Slow Cooker Advice

[bonobo]

This isn't exactly western food in Thailand, but I think I might get better responses here.

Until I get my new house, my condo has a very minimalistic kitchen (no stove, two little burners.) I have bought a microwave and a lousy tabletop oven as well as a few electic appliances. I made some carnitas the other day, and that brought back memories of many recipes I have made in the past using a slow cooker. So I went out to the Mall and Central to buy one so I can expand my repertoire of western food at home.

What it boils down to now is a ceramic 3 liter, a clay 4 liter, and a ceramic 5 liter cooker. The clerk at Central told me the clay was much better, but my Thai is not good enough to understand why she thougth that. The clay one also had a small hole to let pressure out.

The 3 liter ceramic is fine and would fit most of my dishes (cooking for one or two.) The 5 liter is oval and shorter, so the bottom area is much bigger. It is big enough to cook the occasional pot roast, but I wonder with that big bottom surface area if it would still be appropriate for smaller dishes. If I make carnitas or adobo or something similar, and the meat and sauce only just cover the bottom, will that be OK? Will it cook the same as if the food is 5 or 7 inches deep in the cooker?

I have not really used a slow cooker in years, so any advice from those in the know would be appreciated.

Edited November 27, 2008 by bonobo

[cathyy]

Is the clay one by Hanabishi, or something like that? if so, I have it, and I'm only moderately happy with it. I strongly recommend the 3 liter ceramic one. Cleaning the clay pot is a hassle, and it stains. Ceramic won't stain and cleans like a dream. Slow cookers also tend to be hotter now than they were when first marketed, so it's more important to always fill the cooker at least half-full. Carnitas in the 5 liter cooker is not a good option! If you are cooking for only a couple people the 3 liter cooker is by far a better choice.

[bonobo]

Thanks! That is exactly the kind of advice I was seeking. The 3-liter ceramic it is, then.

[jfchandler]

I'd agree... I've used electric crock pots a lot for cooking.... great way to prepare many foods and wonderful for slow cooking meats...

You do want to have your contents decently fill the pot you're using. I think you don't want to use an oversized cooker and then have your ingredients only filling the bottom of the pot. I think that could lead to overcooking and maybe burning on the bottom...

Buy the size that fits with your normal cooking quantities.

[NanaFoods]

I saw a clay crockpot at Makro...perhaps the same model you were looking at.... it looked to me like more of a Japanese style cooker. I recall I didn't particularly like the holes in it - not necessary for a slow cooker, and I presume it would tend to dry out your meal.

myself... I got two ceramic Hanibishi's; one 5-ltr and one 2-ltr (I think - its quite small).

I use the small one for cooking for my wife and myself only; the larger one if we want to share with her sister's family. If your into Mexican food, they are great for making shredded beef, chile verde pork, and shredded chicken - all of which can be used to make enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc...

Carnitas, however are traditionally marinated in milk or orange juice (I prefer the latter), with plenty of salt, and a bit of black pepper (some add garlic and/or coriander seed) then fried in a deep vat of pork lard for a lengthy period - first slow to tenderize it, then hot to caramelize it. But I have made do with the healthier option of roasting (in keeping with the concept of the original method, cover and slow roast at first, then remove cover and crank up the heat at the end, so as to caramelize the outside) - the idea is to get a crispy outside and a tender juicy inside.

BTW - you can conveniently make delicious Italian stews in the crockpot as well... I have a few recipes at my website - particularly Chicken Calabrese, which can be easily adapted to the slow cooker.

Edited November 28, 2008 by ChefHeat

[bonobo]

I saw a clay crockpot at Makro...perhaps the same model you were looking at.... it looked to me like more of a Japanese style cooker. I recall I didn't particularly like the holes in it - not necessary for a slow cooker, and I presume it would tend to dry out your meal.

myself... I got two ceramic Hanibishi's; one 5-ltr and one 2-ltr (I think - its quite small).

I use the small one for cooking for my wife and myself only; the larger one if we want to share with her sister's family. If your into Mexican food, they are great for making shredded beef, chile verde pork, and shredded chicken - all of which can be used to make enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc...

Carnitas, however are traditionally marinated in milk or orange juice (I prefer the latter), with plenty of salt, and a bit of black pepper (some add garlic and/or coriander seed) then fried in a deep vat of pork lard for a lengthy period - first slow to tenderize it, then hot to caramelize it. But I have made do with the healthier option of roasting (in keeping with the concept of the original method, cover and slow roast at first, then remove cover and crank up the heat at the end, so as to caramelize the outside) - the idea is to get a crispy outside and a tender juicy inside.

BTW - you can conveniently make delicious Italian stews in the crockpot as well... I have a few recipes at my website - particularly Chicken Calabrese, which can be easily adapted to the slow cooker.

Once again, thanks to all. I have decided on the 3 liter ceramic.

The carnitas I made came from a recipe where the pork was browned first, then slowly braised to make it tender. This is the opposite from what restaurants around my home in San Diego do, but it worked great here and my Thai friends loved it. That is what got me started thinking about a slow cooker. I have a crock pot pot roast done in a beef bourgnine-type recipe which is really great, but since I don't have a good kitchen here, if I can use a slow cooker to make dishes, then I will be trying many new and different recipes to expand my repetoire. I like Chicken Calabrese, for example, so that would be a good one to try. I think adobo would work, and of course numerous stews would work as well.

In the US, I have a very professional kitchen with a Wolf stove and top-of-the-line All-Clad cookware, and I am going through cooking withdrawal with my limited cooking assets here. I am thinking of importing another Wolf for my new place (I am negoitiating on two different places, but both need kitchens to be built), but in the meantime, any new cooking abilities will be highly appreciated.

[SlackJawChef]

The main thing to remember about slow cookers is that they cook from the side's not the bottom,

so as previous posts point out, you need to make sure that you keep them at least 1/2 full when cooking..

Good luck and throw some chili on for me.....