Love for the Slow Cooker
Some of my friends were discussing their pressure cookers and how much they love them. I have never used a pressure cooker, but I do certainly love my slow cooker!
It is a lovely old hand-me-down from the 1970s in avocado green. I use it every day, sometimes even all day and then again all night!
It transforms what some might consider tough meats into delectable, moist, amazing cuts! For example, there is no better way to cook a fatty beef brisket than to put it in an empty slow cooker on low for 12 hours. It always, always comes out amazing!
Another miraculous thing that happens in the slow cooker is that tendons and connective tissues break down into wonderful, sticky, delicious and nutritious gelatin! Oxtail is a great example. Beef and lamb shanks also. So delectable and chewy! Pigs feet are the same, but I no longer eat pork because of the inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids.
Roasts come out perfectly in the slow cooker too. Again, 12 hours on low in an empty pot is all it takes, unless the roast is really big. Then it might take a little longer. If you desire, you can reserve the juices for dipping. I always reserve the juices and refrigerate them to harden the fats and discard them so they do not go down the drain when cleaning up.
I have been curious about making head cheese, which is basically a meatloaf made from cooking a whole head. Unfortunately, my local farmers have not been able to procure that from the processors. I have found whole sheep heads at the Latino grocery in the big city, but they are not grassfed. I also might not have a big enough pot!
But anyway, basically I cook almost all cuts and offal in the slow cooker on low for 12 hours, with the exception of the more delicate organs: liver, kidneys, testes, and sweetbreads. Otherwise, everything goes into the slow cooker and those wonderful connective tissues and collagen break down into fabulous gelatin!
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Grassfed oxtail with sea salt
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