Slow Cooker

[sauer]

Ninja 14/1 and pressure cooker function is a game changer

 

[TheEngineer]

Well folks, instant pot arrived today. I have a few venison back legs that I've de-boned and made into smaller cuts. Would anyone have any recommendations for recipes/ preparations for the instant pot? If slow cooking, am I better off frying the outside of the meat first?

 

[Ratcatcher]

Silly question here as I've strangely not looked myself, are deer cheeks worth a go as cows are so good? I'm presuming red primarily, I'll have a look next time but don't shoot one every week so over to you who do?

 

[Lancaster]

Press the Saute button, press the temp button to level 6, time 10 mins. When it beeps to say add food put in the venison and brown it off.
Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, a glass of wine, beer or cider and two cups of stock.
Close lid, press pressure cooker button, time 30mins, press the pressure release button to pulse, turn off keep warm.
press start.
Leave it to it, it will pressurise, cook and release the steam on it's own, total time will be about an hour, when it's finished press the Saute button again and thicken the gravy with some cornflour slurry and season to taste.

 

[enfieldspares]

I'm after missing out on the Aldi slow cooker in my neck of the woods. Can anyone recommend a decent one at a reasonable price?
Thanks!

Charity shops are rammed full with them! Try four charity shops and you'll likely find a slow cooker going cheap.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Whatever slow cooker you opt for, it will very quickly change your mind as to which are the most “valuable” cuts from your deer carcass.
The most sinewy pieces from the shanks, shoulders and neck become the tenderest most succulent venison after they have cooked down for a few hours in a casserole or curry.

 

[Olaf]

Slow cookers - can’t stand them. I have always found the food to be utterly flavourless. We were given one. Got rid of it.

You need heat to get caramelisation etc.

I much prefer a cast poikie pot or similar. Flat bottomed so it goes in the oven.

Turn the oven on to a high heat.

But first really brown off the meat on a high heat on the stove top with good load oil. Throw in the onions, brown those off to, then the vegetables etc. add warmed stock etc till is every well covered. Bring to a good simmer.

Put on the lid and put in the oven.

After 30 minutes check and with a wooden spoon scrape all caramelised juices from the lid abd sides back down into the stew. Add more liquid if required.

Give it another 20 minutes and then turn oven off and leave it there till following day.

It will have carried on slow cooking on its on the residual heat. All the meat be falling off the bone and be really soft.

To serve - warm it through, add a pastry lid to make a pie, add vegetables if you want and cook through.

I will do this with a whole shoulder of venison

completely agree, slow cooker = everything tastes of slow cooker. Good food takes time to prepare and cook, some things are quick and easy, others take time and effort. Bottom line is that a slow cooker makes sweaty rank food in most cases. They are good for making stock though.
I used to use one, actually I’ve had a few. I used to use them to cook my week day meals when I was really busy , especially in the winter. My advice is to Buy yourself an Escoffier cook book and learn some simple ways to make good and fresh food. You don’t need to be fancy, quick simple and healthy tasty food is easy and cheap with a little practice and learning.
They have their place, as does a pressure cooker, but the best thing is a little knowledge and effort. My German grandmother, a professional cook, who swept up chicken feed thrown out by Nazis and milled it by hand to make bread for my mother, always taught me that anyone can cook well with money.
a good cook cooks good food with whatever they have available.

Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Sol]

I haven't personally had much issue with slow cookers I just chop the meat off the bone into 2/3" chunks and brown on the stove then pop into the slow cooker.

I do agree though un-browned meat just has that distinct slow cooker taste, Unless its pork I cant stand any soups or stews in the slow cooker the entire house reaks of the smell of whatever meat is in it, if your unfortunate to use pheasant it falls apart and makes everything look gritty.

 

[Morkai]

If you want the meat in a slow cooker browned off, then brown it off in a pan first the same as you would with a pot in the oven.

If you dont want that overly watery steamed food then turn the lid slightly so it isnt sitting right and the steam escapes. It does slow the cooking slightly but you get thicker dishes.

No taste/flavour or lack of either is imparted by a slow cooker.

 

[Olaf]

If you want the meat in a slow cooker browned off, then brown it off in a pan first the same as you would with a pot in the oven.

If you dont want that overly watery steamed food then turn the lid slightly so it isnt sitting right and the steam escapes. It does slow the cooking slightly but you get thicker dishes.

No taste/flavour or lack of either is imparted by a slow cooker.

I’ve found with various models of slow cooker that after they have been used a couple of times, despite being thoroughly cleaned, they developed a distinct slow cooker smell. No amount of cleaning ever seems to get rid of it and that smell is imparted to the final flavour of whatever is cooked in them. It is even noticeable in curries. I’ve never had that problem with my cast iron casserole pots.
That said, all ( I think three in total) slow cookers I’ve had had glazed ceramic cooking vessels , maybe one with a stainless steel bowl or cast iron would not have that problem.
These days though, if I want to do a really easy one pod dish like a stew using tough cuts of meat like shin etc then I use my WMF perfect plus pressure cooker. Unbelievably efficient, doesn’t stink the house out and once up to temperature you could cook on a little tea light candle if you wanted to. A piece of shin or ox cheeks that would normally take 4 hrs of slow cooking is done in 30 to 40 minutes and you can do all the browning of meat etc all in the one pan before adding stock and popping the lid on. Flavour remains fresh and you don’t have this sweaty flavour that I don’t like. They are a bit of a miracle those things. The key is to add fresh herbs and vegetables or mushrooms and so forth at the end of cooking as they don’t hold up well to the high temperatures of a pressure cooker. I’d always go for a stove top pressure cooker though rather than an electric plug and play thing. Much more versatile and you can cook with them out in the field on a couple of fire embers if you want to. You can make a potato and leek soup from scratch with raw vedge in 8 mins cooking time. Dried beans or chickpeas or marrows fat peas only take 40 minutes with no pre soaking either!
Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Morkai]

I’ve found with various models of slow cooker that after they have been used a couple of times, despite being thoroughly cleaned, they developed a distinct slow cooker smell. No amount of cleaning ever seems to get rid of it and that smell is imparted to the final flavour of whatever is cooked in them. It is even noticeable in curries. I’ve never had that problem with my cast iron casserole pots.
That said, all ( I think three in total) slow cookers I’ve had had glazed ceramic cooking vessels , maybe one with a stainless steel bowl or cast iron would not have that problem.
These days though, if I want to do a really easy one pod dish like a stew using tough cuts of meat like shin etc then I use my WMF perfect plus pressure cooker. Unbelievably efficient, doesn’t stink the house out and once up to temperature you could cook on a little tea light candle if you wanted to. A piece of shin or ox cheeks that would normally take 4 hrs of slow cooking is done in 30 to 40 minutes and you can do all the browning of meat etc all in the one pan before adding stock and popping the lid on. Flavour remains fresh and you don’t have this sweaty flavour that I don’t like. They are a bit of a miracle those things. The key is to add fresh herbs and vegetables or mushrooms and so forth at the end of cooking as they don’t hold up well to the high temperatures of a pressure cooker. I’d always go for a stove top pressure cooker though rather than an electric plug and play thing. Much more versatile and you can cook with them out in the field on a couple of fire embers if you want to. You can make a potato and leek soup from scratch with raw vedge in 8 mins cooking time. Dried beans or chickpeas or marrows fat peas only take 40 minutes with no pre soaking either!
Kindest regards, Olaf

My parents have always had a pressure cooker, I've never had one but always meant to get one because as you say, the tough cuts are done well in them.

Cheeks are my favourite, above shin, wouldn't even turn shin down though.

 

[TheEngineer]

Press the Saute button, press the temp button to level 6, time 10 mins. When it beeps to say add food put in the venison and brown it off.
Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, a glass of wine, beer or cider and two cups of stock.
Close lid, press pressure cooker button, time 30mins, press the pressure release button to pulse, turn off keep warm.
press start.
Leave it to it, it will pressurise, cook and release the steam on it's own, total time will be about an hour, when it's finished press the Saute button again and thicken the gravy with some cornflour slurry and season to taste.

Would this work even for a big cut off the leg? Say 2-3 kg?

 

[pob]

Silly question here as I've strangely not looked myself, are deer cheeks worth a go as cows are so good? I'm presuming red primarily, I'll have a look next time but don't shoot one every week so over to you who do?

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone here has tried deer cheek.
(Planning a Muntjac cheek tagine could prove to be a good incentive for meeting my cull plan.)

 

[Olaf]

My parents have always had a pressure cooker, I've never had one but always meant to get one because as you say, the tough cuts are done well in them.

Cheeks are my favourite, above shin, wouldn't even turn shin down though.

I agree, ox cheeks are superb done in the pressure cooker. Get one, the modern ones now are idiot proof so no safety problems like with the old ones.
Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Olaf]

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone here has tried deer cheek.
(Planning a Muntjac cheek tagine could prove to be a good incentive for meeting my cull plan.)

Yup, I have. I did some wild boar cheeks before Christmas, very tasty . Fallow cheeks also good, but you need quite a few to make a decent portion.
Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Lancaster]

Would this work even for a big cut off the leg? Say 2-3 kg?

Will it fit and not be above the 2/3 line in the pot?
If you want it slow cooker style tender I would give it at least an hour probably longer with natural pressure release, this how I cook boned shoulders of venison and lamb.
As you don't lose any liquid from the pot through evaporation keep the amount of water/stock that you add to it down, a couple of cups would probably be enough.
Another option is to vac pack it and use the Sous Vide function.

 

[Lancaster]

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone here has tried deer cheek.
(Planning a Muntjac cheek tagine could prove to be a good incentive for meeting my cull plan.)

Yep, deer cheeks work well but they are a bit of a faff to take off and there isn't much meat, deer tongue is easier to remove and once pressure cooked the membrane peels off really easily.