Two meals slow-cooked so far. Two piles of inedible slop

[Bibulus]

I don't know how this is so difficult!

one chicken stew with chicken legs that completely disintegrated into individual fibres

one pearl barley stew (Hugh F-W's) which turned into lumpy glue

and both of them tasted of nothing! all the lovely veg etc I put in was totally annihilated

Each time I have left it on low all day and gone to work. That's how it's supposed to work, isn't it?

Buy a chicken or a half lamb shoulder, put in slow cooker and put on high. Leave all day.

You will not be disapointed.

If you don't want to use an expensive piece of meat then try this.

one onion sliced finely
1 packet of sausages
1 packet of passatta
1 tin kidney or butter beans.

Drain the beans then throw them in the slow cooker with seasoning and herbs (if you like). Add a small amount of boiling water - about 1/2 a mug. Cook on high and serve with crusty bread.

Rules for slow cooking - use at least 1/3 less liquid - it won't evaporate. You can also add liquid if yu need to, but not so easy to take it out.
Whole pieces of meat or joints need to be cooked on high.
You do not need to pre brown.
Soups and Stews need some heat to start them off - a bit of hot water is enough.
Veg above the waterline will not cook.

Slow cookers differ, I have two, a small one when I'm cooking upto 4 potions and a large one that will take a full leg of lamb.

The large one cooks at a faster rate than the small one.

Can you do these recipes in the oven? I don't have a slow cooker.

You can with mine - just add more boling water to the second one. The meat just roast as normal.

But once you eat meat roasted in a slow cooker you won't go back. Put it on your wish list for your next birthday.

Does anyone have a good recipe for really moist pork chops?

I have onions, carrots, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, rosemary, apples and Stella Cidre in.

nappy - one of the things i like best about them is that you don't really need a recipe as such. why don't you bung it all in, then 30 mins before the end add some cornflour (mixed with little cold water) to thicken the sauce? i'd do pots separately as they take ages to cook

Redlac - just tried your pork, coke and BBQ sauce recipe - absolutely amazingly delicious. Thanks!

Salami stew

Also there's loads of recipes on my pinterest.com/hollyaev/favorite-recipes/pinterest that can be adapted to slow cooker recipes.