Slow Cooker Expert Interview

Best Tips for Slow-Cooker Stews, Chilis & Curries



It is hard enough to make healthy, hearty stews and chilis on the stovetop, where you
Have the benefit of browning and reduction to come up with big, bold flavors, not to mention
Total control of temperature to ensure that everything is cooked correctly. But in the
Slow cooker, achieving this is even harder.
Sure, the moist, gentle heat of the slow cooker helps nourish lean proteins without much
Additional fat, but it took some test kitchen creativity to come up with slow-cooker stews and
Chilis that were equally healthy and worthy of the dinner table. Here is what we have
learned. (For more information, see our guide on chicken and vegetable broths and their
sodium contents.)
Handle Vegetables with Care
We worked hard to pack our stews with interesting combinations of vegetables, so
Naturally we also focused a great deal of focus on ensuring that they were perfectly cooked.
For stews that had a short stay in the slow cooker, sturdier vegetables like potatoes and
Carrots, depending on how large they have been cut, just couldn't cook through properly. In
These instances, we parcooked them before adding them into the slow cooker. For longercooking
Stews, the reverse was often the case, with vegetables turning mushy,
In these instances, we often needed to slow down their
Cooking by insulating them in a foil package and placing it on top of the stew.
Recipe Testing: Thai Eggplant Curry
Adjust the Proportion of Meat to Vegetables
Meat stews are traditionally heavy on the meat and light on the vegetables. In order to
Create healthier stews, we restricted the quantity of meat to 4 ounces (once trimmed) per
Person and added plenty of extra vegetables--this kept portion sizes ample but trimmed
Fat and calories substantially.
For a slow-cooker chili that was both healthy and out of the ordinary, we looked for a
Way to pair sweet potatoes with a Southern staple: earthy black-eyed peas.

Over the years, we have discovered that the microwave is a great ally when generating slowcooker
recipes. In many (but not all) recipes it can eliminate the need to get out a skillet,
Especially if you're just softening aromatics and blooming spices. As an added benefit,
This method usually requires less fat--only a teaspoon or two of oil. In our recipes, when
We add delicate fresh vegetables at the end of a long cooking time, we often simply
"steam" them in the microwave with a little water before adding them into the slow cooker.
This helps the vegetables cook without any loss of taste and ensures that they stay



The moist heat environment and long cooking times that come with the slow cooker are
Notorious for muting tastes, so many stews need a flavor boost before serving. you'll
See that we often finish our stews (and other dishes) using fresh herbs, citrus juice,
Vinegar, or other yummy ingredients, like brown sugar and coconut milk.
Think Differently About Thickeners
Since there is no opportunity for stews to reduce and thicken naturally in the moist
Surroundings of the slow cooker, thickeners are often essential. Classic fat- and flourbased
Roux add unwanted work (and fat) because they require additional stovetop cooking to
Remove the raw flour taste. So when possible, we try to utilize ingredients already in the
stew to help thicken it. We've found success processing parts of canned beans
And frozen corn before building the stew base, or completing a stew by mashing a few of
The cooked beans and vegetables. If all else fails, we typically catch Immediate tapioca,
Which we've found through the years to be a great no-fuss thickener which can be stirred
In at the start.