NSBR: Slow cookers?

[rach3975]

I'm having trouble feeding Lauren because she turns down most of the softer proteins that were my staples with the boys at this age. She likes meat, but when we cook it in the oven even the softer meats are too tough. Can a slow cooker get it soft enough?

To give you an idea of what meat she does well with:
Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store
Grilled chicken from Subway
hot dog (cut up tiny with no skin)
chicken breast baked at home in lots of liquid (she can eat it, but cooked that way it's bland and she doesn't like the taste much)

What do you think--slow cooker or not? Are there any must have features or good recipe sites? Thanks!

[Darcy Baldwin]

I think, in general, beef is always going to be a little harder to serve than chicken because of the structure of beef. but yes, you can cook things in the slow cooker that will come easy to eat. It just takes a lot of cooking..and in some cases, you can just do it in the oven.

Slow cookers just use less energy, create less heat, and take a longer, slower cooking method than ovens. I would never want to live without mine, especially in the summer as it doesn' heat up my kitchen the way the oven does.

[jannylynn]

I've had chicken breast come out really dry in the crockpot. I prefer to bake it in the oven. I keep it covered until it is finished and let it set for about 15 minutes before cutting it. That allows the juices to stay in and makes for a juicy chicken breast like you get at subway. Grilling in a pan works too if you have a butterflied chicken breast. Just keep the heat at about medium.

Look up Sticky Chicken for a roasted chicken that is very similar to rotisserie chicken. You can do it in the CP too. Just make sure you put some foil balls underneith it to allow it to actually roast and not boil.

And I agree with Darcy about the beef and it really is the best thing to cook in a crockpot! Make sure you get a cut that has a bit of marbling in it because that can indicate a softer texture.

Picnic pork roasts are great for the fall-apart yummy goodness!

[jessica31876]

You could probably do pulled pork or pulled beef like they have at BBQ places. Its slow cooked and the meat is all basically soft and falls off the bone. It is shredded and easy to chew. One of my kids favorites when they were young

[lovely1m]

Sounds to me like she has texture issues, thats my biggest problem with meat. My mom tried everything when I was a kid, now I am a vegetarian and have been completely since I was 16 and realized I could just not eat it rather than gag it down. Sorry, I know, not very helpful.

[Stacey42]

Pot roast, rump roast or other roast will get nicely soft in a crock pot. Just don't get too carried away trimming the fat off before you put it in. Lean meat is tougher than fatty meat.

I agree about the chicken breasts drying out in the slow cooker. Bone in thighs work well though

[jessica31876]

Oh yes I agree about the texture issues. Im an adult and still have texture issues. I love fruit of all kinds but the only fruit pie I can really eat is apple. Pretty much any kinds with whole fruit makes me gag. The mushy texture of the fruit makes me sick. I also love cheesecake but if it has fruit topping I scrape it all off.

[rach3975]

Thanks, everyone! I'm a vegetarian too, which is why I know so little about cooking meat. DH does most of the meat cooking, and we eat meatless dinners about half the time.

I don't think it's texture for Lauren, just ease of chewing. I have a hard time giving meat to my almost 4-year old too, and for him texture plays a roll. He has some low tone in his mouth and some sensory issues, so it's always hard to tell how much is due to texture and how much due to weaker chewing. He's probably my future vegetarian. I'll have to look up some recipes, but maybe I'll give the slow cooker a try for both of them.

[MandaT]

Both of my kids prefer pork or chicken over beef. I think it's part texture , but mostly ease of chewing.

Slow cooker definately helps with the tenderness of some cuts, adds to dryness of others...

[Sharon Kay]

Pressure cooker is the way to go if you want tender meat! it's a little more hassle ... but it can make the cheaper tough meats fall apart!

[glumirk]

Also, you can buy the Reynold's bags to cook chicken in to get the same moisture that the grocery store rotisserie chicken has. We buy whole chickens (cheap at like $0.89/lb) and they only take an hour or two in the bag, and because it cooks in its own juices it has a lot of flavor all by itself. We put cornbread stuffing in ours and that was it for seasoning. You can usually find the bags by all of the Ziploc bags and aluminum foil and such.