i got a slow cooker this morning

[ThatVikRinA22]

please tell me how to use it!

• ive no idea how to use them, what to do in them at all. Up until recently i have regarded them with suspicion....low heat + long time = bacteria soup in my book but i have been convinced by my friend who has bought me one for the princely sum of 12 quid this morning in Tesco!

so please help me become a culinary whiz with a slow cooker and post your slow cooker recipes!

thank you!

thanks - my veg wasn't cooked because the slow cooker is buggered, unfortunately. We will be buying a new one soon!

OK, as requested, Lamb Kleftico:

Half a shoulder of lamb
2 sliced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions (sliced)
plain flour
Half a lemon, sliced thinly
Half a pint of stock (chicken? veg? don't like lamb stock cos they put mint in it)
Quarter pint of white wine
1 tablespoon of honey
Rosemary
2 oz stoned dates
2 oz raisins

Slit the lamb all over and put slivers of garlic in the slits. Brown it in the frying pan in the olive oil. Meanwhile, put two sticks of rosemary in the bottom of the slow cooker. Put lamb in SC, then put some more rosemary on top. Chuck the dates and raisins on top. Brown onions for a few minutes then stir in a couple of spoons of flour. Add Stock, wine, lemon, honey and seasoning. Bring to the boil. Pour it on top of the lamb, cook for 7 hours ish.

I love my slo-cooker but it has limited uses as a veggie. I'll share my favourite veggie recepie from a book by someone called Annette Yates.

Fry a chopped onion and finely cubed aubergine of a few minutes and then add a tbsp garam masala and a tbsp if grated ginger and cook for a minute more. Bung in slo-cooker with a sweet potato and a couple of parsnips all cut into 2 cm dice, a can of drained chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes and 2/3 can coconut milk. Cook on low for 7 or so hours.

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Lamb recipe looks lovely Ladyflip

Can someone help? Whenever I do beef stew in my slow cooker the meat comes out really dry. Is it over cooked? Too lean? Mince is great in it but it's fairly new so I haven't tried much yet...

I have a bit of brisket in mine today, cheap mans roast beef, I love brisket and it can really only be slow cooked, it comes out lovely I put it on a bed of mushroom and red onions and it makes the most gorgeous gravy.

Do you put liquid in with the brisket? That sounds lush!

No I never its already made loads of liquid and its been on 4 hours, I added a few carrots chopped up too this time, I usually just add what vegetables are looking a bit sad in the fridge!

Mmmmmmmmm!

Thanks. I'll be trying that next week..

daisybell - maybe overcooked. how long are you cooking for on what setting and is it lump of meat or bits? Best to use a cheap cut of meat - more expensive ones probably would be drier. i fill pot about half full with stock, beer or red wine as i think it keeps it moister.

spoon of mustard to liquid gives it taste, along with herbs, onions etc. mix spoon of cornflour with cold water or add gravy granules towards end to thicken for gravy

Thanks for your replies. It's just what Asda send me as braising steak but in pieces rather than a whole piece.

I've left it on low all day but over-cooking may be right. I love oxtail so maybe it's time to try that... Part of my problem is maybe that the root veg takes too long to cook in which time the meat has overcooked?

sounds like it might have been overcooked. you either need a big lump of cheap beef ( as i have going at the moment) or chop root very small.

You need to cut root vegetables a lot smaller think you think when using a slow cooker.

Hmm, I'll try a lump next time. I can remember my mum doing pot roast which was brisket in carrots/tomatoes/onions etc.

I've got some lamb leg steaks but again they may be too lean. A chunk of shoulder may be a better bet?

leg steaks probably ok, but you need to add liquid and not cook too long. tin of toms for example, or stock - obviously with herbs, garlic, veg or whatever takes your fancy, curry paste.......... etc

shoulder is fab

Partly inspired by this thread I ordered myself a slow cooker (not so easily available here and much more ?? than in UK). It arrived today and I am ridiculously excited. I have a veg chilli in as we speak. Hope it tastes as good as it smells.

we had lasagne tonight. i'd practically given up cooking it because it took too long after work - till i sussed you could do bolognese in slow cooker and then cheese sauce with the cold milk, flour, marg and stir method. so quick.

Don't forget to try puddings in your SC, I do apple crumble and it's wonderful. mirai just bung all the ingredients in cold, turn on the heat and stir, et voila, perfect sauce!

Let me go and dig out the recipe...

It's here fourth from the bottom. I do it about once a month and everyone who's had it says it's fab. You can have cream or ice cream with it, but in my opinion it doesn't need any as the apples are lovely and syrupy. Enjoy.

And no, the flour won't go lumpy in the sauce, I use a whisk (a plastic one as I have a non-stick pan)

mirai - you put milk, marg and plain flour in pan and heat and stir till right consistency. i don't even bother measuring ingredients now - just dob a bit more flour in if not thick enough. best to do in non-coated saucepan with whisk so you get rid of lumps - as i can't be bothered to stand stirring all the time. much, much easier than roux. and then just add grated cheese at end.