How to Use an Oven As a Slow Cooker
Your life is busy. You are juggling a career, a family, a home and you are wondering how to prepare meals while getting other things done. Slow cooking is the answer and it can be done in your home oven. You don't have to buy a slow cooker. You may have all the supplies right in your kitchen. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Heavy pot, preferably cast iron, with a lid
- Regular oven, gas or electric
- Aluminum foil
- Meat temperature gauge
- Your favorite slow cooker recipe or the following ingredients:
- Piece of meat (beef or pork roast)
- Spices
- Water or other liquid
- Vegetables (potatoes, carrots)
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Make sure your meat and vegetables are all washed and ready for cooking. Season the meat with your spices or follow your slow cooker recipe for preparing the ingredients.
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Turn oven on. Set temperature to 200 degrees.
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3
Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your roasting pan or heavy pot.
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Place your meat in the center of the pot and then the vegetables around the meat. Add water or other liquid (wine works nicely or a combination of vegetable juice and water). Make sure the liquid just covers the meat and vegetables. Don't overflow the pot.
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5
Cover the contents of the pot with another piece of aluminum foil.
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6
Cover the pot with the right lid. Make sure lid is tight. Place the pot on the center top shelf of the oven.
Cooking
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Cooking time is roughly seven hours (depends on type of meat and size). Check the pot around four hours into the process. Check the water level and look for bubbling and any burning. Meat and vegetables should be cooking, not burning. Slight bubbling is normal.
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Turn the pot 180 degrees after checking the pot. Check the temperature of your oven with a gauge to make sure it is still at 200 degrees.
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After the seventh hour is up, open pot and slowly slice a piece of the meat and check for doneness. Meat should be flowing clear liquids at this point.
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If doneness is not to your likening, place pot back in oven and continue cooking for the next hour. Vegetables should not be mushy but soft and ready to eat.
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Once done, let meat set in pot for at least five minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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Tips & Warnings
Try to cook the meat on your off day or on the weekend as you are doing housework or other activities. Different sauces such as barbecue or soy sauce can be added instead of water to the pot. Experiment with various liquids and try different grades of meat in your "slow cooker" pot.
Note - it does cost more to run the oven than a standard slow cooker (especially if you are using a gas oven). Don't keep opening the oven; let the meat cook. Make sure the water/liquid level is not too low or too much. Slow cooking requires just the right amount of liquid.
