How to Slow Cook without a Slow Cooker and 3 Recipes to Help Get You Started
As the temps start to drop and we inch closer and closer to the time change, making the days so much shorter, I start to look for ways to make my apartment cozy and the seemingly perpetual darkness a little more bearable. One of the best ways I’ve found to make my apartment fall/winter cozy ready has been cooking something slowly to get the house smelling amazing. However, I don’t actually have a slow cooker so the idea has been more of a fantasy to me until I started researching how to cook a meal slowly so that I can get those aromas wafting in the house without an actual slow cooker. So if you’re like me and haven’t quite branched out in your kitchen to buy a slow cooker, you can still make that fall, cozy smell fill up your house with some slow cooked food.
Slow Cooking on a Stove Top
Use a stockpot (a large pot with two handles and a lid) for direct heat, ideally made of stainless steel or aluminum.
Brown the meat first then add liquid, seasonings and any other ingredients, with vegetables going in last.
Bring the dish to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes. When done, turn off the heat and allow the dish to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Once the food is cooked, you can also remove it from the cooking liquid and increase the heat to reduce and thicken the sauce before serving.
Slow Cooking in an Oven
For this method, you can use a cast-iron Dutch oven or a cast-iron casserole dish. These dishes will ensure the heat distributes evenly.
Brown the meat on stovetop before placing into dish.
Add browned meat along with vegetables, liquid, herbs, and spices to the Dutch oven.
Let it cook on low heat until the meat is tender.
Converting Slow Cooker to Stovetop or Oven
A slow-cooker setting on low is around 200 degrees, while a slow-cooker setting on high is around 300 degrees. Cooking on a low slow-cooker setting for four to six hours is equivalent to cooking on a high slow-cooker setting for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours
Cook for 15 to 30 minutes in an oven or on a stovetop.
And if you’re looking for some great recipes to cook, my all time favorite go-to recipe maker is Tieghan Gerard of Half-Baked Harvest. She converts her slow cooker recipes into stove top for you and has the most delicious recipes! Here are my top 3 faves to get you started. Happy cozy cooking!!
Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu Pasta