How do I slow cook roasting joints?

I've just roasted this 4-5kg piece of pork at 125 degrees C for 5 hours, it's lovely but not fall off the bone. Next time I think I'll go to 100 degrees. Maybe it was a bit small for that temperature.


Do you have a slow cook fool proof method?


Recently tried the Tom Kerridge fillet of beef - marinade in black treacle mixed with water for 24 hours; seal it by frying off and then cook at 55C for 45 minutes for rare. I did 1 hour for medium rare. Deliciously tender. The fillet was 900g

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Recently tried the Tom Kerridge fillet of beef - marinade in black treacle mixed with water for 24 hours; seal it by frying off and then cook at 55C for 45 minutes for rare. I did 1 hour for medium rare. Deliciously tender

Thanks Brian.

Some Carrefour stores have Tate and Lyle's Black Treacle, does just as well being more or less the same thing.

Hi Véro

Definitely want to try this one.

You mention Molasses in the recipe. Where can you find this?

Many thanks

Gordon

I imported a reconditioned Rayburn (Aga uses paraffin, diesel, bio-fuel, gas or electricity. Solid-fuel models have been discontinued years ago although refurbished stoves can still be bought.) and burn wood. A slow cooker on or in that range and haricots or any other bean come up wonderful.

My recipe originally says to cook them on or in a range (presumably coal or wood fired, as it is from a book that came out in 1941 & the recipe is older still).

Interestingly Tom Kerridge did baked beans on his prog last night. He used smoked lardons instead of the belly pork. He cooked his in a casserole for a couple of hours on top of his Aga rather than in a slow cooker though.

Thanks for the info, I will see if Darty have one as I have a voucher

If you like ribs try this http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/475/Baby_Back_Ribs55246.shtml it's the bestt rib recipe I have eaten. Fortunately Eric le Sausage our local basement butcher always has loads of pork ribs:-)

Just checked abebooks and "leave it to cook" is available for around 63 pence.

Had more or less that there with the haricots and belly last week and my girls went for seconds, thirds... until near bursting. My slow cooker is about 30 years old and worth the £4 or something like that I paid for it.

Rice pudding? Not for me!

We have the smaller sized crockpot slow cooker, which is good for up to 4 people.

They also claim you can make lovely rice pudding in it but that is, alas, a blood-red lie.

No there isn't a difference in the result with oven cooking in a pot - they just consume less energy as they heat the pot itself & not a load of air. They certainly aren't pressurised, the makers claim that condensation makes a seal to the lid but that's about as high-tech as they get. Mine was a present from a friend, it is the biggest size oval Cuisinart one, - as you shout "à table" you lift the pot bit out & serve from it directly so there isn't a lot of washing-up either.

Interesting, how do slow cookers differ from oven cooking in a pot? Are they pressurised too?

You can make FABULOUS Boston Baked Beans (vintage war-time recipe!!) in a slow cooker - you need 500g of haricot beans soaked overnight, a big onion (chopped up), 200g of belly pork, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 tablespoons of molasses, 1 tablespoon of mustard and 2 tablespoons of tomato purée - chuck the onion in the slow cooker, add the bit of pork (no need to chop it up, it will disintegrate) then the beans, then the salt, molasses, mustard & tomato purée, add water to cover (barely) et voilà ready for when you come home.

I love putting stuff in the slow cooker & finding it delicious & ready when we all get back from work/school in winter... whole chicken with leeks & pearl barley, stew etc.

I have just bought a slow cooker from John Lewis, cost £22. They are bang on trend now, just like the 1970s! You just put your meat and vegetables in, switch on to low and leave for 8 hours. Result is melt in the mouth delicious. Not a roast really, but inexpensive and so practical if you are out at work all day. Tempting and appetising scents greet you as you open the door.

Find yourself a good butcher, explain your needs (let them have a good laugh) and make orders rather than buy on the spot. You get what you want, they get to know you and anticipate what are strange cuts (we also have Italian type cuts, but our bloke doesn't blink an eye any more). The down side, for good, reliable meat you pay top whack. We think it's worth it and actually we eat less generally to make it all the better when we do.