Someone please explaine how a crock pot works...

[OneAcreFarm]

Duck just doesn't work in the crock pot. Better to roast it on a rack. Also, if you brown the meat first, you won't have that blood issue. Heat a pan with some oil and then brown the meat on all the exposed sides before you put it in the crock pot. The only think I DON'T do this with is rabbit or chicken. But beef or lamb or any red meat absolutely should be browned first.

 

[mountainrabbits]

I found some results by googling "crock pot rack" or "slow cooker rack", but to get one that fits you'll want to search with your specific model information.

I second (third?) the recommendation for stews & chili. Also apple butter! You hardly have to stir it at all, and you can leave it to cook while you sleep. Just prop the lid up a bit with some wooden spoons to let the steam escape.

That brings up one of the other advantages. Sure, you can cook things that need hours in the oven or on the stovetop, but then you have to be there the whole time, not actively cooking necessarily, but nearby just in case. With a crock pot you can dump things in it and then leave the house without worrying about it burning down.

SB

Apple butter?Sounds delicious! How do you make yours?

 

[Rustina]

Chicks, if you don't like the taste of blood in your red meats you can soak them in salted water, in the fridge over night. Before use take them out dump the water off and rinse the meat. We always do this with venison and it gets a good bit of the blood out.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HM ... ative=9325 May be too big, but the next thing on their list was a 6 quart cooker such as you have. Crockpots (also called slow cookers) are, as others have mentioned, very useful for tough meat and stews. I use mine for beef roasts (add a can of cream of mushroom soup before you put the meat in, then any other veggies after), stew, and hambone with dried 15 bean soup. Allow at LEAST 8 hours though, or other methods work better. As for duck . . . it became my "specialty" at medieval feast recreations while I could afford it storebought (can't anymore ). I had pulled out an electric rotisserie someone gave us one Christmas, it holds them vertically and twirls them in front of the element. Not sure what temp it is, but I'd hazard about 350 degrees F. 2 hours and the skin is nicely browned with the meat still succulent. In a regular oven, tent roasts, hams or birds in foil, shiny side to the meat and a little air space except at bottom, cook recommended time then pull foil away and add 20 minutes to brown.

New to rabbit raising, but 40+ years cooking experience