Who says you can't make "Slow Cooker" meals in the Thermomix?
I admit, when I went to a demo as a customer I thought I would have to hold onto my slow cooker, but it is long gone (along with all my other appliances). I loved the smell of a slow cooked meal filling my house, so nice in winter. It was also great for me when I was working full time or if I wanted to cook up a big batch of curry.
Why slow cook your food?
Slow cookers generally cook your food between 80-90C for 6-8 hours.
You can put everything in the one pot which means less washing up.
The low cooking temperature means that generally speaking your food doesn't burn or stick to the bottom.
Disadvantages to using a slow cooker
From my experience I always found my slow cooker would leave a lovely crusty 'ring' around the top edge of the liquid which could be tricky to clean off.
I have read that every time you remove the lid of your slow cooker during cooking to check the contents or give it a stir, you should increase the cooking time by 20 minutes to compensate for the large loss of heat escaping from the lid.
Each time you remove the lid you are also losing temperature, and when the temperature drops below 70C you run the risk of harmful bacteria growth.
Meat ideally should be defrosted the night before if you are intending on putting the slow cooker on in the morning before work and letting it cook all day, due to the increased risk of bacteria growth while the meat goes from frozen to 70c.
Cooking all day cost more money than cooking for 1-2 hours!
Benefits of 'Slow Cooking' with the Thermomix
The accurate temperature control of Thermomix gives you peace of mind when you are cooking at low temperatures.
Meals that you would have cooked in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours can be cooked in anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
All your chopping and prep-work can be done for you in the Thermomix, meaning less time and less washing up.
You don't have to worry about stirring, food sticking to the bottom or burning.
You can use your Varoma while you slow cook! You can increase the temperature for the last 20 minutes to Varoma temperature, and then steam additional vegetables, dumplings, potatoes, bread, eggs etc in the Varoma at the same time, giving you more volume to your meal as well as evaporating excess liquid. Great for larger families!
Want some tips?
I generally slow cook my casserole type meals in the Thermomix for 2 hours on 80c, reverse speed soft. Then if I want to reduce liquid down or steam anything extra as mentioned above, I increase the temperature for a further 20 minutes to varoma temperature.
Recipes to try
My #1 Favourite: Slow Cooked Beef Chilli
Beef Stroganoff
Lamb Casserole
Beef & Red Wine Stew
Lamb Shanks (yes you read that right!)
Chicken & Rice Bracarense Style
Any of your current slow cooker recipes you can use with your Thermomix. If you are unsure how, just ask your consultant.
Please keep in mind, I am not an expert...I am just a regular mum and home cook, who happens to use her Thermomix for just about everything!! These are my opinions and not those of Thermomix in Australia or Vorwerk International.
