Slow cooking
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Slow cooking
The slow cook setting gives a very low heat in the oven. It is particularly useful when cooking soups, stews and casseroles because the long slow cooking will make cheaper, tougher cuts of meat more tender.
You need to cook food at gas mark 6 for 30 minutes before you turn the oven down to a slow cook setting. This makes sure that the temperature of the food gets hot enough to start the food cooking.
Some foods such as pastry and biscuits are not suitable for slow cooking because the temperature is too low.
Cover all food during cooking to prevent it from drying out. You can uncover food for the last half hour if it is normally served golden brown.
Food preparation-slow cooking
Joints of meat and poultry
Do not cook meat joints over 2.7kg (6lb). Do not cook poultry over 2kg (4lb 8oz).
Cook on the middle shelf of the oven or above. Cook stuffing separately.
Cook for a minimum of 6 hours.
Joints of pork must only be cooked if you can make sure, by using a meat thermometer, that an internal temperature of at least 88oC has been reached .
For good air circulation always stand joints on a rack in the roasting tin or casserole.
Thaw all frozen meat and poultry before cooking. Prime cuts of meat do not benefit from slow cooking.
lRemove excess fat and skin unless browned first.
Cook for 30 minutes at gas mark 6, then reduce to the slow cook setting.
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