Posted: 7/24/2005 4:57:20 PM EDT
|
Got a question for the hive-mind. I've acquired a crockpot, but I've never used one before. I wanted to cook some beans and put 3 cups of water and 1/2 a cup of beans into the cooking vessel. My question is: since a crock pot is a double-boiler, are you supposed to put water between the heating surface and the outside of the cooking vessel? There's no manual, I never asked mom how to use a crock pot. |
|
All the goodies (including the water) to be cooked go into the ceramic cooking vessel, which then sits down inside the heating unit. Vegetables on bottom, meat in the middle, seasonings on top, then add your liquid. Always use it at least half full; 2/3 or more is even better. |
It's called a "joke" raven. Whatever you do, make sure the liquid is in the ceramic pot before you turn it on or the temperature change when you do add it could crack it and that's just a mess nobody wants. On a personal note, I've found that I can get better results faster from a dutch oven (and I don't mean the kind you pull on your wife/gf  )
|
good advice right there. Just change the meat. My 13 year old likes to quickly brown 4-5 chicken breasts, toss them in the pot with some spegehtti sauce right after breakfast. Cook the noddles after work and dinner is served. That has kinda become her trademark dish! CH |
|
If you want fast use something else. The whole point is that it cooks slow (and only uses the electricty of a couple of light bulbs tops) . To be totally clear---nothing goes between the pot itself and the tin shell that has the heat elements,it is just air space. Because it is such a low watt heat element every time you pull off the cover to sniff or stir you are setting back the cooking time by 15 minutes or so so try not to open the sucker up. Hit up the bookstore or the library or goggle "crock pot recipie" as trying to figere times and such are a bit tricky unill you get the hang of it. The beauty is you can dump the stuff in and let it sit all day,most stuff doesn't mater much if you cook it the exact time as long as you go long enough . Not a bad project for a cold stormy winter weekend day when you are going to be mostly around the house. Lots of cheep cuts of meat that turn into something really fine after 8 or 10 hours in the pot |
|
here is a link to a whole lot of recipes for your new crock pot. enjoy. southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm |