The Awesome that is Slow Cooking

Imagine if all it took to have a delicious, savory dinner was to put meat in a pot, add some spices, push a button, and let the meal cook itself.  This is all completely possible with a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot.  I have tried this myself on whole chickens and pairs of Cornish hens with great success each time.  The meat is far more moist than if it were roasted in the oven.  It comes out so tender that the meat is falling off the bone.  Instead of carving the meat off with a knife, I can use a spoon.  My favorite method is to use two wooden spatulas to pry the meat from the bone.

Once you have acquired a slow cooker big enough for a whole chicken, there are 3 things you need to make amazing food.  The first step is to chop up some vegetables.  One onion is sufficient, but you could go further and add some chopped carrots and celery.  I cooked a turkey breast yesterday and had no onions, so instead I used chopped leeks.  It was still very delicious.  The chopped vegetables are the first thing to go into the slow cooker, enough to mostly cover the bottom.

The second step is the seasoning.  Mix it up before getting your hands dirty with the meat.  Paprika is a good start to the herb mixture because it adds a lot of color to the mix.  Garlic powder and onion powder add lots of concentrated flavor to the mix.  Cayenne pepper is good both for color and flavor.  Also add a bit of black pepper and salt just to round out the flavor.  Beyond that any herb would be a great addition.  I enjoy thyme, rosemary, sage, and ginger, usually only one or two per mix, but sometimes I go crazy and add everything.  You could even add cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, or chili powder.  Whatever floats your boat.  If you enjoy slow cooked meat, you'll likely be doing this a lot since it is so easy.  Try out different combinations each time you cook and see what you like.

The last ingredient is, of course, the meat.  My rule of thumb is to use a whole chicken or something else of equivalent size.  That way I don't have to fiddle with changing the cook time or amount of other ingredients, and I also know how much food to expect.  Clean it, rub it down with the herb mixture, and put it in the slow cooker.  Add the lid, and set the cooker to high power for four hours.  Bon appétit!