How to Cook Fail-Proof Poached Chicken
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16 Paleo Slow Cooker Tips & Tricks for your Crockpot
If you’re short of time and aren't using a slow cooker – you need to get one! There’s nothing like coming home after a long day, to a freshly made, hot paleo dinner.
If you've not used a crock-pot before, here are my top tips:
Preparation
They are completely safe to leave turned on all day, however, it’s always a good idea to make sure it’s sat alone on your counter with nothing sat too close to it.
If you can spare an extra few minutes, try searing your meat and veggies too. This makes a big difference with a far richer flavour of the final dish.
For maximum efficiency prepare your vegetables and meat the night before, so all you need to do in the morning is put them in and turn it on.
Along the same lines, I always avoid overly complicate recipes that call for lots of preparation. I figure the whole point of using this method of cooking is to save me time, not add to it.
Try to keep your cubes of meat and harder vegetables in uniform sizes to make sure they all cook at a similar rate.
Don’t overfill your slow cooker. Aim for no more than two-thirds full – and you only need to half cover the ingredients if you’re adding in extra liquid. This method of cooking loses virtually no liquid to evaporation, so once those veggies cook you’ll find you have more than enough liquid.
Put a lid on it
Make sure the lid is on properly – and don’t be tempted to lift it off mid cook for a nosy – it will take a long time to regain the lost heat.
If it’s looking to watery towards the end of the cooking time, this is the time to remove the lid. The extra liquid will evaporate thickening up your dinner.
Set the time carefully, go for a slower longer cook, over a faster hotter cook for deeper flavours and more tender meat.
Buy big
My top tip is to buy big! I stupidly bought a small one. I should have bought one like this. When you go to the effort of making a slow cooked meal, always double up on quantities so you have a few spares to put in the freezer. Cooking in a small one just seems like a waste!
Whilst most crock-pots have a removable “crock”, some are one piece – avoid these models as they’ll be a nightmare to clean!
Finally
Try making stock in your slow cooker – I always get great results and find it needs a lot less attention than when I do it on the stove.
One of my favourite things about slow cooking as that it allows me to use cheap cuts of meat, that would be tough in a faster cooking method. So when you see cheap cuts on offer – buy them and make a slow cooked dish with them!
Whatever you do – don’t use lean meat! Fat not only helps with flavour but will keep the meat moist instead of tough and dry.
For the same reason I also keep bones in and keep the skin on the chicken.
Finally, for maximum flavour wait until just before the end of the cooking time to add in your herbs and spices.
Now try these
Here are some of my slow cooker recipes:
Slow Cooker Chicken Coconut Veggie Stew
Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef
Slow Cooker Jamaican Goat Curry
If you've got a slow cooker, which model do you have? Have you got any tip tips to share?
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How to Make Simple Chicken Stir Fry
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How to Grind Your Own Ground Beef Mince
A while ago I wrote about why I don't buy ground beef (or any mince meat for that matter). But I love cooking with it. Making it yourself is the only way you can possibly:
- Know exactly what's in it
- Be sure it only contains good cuts of meat
- Know how fresh it is
- Know it's safe to eat medium-rare
- Know it will taste good
The first time I tried it I used an old fashioned mincer like the one in the photo above. It was a total mess, with meat juice going everywhere! So since then, I've worked out how to do it properly with the mincer – but also far faster with my food processor.
How to Grind Your Own Ground Beef Mince:
1) Find a good cut of meat, not too lean – a bit of fat makes all the difference. I often buy a cut that is on special offer, then freeze the ground meat that I make.
2) Depending on what you're making with the mince, you might also grind another type of mince too. For example, I like to make my bolognese with half beef and half pork mince.
3) This is the step I found out the hard way. Cube the meat evenly, then put in the freezer for a couple of hours. Do this, it makes a huge difference and stops your kitchen resembling a crime scene. I've even taken to putting the grinding plate into the freezer too. Without it being super cold it won't grind properly and will be a mushy nasty mess. You have been warned.
4) In small batches feed the meat cubes into the food processor or grinder
5) Check for any un-ground pieces to put through again, and get rid of any gristle that has made it's way through.
6) Whatever you don't use, straight away freeze in small batches for use in a future recipe.
And once you've ground your meat? Try some of these recipes:
Chilli and Cumin meatballs with a mango and pomegranate salsa
Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers
Spiced Beef Kofte with a Pomegranate Glaze
Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe
Mexican Turkey Burgers with Coriander Guacamole
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