Breville BSC100 Adapting liquid amounts, Preparing meat and poultry, Browning before slow cooking

A beginner’s guide to slow cooking continued

Adapting liquid amounts

When food is cooking in your Avance Meal Maker 3, most moisture is retained. To allow for this when using traditional recipes it is advisable to halve the liquid content.

However, after cooking if the liquid quantity

is excessive, remove the lid and operate the Avance Meal Maker 3 on the High setting for 30-45 minutes or until the liquid reduces by the desired amount.

Alternatively, the liquid can be thickened by adding a mixture of cornflour and water.

Preparing meat and poultry

Select the leanest cuts when purchasing meat. Trim the meat or poultry of any visible fat. If possible, purchase chicken portions without the skin. Otherwise, the slow cooking process will result in the fat melting and creating extra liquid .

Whole chickens may release a large amount of liquid and fat when using the slow cooking process.

For casserole-type recipes, cut the meat into cubes, approximately 2.5cm to 3cm. Slow cooking allows less tender cuts of meat to be used.

Browning before slow cooking

Pre-browning meat and poultry, prior to slow cooking, seals in the moisture, intensifies the flavour and provides more tender results, whilst producing richer flavours in other food, such as onions, capsicums and leeks. Pre-browning may take a little extra time, and whilst not strictly necessary, the rewards are evident in the end results. Use a non- stick pan to reduce the amount of oil required.

Roasting

Pot roasting

The addition of liquid is required for pot roasting. Place sufficient liquid into the removable crockery bowl to cover up to a third of the meat. Meat will not brown during the pot roasting process. For browner results, seal in a frypan before pot roasting.

Suitable cuts for pot roasting

Beef	Beef topside, blade, silverside
	roasts, rolled brisket.
Lamb	Forequarter, shank, shoulder.

Stirring the food

Little or no stirring is required when using the Low setting placed in the centre of the removable crockery bow. However, stirring the food when using the High setting ensures even flavour distribution.

Suitable meat cuts for slow cooking

Beef	Beef chuck, skirt, round steak,
	boneless shin (gravy) beef,
	bone-in shin (Osso Bucco)
Lamb	Lamb shanks, drumsticks
	(frenched shanks), neck chops,
	best neck chops, boned out
	forequarter or shoulder
Veal	Diced leg, shoulder/forequarter
	chops and steaks, neck chops,
	knuckle (Osso Bucco)
Pork	Leg steaks, diced belly, diced
	shoulder, boneless loin chops

Roasting meats in the Avance Meal Maker 3 creates tender, flavoursome results that are easy to slice. The long, slow, covered cooking process breaks down and softens the connective and muscle tissue within the meat. Cheaper cuts of meat can be used to provide perfect results cooked by this method. Meat will not brown during the roasting process, so for browner results seal in a frypan before roasting.

The addition of liquid is not required for roasting. Elevate the meat to be roasted on an inverted, heatproof saucer or plate placed in the centre of the removable crockery bowl. This will assist in keeping the surface of the meat dry and free from any fat released throughout the cooking process.

Veal	Shoulder/forequarter.
Pork	Loin, neck.

Preparing vegetables

Vegetables should be cut into small even-sized pieces to ensure more even cooking. Frozen vegetables must be thawed before adding to other foods cooking in the Avance Meal Maker 3.

When cooking vegetables and meat together in the Avance Meal Maker 3, the vegetables can cook at a slower rate than the meat. To gain the best results, position the vegetables on the base and sides of the Avance Meal Maker 3 and place the meat on top.

Suitable cuts for roasting

Beef	Blade, rump, rib roast, sirloin,
	fresh silverside, topside.
Lamb	Leg, mid loin, rack, crown roast,
	shank, shoulder, mini roasts.
Veal	Leg, loin, rack, shoulder/forequarter.
Pork	Loin, neck, leg, (remove skin and
	fat), racks.

Preparing dried beans and pulses

If time permits, overnight soaking of dried beans and pulses is preferable. After soaking, drain and place in the removable crockery bowl and cover with sufficient water to reach double their volume. Cook beans on the High setting for 2-4 hours or until tender. Pre-soaked beans and pulses will cook a little faster.

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