“I know that crock pots have changed a lot over the years, and recipes from the early days of crockpotting don’t work the same now; but I haven’t taken time to really study it.”
The new crockpots are HOT! I got one at Lowe’s last Christmas - a good deal and it was smaller than the big one I’ve had for decades. I made the concoction I’ve always made in a crockpot - cubed round steak with cream of stuff soups. Well, on low it was boiling away in just an hour or two. In the old crockpot, it never boiled on low and barely boiled on high.
In googling a bit, it’s the food safety Nazi’s at it again, thinking cooking slow is dangerous. So they have ruined my using crockpots now - without truly being able to SLOW cook, some tough cuts of meat stay tough - boiling just tightens up those fibers even more, according to Mr. Good Eats.
I can’t figure out how to moderate the temperature. The environmental Nazi’s messing up my washing machine temperatures I could get around by managing the hot/cold spigots at the wall. But this one I can’t figure how to to fix.
We had a good one many years ago that ‘died’. Since then, I can’t get one to just simmer, and they all seem to have hot spots.
Maybe if you pay really big bucks you can get something that you can regulate more finely; but the average ones are too hot.
Broke my mom's hand-me-down crock {we're talking 1st gen. Early 60's?)gettin ready for a Christmas bash this year. Bought a new one and went crock pot crazy. Started on a new recipe every 12 hours for 4-5 days. Learned a few things.
It's a great place to cook with acid (i.e. citrus) pre-marinaded meats. It does not take the the place of roasting. Raw beef or pork, not marinated, needs to be cooked prior.
Chicken, plus minus. Depends on the recipe. Soups, stews, small raw chicken pieces fine. Big, pre-cook.
Think of it as much better than simmer on the stove.
Alton is spot on. Fibers tighten. He learned well from Harold McGee. In the process of reading his "On Food and Cooking" by Mr. McGee. Best cook book ever! Then check out Shirley Corriher "The How's and Whys of Successful Cooking".
Better living through knowledge. (Come to think of it that applies to a lot of daily living!)
See if you can find one with a “warm” level on it. That’s what I do with one of mine. I also have a new hot one that has no warmer, so I just turn it off after a while, and wrap a towel around it.
Then I check it and cook more if needed, once it’s burbling, then I turn it off and throw a towel around it. It’s not quite a fix it and forget it, but it still works.
I’m going to try some solar cooking too. Some of those are only about 200 degrees, so that ought to be plenty slow for tough cuts.