepper to taste

Recipe says to brown pot roast on both sides after dipping it in flower, but I've seen shows where Alton Brown recommends against this because it sucks the moisture out of the meat.

Anyway, combine soy sauce, water, and ginger.

Put pot roast in slow cooker, dump all the onions on top, salt/pepper to taste, dump sauce on onions and meat, set to low on 8-10 hours and walk away

Serve over white rice.

Norelco Pro-tip: if you can, I usually prefer to always cook it on low at 8 hour setting, but I usually turn it off after 7 or 7.5, the meat seems to come out more tender this way. Haven't undercooked anything yet doing this.

[Nirokun!]

dried ginger powder stuff buy the fresh stuff, its worlds apart in flavor lol (tootsie rolls and godiva)

whether or not you sear your meat beforehand is a personal preference. that moisture deal is true, but you sear meats for the flavor that caramelization adds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searing

if you're worried about your meat drying out, you can always add more than 1c of water, but i dont think its such an issue that you'd end up with dry, stringy meat after 7-8hrs in a crock pot

[Daydreamer]

Recipe says to brown pot roast on both sides after dipping it in flower, but I've seen shows where Alton Brown recommends against this because it sucks the moisture out of the meat.

Alton does not recommend against searing. In fact, I would say he's pro sear because while it does lose a little more moisture (read: a LITTLE more moisture) it leaves behind yummy fond and other such goodies!

[Norelco]

dried ginger powder stuff buy the fresh stuff, its worlds apart in flavor lol (tootsie rolls and godiva)

whether or not you sear your meat beforehand is a personal preference. that moisture deal is true, but you sear meats for the flavor that caramelization adds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searing

if you're worried about your meat drying out, you can always add more than 1c of water, but i dont think its such an issue that you'd end up with dry, stringy meat after 7-8hrs in a crock pot

Normally I'd agree, but my wife's father is a food broker and his account is a major spice company so I get all of my spices for free (I have hundreds of dollars worth, and these things aren't cheap either).

Secondly, I think the powdered stuff mixes in better with the liquids. I don't have any real experience with fresh ginger root, I'm guessing I'd have to shave off some pieces or use a microplane? Please excuse my ignorance on this one.

[aru]

every st. patrick's day my mother would make corned beef and cabbage in a crock pot. i couldn't give you an exact recipe, but i know she uses a package from nathon's that has a seasoning packet come with it. there's probably instructions on the package as well if you had no idea what you were doing.

[evilbau]

dried ginger powder stuff buy the fresh stuff, its worlds apart in flavor lol (tootsie rolls and godiva)

whether or not you sear your meat beforehand is a personal preference. that moisture deal is true, but you sear meats for the flavor that caramelization adds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searing

if you're worried about your meat drying out, you can always add more than 1c of water, but i dont think its such an issue that you'd end up with dry, stringy meat after 7-8hrs in a crock pot

Normally I'd agree, but my wife's father is a food broker and his account is a major spice company so I get all of my spices for free (I have hundreds of dollars worth, and these things aren't cheap either).

Secondly, I think the powdered stuff mixes in better with the liquids. I don't have any real experience with fresh ginger root, I'm guessing I'd have to shave off some pieces or use a microplane? Please excuse my ignorance on this one.

some people grate it but personally i find that results in too strong a ginger taste. I cut pieces and sautee in oil before adding other ingredients and take out the easily identified pieces before serving. I like the ginger flavor but eating a piece of ginger is not my idea of good times.

[Nirokun!]

dried ginger powder stuff buy the fresh stuff, its worlds apart in flavor lol (tootsie rolls and godiva)

whether or not you sear your meat beforehand is a personal preference. that moisture deal is true, but you sear meats for the flavor that caramelization adds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searing

if you're worried about your meat drying out, you can always add more than 1c of water, but i dont think its such an issue that you'd end up with dry, stringy meat after 7-8hrs in a crock pot

Normally I'd agree, but my wife's father is a food broker and his account is a major spice company so I get all of my spices for free (I have hundreds of dollars worth, and these things aren't cheap either).

Secondly, I think the powdered stuff mixes in better with the liquids. I don't have any real experience with fresh ginger root, I'm guessing I'd have to shave off some pieces or use a microplane? Please excuse my ignorance on this one.

some people grate it but personally i find that results in too strong a ginger taste. I cut pieces and sautee in oil before adding other ingredients and take out the easily identified pieces before serving. I like the ginger flavor but eating a piece of ginger is not my idea of good times.

dingding

i do the oil thing with ginger (and whole crushed garlic too sometimes). in stews and stuff with a lot of water, you dont need the oil, just toss it in at the start and pull it out before consuming (like a bay leaf and the like). Its so fibrous that it will stay together throughout the cooking process.