I use a crock-pot a lot in the winter.  They are excellent for foods that genuinely require long cooking, but they are NOT as versatile as many cookbooks would have you believe.  My general rule is, if the original recipe calls for low-temp cooking of 2 or 3 hours, then it will do very well in a crock-pot on low for 5-8 hours.  Think of tough cuts of meat—like a chuck or round of beef, an old hen, that sort of thing—that require long cooking to be tender.

Cuts that are already tender, like pork loin roasts, can work; but why bother, since they don’t need that kind of cooking?  Young chickens like broilers and fryers actually don’t work—the texture comes out kind of weird. 

The biggest trouble with crock-pottery is figuring out how long it takes to cook things.  The units don’t have specific temperature settings, and cooking times vary widely between different models; so you have to get to know your own unit.  Of course, you don’t have to be terribly precise, since you’re stewing the meat; but you still want to cook for a time that is optimal for the meat in question.  It IS POSSIBLE, trust me, to overcook even the toughest cuts.

Probably my favorite winter crock-pot treat is stewed hen.  You will need a real hen, about 6 lb (and 10 months old, if you raise it yourself).  And you will need a large crock pot—6 or 7 qt, not one of the little ones.

1 hen

1 onion, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, cut in half

1 stalk celery, cut in half

1 Tbs kosher salt

15 peppercorns

3 cloves

2 bay leaves

½ tsp dried thyme

Enough water to come within 2″ or so of the rim of the crock.

Cook on low for 5 hours or more.  I am careful not to cook the hen to mush, but it does need to be entirely done and tender.

My crock pot is not vintage, but it is a Rival.  I have been very happy with Rivals in the past, and my new one is no exception.  They invented the crock pot as we know it, and I’m partial to them for that reason.

The chicken is delicious, but the broth—AMAZING.  This is great for soup, obviously, but I often cut up the chicken just for the meat, and drink the broth for lunch.  This recipe also works really well for chicken salad in the summer.  It doesn’t heat up the house!

Crock pots are also fantastic for steamed puddings, like Christmas pudding, fig pudding, treacle pudding—all those wonderful old solid puds.  My 7-qt crock pot easily accommodates a 1½ Imperial-pint basin (1 US quart), which is the largest size I make.

I put a small dishcloth in the bottom of the crock, add about 3 cups of boiling water, and lower the filled and properly tied-down pudding basin onto the cloth. The water should come a bit more than halfway up the sides of the basin.

Cook on high for 5 hours.  Some recipes recommend cooking on high for a couple of hours and then on low for the rest of the time.  I’m too lazy to go to that much trouble.

All the time, Vintage Hamilton Beach or Genuine Rival Crock Pot, roasts, stewed beef, chicken.etc...When you work 12 hours you don't have time to cook....