Is there a difference between baking and baking in a slow cooker?
In some multicookers, baking also means baking, in others these are two different modes. In fact, there are differences. So, if the “baking” mode assumes a temperature of 120-130 degrees, then for baking it is slightly higher - in some multicookers the baking temperature is 170 degrees.
So, baking food in a slow cooker takes much less time than baking. The principle is very similar to baking: everything is heated to a high temperature, as a result the internal structure of the products boils and they become juicy and soft.
Delicious pork chop
People say that only representatives of the stronger half of humanity can cook delicious meat. But no. A true homemaker can give any man a head start in the culinary field. All you have to do is bake carbonade and feed it to your household. Believe me, this deliciousness will make them swallow their tongues.
Ingredients:
- fresh frozen pork carbonate – 1 kg;
- ground pepper mixture – ½ teaspoon. spoons;
- refined vegetable oil – two tablespoons. spoons;
- salt;
- garlic - one head;
- soy sauce - three tables. spoons;
- laurel leaves – 10-12 pieces;
- grain mustard – 3 teaspoons. spoons.
Preparation:
- As has already been said many times, it is better to take chilled or fresh-frozen meat tenderloin. We will immediately rinse it with filtered water and soak up excess moisture with paper towels.
- Pour the specified amount of soy sauce into a separate bowl. Add grain mustard and a mixture of ground peppers.
- Stir all ingredients vigorously until the marinade reaches a uniform consistency.
- Place a whole piece of pork tenderloin into a bowl with high sides and rub thoroughly with marinade on all sides.
- It is better to choose carbonate with a layer of fat, then after baking the meat will turn out even juicier and more flavorful.
- Place whole laurel leaves on top.
- Transfer the pork chops into a thick plastic bag or wrap them in film. Leave it like this in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- After the allotted time has passed, remove the bag and laurel leaves. Rub a piece of meat with coarse salt and pour over the remaining marinade.
- Pour a couple of tablespoons of refined vegetable oil into the frying pan. Heat it up and transfer the carbonade into the frying pan.
- Fry it over maximum heat until an amber crust appears.
- We remove the surface husk from the garlic head, but do not completely peel the cloves.
- Place the garlic head along with the carbonation in a multi-cooker container.
- Pour in a couple of glasses of filtered water, you can use warm boiled water.
- We activate the “Baking” program mode and set the timer for 50 minutes.
- After the allotted time has passed, keep the baked meat for another 10-15 minutes in automatic heating mode.
- You've probably never tried such a delicious carbonate before. By the way, this meat dish will be an excellent alternative to sausages.
Benefits of baking in a slow cooker
Baked foods are much healthier than fried or boiled foods. This way you will retain much more of their beneficial properties. Baking food in a slow cooker is much easier than in an oven: you definitely won’t burn your hands, and you don’t need to constantly open the oven.
In addition, all dishes are prepared without fat and in their own juice, which allows you to feel their real taste.
The good thing about baking in a slow cooker is that you don’t have to turn on the oven and swelter in the heat during the warmer months.
Talented unit
The creators of the device tried to do everything to ensure that the device has a sufficient number of modes, each of which will make it possible to prepare a certain type of dish. And it’s up to the developers to add many additional functions. Finally, users test whether the slow cooker can recreate dishes from the stovetop or oven and conduct their own experiments.
Each multicooker comes with a recipe book. Some models have more than a hundred of them. You can focus on this Talmud, or even better, diversify your horizons with tasty advice from various thematic sites and forums.
One thing is clear - this unit does everything to be as useful as possible thanks to:
- its versatility (the ability to stew, steam, fry, bake);
- the ability to preserve beneficial properties, vitamins and minerals in products;
- reliability of use (food will not burn or run out, and upon completion of cooking it will simply go into heating);
- saving time and products;
- mobility and compactness.
All these and other points are confirmed by the practical talents of the device.
What's best to bake?
Meat products and poultry, for example, a whole chicken, are primarily suitable for baking in a slow cooker. Try baking a piece of pork, a whole potato, a whole fish. This mode is also suitable for baking fruit and preparing homemade sausage, brisket and boiled pork. You can also bake ribs. This mode is also suitable for roasting vegetables. But most often this mode is used for cooking meat, fish and poultry.
You can use this program simply if you want dishes with a golden brown and aromatic crust.
Healthy vegetables
Any product cooked using this technique will retain all its beneficial properties. Especially if you steam it in a slow cooker. However, it is better to set the time manually for each ingredient (similar to the traditional method). It would be best to pre-cut it into large pieces. But you should be prepared for the fact that vegetables will differ from those prepared in the traditional way: for example, potatoes boiled using a steaming technique are more sticky and stick to your hands when cut into salads.
In this way, you can cook beets in a slow cooker: the vegetable is peeled, washed under running water and placed on a special steamer basket. There should be at least a liter of water in the container underneath. Now it is enough to turn on “Steaming” for 40 minutes - at the end of the process you can be sure that all the useful vitamins and elements remain in the product and do not go into the water.
How to defrost food
That's not all - a multicooker can help thaw food from the freezer. You can speed up the process by placing the ice cube on the steamer basket and turning on the steaming mode. 8-12 minutes are enough for the piece to become soft. Each product - meat, vegetables or poultry - will defrost depending on the degree of icing, but it is better for the user to periodically check under the lid so that they do not cook: the power of the devices is different.
So, to the question of what can be done in a slow cooker, we confidently answer: “Everything!” It’s better to start with the recipes from the book included with the model, and then feel free to experiment and move towards new culinary horizons.
Special condensed milk recipe
The capabilities of the unit are not limited to soups, vegetables and boiled eggs. Many users go further, suggesting cooking condensed milk in a slow cooker. The recipe will be as follows.
- The ingredients you will need are 2 multi glasses of sugar, 5 multi glasses of milk and a little soda (on the tip of a knife).
- First, sugar is poured into the container, after which milk (fresh, with 3.2% fat content) is poured. Soda is added to prevent it from curdling during cooking.
- The cooking modes found in the recipes mentioned are different: if you set “Steaming”, you can select 60 minutes. In the case of the “Extinguishing” command, the time will be 2.5 hours. The whole secret is that the excess liquid must be boiled away.
- There is one more important detail in how to cook condensed milk: you should not increase the portions yourself. Still, there is milk here, which will boil and there is a risk that if there is too much, it will simply begin to crawl out of all the cracks of the device (which can ruin the equipment).
If you follow the prescribed rules, the result will be tasty and aromatic condensed milk, which is many times more useful than store-bought analogues.
Recipes with foil
How to cook fish
First, the selected fish is cleaned, it must be gutted and washed. After this, you need to rub it with salt and seasonings, and if desired, put greens inside. You can add potatoes to the fish, which should be sprinkled with oil. After this, all the ingredients are wrapped in foil and carefully placed in the multicooker bowl. You need to set it to “Stew” mode and wait forty minutes before cooking the dish.
Cooking meat
To make the meat cook faster, you can lightly beat it. You can use sour cream sauce with herbs and garlic as a marinade. Meat will go well paired with vegetables. You need to choose the same mode and wrap it well in foil. Forty minutes will be needed to cook the poultry meat.
If you use fattier meat, such as pork or beef, you should be aware that it will take longer to cook. This meat goes well with rosemary and basil. It must be additionally greased with soy sauce and spices added to taste. The resulting meat is wrapped in foil, after which it is placed in a bowl. In the multicooker, you must select the “Baking” mode, which is set for two hours. If the meat is cooked with vegetables, it is better to make small cuts in it so that it is soaked in juice.
Bottom line
Considering all the functionality of the equipment, we can conclude that foil can be used in a multicooker. It's quite safe. You should definitely follow all the advice. Thus, it is possible to prepare low-calorie and juicy foods. You can enjoy delicious and unusual food without much effort.
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