10
guide to slow cooking
Adapting recipes for your slow cooker
This section is designed to help you adapt your favourite recipes so they can be cooked
in your slow cooker. Many recipes can be converted to cooking in your slow cooker.
Soups and stews, of course, are natural favourites. Casseroles and most meats benefit
from the low temperatures and even cooking.
• Allow sufficient time for cooking.
• Do not add as much liquid as your recipe indicates. Generally, only half of the amount
of liquid specified in the recipe needs to be added This is because liquids do not
boil away as in conventional cooking. Should you have too much liquid at the end
of cooking, remove the lid and cook on the
HIGH
setting until the excess liquid has
evaporated away.
• Many of the steps in conventional recipes may be ignored. Because vegetables don’t
overcook, everything can go into your slow cooker at the same time. However, milk,
cream or sour cream should be added during the last hour of cooking.
Cooking time guide
Use the following table for suggested cooking times and settings when adjusting your
favourite recipes. Always check that the food is thoroughly cooked before serving.
Recipe time
AUTO setting
HIGH setting
15 to 30 mins
4 to 6 hours
1.5 to 2 hours
35 to 45 mins
6 to 10 hours
3 to 4 hours
50 mins to 3 hours
8 to 18 hours
4 to 6 hours
These times are approximate and can vary depending on the ingredients and quantities.
Preparing meat and poultry
When selecting meat, look for the leanest cuts. Trim any visible fat from the meat
because the slow cooking process will result in too much liquid in the form of fat. If
possible, use chicken without skin. For casserole style recipes, cut the meat into cubes,
approximately 2.5cm (1”).
Less tender cuts of meat are ideal to use in your slow cooker because the prolonged
cooking periods make them tender and tasty. The table below shows cuts suitable for
use.
Meat
Cut
Beef
Brisket, shin, silverside, topside, stewing steak, braising steak
Lamb
Neck, forequarter, neck chops, shanks, shoulder chops
Pork
Leg steaks, butterfly steaks, loin chops, fillet
