How to Save Time & Money Using a Slow Cooker

Moneymagpie Group

seventh Feb 2025

Studying Time: 5 minutes

How do you save money and time gradual cooking?

I’ve lengthy been a fan of gradual cooking – particularly in an electrical slow-cooker. You set all of the substances within the pot firstly of the day; go away them on a low setting, and once you get house from work – voila!  It could take a bit further planning, however the outcomes are scrumptious.

Additionally, it’s an amazing methodology of cooking CHEAPER cuts of meat – the one manner, actually, to make them tender and meltingly succulent.

I personally use the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew and it has been an actual game-changer. Utilizing the steel pan creates that attractive flavour and rim of deliciousness that you simply typically lose with a gradual cooker. I liken it extra to utilizing a forged iron pot in flavour.

Gradual Cooking means:

• Tenderer meat – because the connective tissues are damaged down
• Extra flavour – the seasoning turns into infused with out drying
• Higher desserts – the cooking course of is simpler on delicate puddings
• No burning or boiling – the meals is cooked at low temperatures
• Much less energy utilization – the gradual cooker is in steady simmer mode

 

Save Cash and Power with Gradual Cooking

Gradual-Cooking saves vitality on a number of kitchen home equipment. You don’t have to change on the hob, oven, grill and presumably microwave all for a similar recipe – every little thing’s performed within the one pot. It saves on washing up too. And CrockPot  is proud to say it solely makes use of the vitality of a lightweight bulb. Very inexperienced.

 

Gradual Cooking Suggestions

Gradual Meals Tip 1: Brown the meat first

I feel searing or browning meat (in a separate frying pan) provides flavour and makes the meat look caramelised, not only a stewed, soggy brown. It additionally kills micro organism on the meat, though these will die throughout cooking anyway. If it makes a distinction, Jamie Oliver has examined his Beef Stew with and with out searing and he’s now reported to prepare dinner all stews with out.

Nevertheless we extremely reccommend you employ the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew. This machine may be very nicely priced and there is a smaller one for only £29.99 in the mean time. The internal mechanism is steel so you should use it in your hob to brown the meat after which add the pan to the gradual cooker outer and use it like an everyday pan. This protects on utilizing a number of pans and lets you maintain the flavours and juices within the pan publish sear.

Gradual Meals Tip 2: Sauté and season greens

Likewise, sautéing the greens with herbs and spices can add appreciable flavour, however that is as much as you or if the recipe suggests. You’ll, after all, then have an additional pan to scrub up.

Gradual Meals Tip 3: Prepare dinner powerful meat cuts on a low warmth

Harder meats like roasts or brisket want further cooking time as they’ve extra connective tissue. To compensate, decrease the warmth and improve the cooking time (one hour on a excessive warmth normally equals two hours on low warmth).

Gradual Meals Tip 4: Use half the liquid

Most hob or oven recipes require liquid to be added which reduces naturally in the course of the cooking course of. Nevertheless, liquid doesn’t escape from gradual cookers so use 50% much less liquid to keep away from a watery dish.

Gradual Meals Tip 5: Prepare dinner poultry for much less

Whereas crimson meats take longer to tenderise in a gradual cooker, rooster cooks comparatively shortly. Most poultry recipes require 5-6 hours on a low warmth.

Gradual Meals Tip 6: Reduce root greens into small items

Many root greens (resembling potatoes, carrots, and parsnips) prepare dinner even slower than meats in a gradual cooker. To make sure root greens are cooked totally, lower them into small items no larger than an inch throughout.

Gradual Meals Tip 7: Add leafy greens final

Excessive-moisture greens (like leafy greens, peppers, peas, courgettes, and squash) can grow to be soggy, so add them in for the ultimate 15-Half-hour of gradual cooking.

Gradual Meals Tip 8: Keep away from lifting the lid

Every time the lid is faraway from the gradual cooker, it provides twenty minutes to the general cooking time! So solely elevate the lid so as to add further substances or examine meat in direction of the top.

 

Gradual Cooking Security

As with all sort of cooking, there are particular floor guidelines to comply with, notably with meat with a purpose to keep away from meals poisoning. Listed here are some prime gradual cooking security ideas:

Security Tip 1: Don’t overfill the gradual cooker

Moderately than gradual prepare dinner an entire roast, lower it up into small items to hurry up the cooking course of. By no means fill the pot greater than two-thirds full.

Security Tip 2: By no means use frozen meat

Thaw frozen meat earlier than putting it within the gradual cooker. Additionally defrost greens in order to not cut back the general temperature.

Security Tip 3: Refrigerate leftovers inside two hours

To stop micro organism progress in meat.

I don’t understand how a lot meat you may eat in a single sitting however I’m proud of about 150g. I used to be going to do one lamb shank EACH for this recipe till I noticed how huge they had been, and determined one between two can be wonderful, taking into account 2 of my friends had been kids. However when you want extra meat, do one shank every. The shank is the a part of the lamb’s leg simply above the knee. It has plenty of connective tissue however it turns into tender on this recipe.

Lamb Shanks within the Gradual Cooker (serves 4)

Elements:

• 1 tbsp olive oil + 1tsp chilli oil if preferred
  

                                                                  _{(Picture for present solely)}

• 2 lamb shanks (I used 820g whole = £5.73)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 200ml crimson wine
• 450ml passata/400g chopped tinned tomatoes
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp combined dried herbs
• 1 inventory dice (beef or lamb)
• salt and pepper
• Massive handful of black olives

I exploit anchovies (5) and capers (a small handful) on this additionally however perceive they might not be to everybody’s style.

Methodology:

1. Sear the shanks within the oils in a scorching frying pan, turning them over to brown all sides for a couple of minutes.
2. Switch to the CrockPot (or different model of gradual cooker).
3. Sprinkle over the flour.
4. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the juices within the frying pan and fry for a minute or two.
5. Add the crimson wine and passata (or you may pores and skin and chop up contemporary tomatoes).
6. Let it bubble and deglaze the pan (i.e. the wine will elevate all of the caramelised bits of meat off the pan).
7. Pour the whole thing over the meat and add greens, herbs, crumbled inventory dice and seasoning.
8. Stir and ensure every little thing is roofed by liquid (if not add a bit boiling water from the kettle).
9. Prepare dinner on excessive warmth for 8 hours or low for 12.
10. Serve with a contemporary inexperienced veg (broccoli, cabbage, peas) and/or a carbohydrate (buttered noodles or pasta, extra potatoes, rice).

Tip: You’ll be able to elevate the meat off the bones earlier than serving or serve it bone-in (So we start and finish right this moment’s weblog with an innuendo).

Sarah Lockett’s new foodie ebook The Dish is out now (£9.95, Troubador, £8.96 on Amazon). She will likely be doing a Q&A and book-signing along with her co-author Penny Isaacs on Sat 25^th April at Borders flagship retailer at 203 Oxford St, London W1, from 1-2pm.