How to Slow Cook Without a Slow Cooker? [Top Alternatives]
Anyone who wants to have hot and tender homemade meals would definitely loves the slow cooker. And also, it is a lifesaver for working people who hardly have the time to cook a meal after coming home in the evening. Now, it is questionable to you how to slow cook without a slow cooker if you do not have an aforesaid electric pot. Fortunately, there are some alternative procedures that you can use and follow for slow cooking, although you cannot afford a slow cooker at the moment.
What is Slow Cooking?
As the name of the concept suggests, slow cooking means cooking food slowly in a rounded, lidded pot. So, this cooking method takes a long period of time than the usual time for meal preparation. This method is good for stews, sauces, soups, and especially for tougher cuts of meat.
Most importantly, slow cooking can be introduced as a healthy way of preparing food since we do not need any fat to cook the meal. In the same way, it is a good choice rather than buying unhealthy fast food and pre-packaged meals after the work. Another advantage of slow cooking is that the dish’s essential vitamins, moisture, and flavour do not vanish during this cooking process. And this is a pocket-friendly cooking method because we need less energy.
What is a Slow Cooker (Crock-pot)?
The first slow cooker was made in the 1940s in the United States of America as a need of working women who came late in the evening with no time to prepare dinner. This electrical cooking appliance mainly has two parts, the cooking pot, and the lid. The cooking pot is usually made of glazed ceramic, while the lid is made of glass. When it comes to the capacity of the slow cooker, you can use it from 500ml to 7L. And depending on your need, you can use low (80 C) or high (90 C) temperatures to cook the meal for four hours till eight hours. The slow cooker is capable of simmering your food at a lower temperature for a long period of time, preserving its flavours and nutrition.
Is Slow Cooking Suitable for Any Food?
It is arguable if you can do this method for each and every food. In comparison, it is most suitable to use this method for tough cuts of meats such as pork and beef and callous vegetables such as varieties of potatoes, carrots etc.
How to Slow Cook Without a Slow Cooker?
There are a few types of methods which you can use as an alternative for slow cooking using your already-available kitchen appliances. These methods will be highly beneficial for you because you will not face the drawbacks of the slow cooker then. Especially, if you do not need to use a slow cooker every single day, you can try these methods whenever you want. The oven, stovetop, and sous vide can do the function of a slow cooker.
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Method of Stovetop
The stovetop provides heat from the bottom of the pot. The pot you are going to use for slow cooking should be a large one since it has to bear a lot of liquid. You can use water, stock water, or even wine as you wish for the liquid. And make sure to use a pan which does not make of stainless steel or aluminium because such pans might react passively with acidic ingredients such as vinegar. And if you are wondering what pot is the best for this procedure, the answer is stockpot. It is large enough and has two handles and a lid. Paying attention to these kinds of each and every detail will help you to achieve the best results without any disappointment in the end.
Next, you can add your vegetable and meat with enough liquid to simmer in the pot. The cooking time may vary depending on the recipe, and you have to stir the mixture once or twice; it prevents the ingredients from sticking to the pot. And the stovetop takes 35 to 45 minutes to cook the meals, while the slow cooker takes six to eight hours to cook the same meal with a low-temperature setting. If you have selected a high-temperature setting, the slow cooker takes ten hours for the meal preparation.
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Method of Oven
In the method of the oven, the heat comes from all sides, so it helps to cook the meal evenly. It is better if you can use a cast-iron Dutch oven or cast-iron casserole due to their ability to distribute even heat. For this method, you have to use a baking dish with a lid, and the time that the slow cooker takes should be divided by four to calculate the time for this method. If you wish to cook meat using this method, you have to brown the meat before on a stovetop. When you slow cooking using an oven, you have to check the temperature regularly since there may be a chance to overcook. And the oven consumes high energy when compared with the slow cooker.
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Method of Sous Vide
Sous vide is a thermometer, and it can be inserted into the water. And you can try this method with any of your pan. What you have to do is to attach the sous vide stick to the pan. To follow this method, first, you have to seal and vacuum your vegetables, fish or meat. Secondly, the sous-vide stick should be set to the core temperature. After that, you can put the sealed dish packets in the water to float. This method is more beneficial than others because it will preserve the flavours of the vegetables and flesh since you pre-vacuum them. And you can control the temperature of sous vide; therefore, it is more convenient than the oven method.
You can choose whatever method is the best for you from the above list. And we hope there is no question any longer for you as to how to slow cook without a slow cooker.
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