Is the crockpot a crock?

[austin552]

The weather is going to be cold soon and its time to bring out your old friend, the crockpot. I love using my crockpot for soups, stews, chili, etc, etc... My wife says there a crock! I started asking around work and the guys love them and ladies seem to hate them.
What do you think?

[targa911S]

Love mine. set it and forget it.

[M.D. Holloway]

can't beat it for stews and pot roasts.

[legion]

Perfect for a nice, blazing chili in the winter.

[M.D. Holloway]

Why is it that some folks think that chili is just supposed to have just meat in it while others insist it requires red or pinto beans?

[legion]

Chili to me is a tomato-based stew. It has to have chili peppers and tomato, the rest is up to the individual. I prefer a stew meat and black beans in mine, but I've had other very, very tasty variations that have neither.

[Jeff Higgins]

We both work, sometimes very long days. As a result, we both love our crockpot. It's easy to throw stuff in the night before and just turn it on in the morning as we are heading out the door. The breadmaker is pretty cool too, for all the same reasons. Fresh baked bread, hot chili, stew, pot roast, or whatever sure goes down good when we are both tired and eating late.

[VINMAN]

They work pretty good, but I have reservations about leaving them unattended. ( Guess being a firefighter is the reason for that). But also the fact is I love to cook, so I would rather just take the time out to cook thing the old fashioned way!

[MysticLlama]

I love my crockpot, in fact, I just used it Sunday.

I got everything cut up and put in around 9am, Football started at 10am, a few people came over to watch the game, and about the time it was over and Baseball was starting it was ready.

Made for a great lunch. Potatoes (Red and White), Celery, Onion, Green Onion, Carrots, and a big slab of meat.

And of course a proprietary blend of herbs and spices.

[Rondinone]

They're junk! They heat from the bottom and sides, yet the top stays cooler because of air exposure. So the condensation refluxes, and the meat dries out more than it should. Ever notice how liquids separate into layers in one? As in your chili get watery on top. Plus the temperature is all over the map because there is no active temperature control. Real cooks run from them.

My new oven has a slow cook feature that puts my crock pot to shame. And it's safe. And it can shut off automatically. And it controls temperature well. The whole pot plus lid experiences the same temperature, so no reflux.

I've had two and they were both junk. The crock pot is one of the great kitchen hoaxes of the 20th century.

[djmcmath]

Crock pots are the ultimate bachelor tool. Half an hour prep the night before, drop it in the fridge overnight, then put it on before you leave for work, and you've got dinner waiting when you get home. It's the greatest single benefit of being married, at a fraction the price!

Rondinone, you should get a covered crock -- mine has a nice glass lid so the heat stays inside. Works like a charm. The only thing I'd like better is if it mixed it slowly during the day, like turn everything over once an hour or so.

I agree that chili is just a tomato based stew, though I definitely prefer a little meat (steak is optimal), and it almost has to be pretty spicy. If you don't put fresh chopped chili peppers in your chili, you may be doing something wrong.

Am I the only one who puts celery in my chili?

[RallyJon]

Originally posted by djmcmath
If you don't put fresh chopped chili peppers in your chili, you may be doing something wrong.

Unless you use chipotles instead. Yum.

[M.D. Holloway]

Celery is a must as are onions, habanero's, green & red chili's, cayennes and jalapenos. Not too much of the habanero's - they can over power for sure. A little mustard powder and some ginger rounds out the offering and provides a robust warmth that is full and not too much on either end. There a re a few other things that go into a finearse chili but that would be give'n away

For you geeks out there - here is what makes your fav pepper hot - what you feel in terms of heat is pain from the sulfur bonds of the proteins getting cleaved. The cells in the months get damaged and it sends a responce to your nervous systems to act accordly of suffer, then the prostoglandins kick in, inflammation ensues, the blood vessels react and dilate and you begin to sweat! Ain't science cool!

[targa911S]

Beans or no beans is as old an arguement as Mac or PC.

[vash]

good chili has beer in it. i like sierra nevada pale ale. and no beans. my next pot of chili, i am gonna experiment. i plan on putting a shank bone in for the connective tissue/gelatin flavor "mouth feel".

beans are cook on their own, with a leftover ham bone.
i dont have a crock pot.

[Drago]

Celery in chili? WTF? The only vegys allowed in my chili is Walla Walla sweet onions and of course tomatos. Well, OK, and garlic.

Oh, and no damn beans either!

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally posted by vash
good chili has beer in it. i like sierra nevada pale ale. and no beans. my next pot of chili, i am gonna experiment. i plan on putting a shank bone in for the connective tissue/gelatin flavor "mouth feel".

beans are cook on their own, with a leftover ham bone.
i dont have a crock pot.

Beer, ok but Shark Bone? You may be on to something or you'll end up getting your guests sick! Iv'e thickened mine with a lil starch and even breadcrumbs but not Shark Bone. Wouldn't that give it a fishy flavor? Then again, fish chili might be interesting? A nice blend of ground halibit, cod and crab meat with some oysters in a chopped tomato & onion base with celentro and basel and just enough pepper. hmmmm

[vash]

shank bone fool!

like from a cow. mike you funny....

[targa911S]

Fish chili is called boulliabase (SP)

[targa911S]

Originally posted by vash
shank bone fool!

like from a cow. mike you funny....

OH NO his vision is failing too! Mike, how many fingers do I have up?