Slow Cookers, Crockpots, and Instant Pots and Safe Cooking Temperatures

Slow cookers, crockpots, and instant pot-type cookers have become incredibly popular for cooking in this busy world we live in. They keep foods moist throughout the cooking process and deliver great-tasting dishes that fit conveniently into our busy lifestyles. The primary concern in any cooking process is ensuring the food reaches a safe serving temperature, and even with these cooking devices, it is necessary to check final temperatures to ensure our food is safe to eat. Your ChefsTemp Finaltouch X10 comes into play here.

Mississippi Pork Pot Roast

Today, we are making a Mississippi Pork Pot Roast in the slow cooker, and we will take final temperatures once the cooking cycle is complete. With a bone-in pork roast, it is critical to reach a final cooking temperature of 155°F (68.3°C) before serving. This is probably one of the most delicious roast recipes I have ever made. It is simple yet incredibly flavorful. It has only five ingredients, but the flavour is impressive, and the roast’s sauce is built right in. Recipe:

• 3-pound pork roast, boneless or bone-in
• 1 packet of ranch seasoning dry mix
• 1 packet au jus sauce dry mix
• 10-12 pepperoncini peppers or any whole preserved peppers of your choice.
• 4 ounces of whole butter

As you can see, the recipe is simple. Now, let’s look at the cooking method and what it does. I am using an Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting. For this roast, use a slow cooker, crockpot, or a programmable cooking pot set to the slow cook setting. I put the Instant Pot to slow cooker mode, set it to high, and set the timer for 6 hours. This should be enough time for the roast to cook thoroughly, and the additional ingredients to combine and create the sauce that flavours this roast. While it cooks, you can walk away and do other things, which is the beauty of this type of cooking. Also, if needed, you can thicken the sauce once the meat is removed from the pan by either reducing it or making a roux or a slurry and adding it to the cooking liquid. During the cooking process, what is happening besides the roast cooking is the ranch mix and au jus combined with the butter, and the cooking juices are going to combine all those flavours and keep the roast moist, as well as making a nice sauce with the flavours of all the ingredients, as well as the peppers. Using a slow cooker helps keep a roast moist. Slow cookers do not release steam or vapour as they cook, which holds all the moisture in the pot. If you have ever experienced a dry roast, you know how unappetizing it is; this cooking method keeps the roast moist and tender, as well as developing intense flavour because the roast is cooking in a highly seasoned cooking liquid, which, in essence, is the process of doing a braised dish. Once the meat is done cooking and at temperature, take it out, shred it, thicken the sauce if necessary, and be ready to serve it with your favourite sides. Today, I am going to serve it with au gratin potatoes and Mexican-style street corn. These go very well with pork roast. You can also do this recipe with a beef chuck roast, using the same ingredients, and get an excellent roast as well—recipes for the au gratin potatoes and corn to follow.

Au Gratin Potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes are a delicious combination of cheese, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and can be baked for a nice, crispy cheese crust or cooked on the stove for a saucier version. Today I am doing the baked version. Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices
• ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• dash nutmeg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C)
• Butter a 1 ½ quart baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter
• Layer in a layer of sliced potatoes
• Sprinkle with cheeses
• Layer another layer of potatoes, then cheese, until the pan is full
• In a bowl, whisk the heavy cream and seasonings, except for the paprika, together and pour into the baking dish
• Top with dots of butter, any remaining cheese, and dust with paprika
• Put in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on top

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Mexican Style Street Corn – Esquites (corn cups):

Elotes refers to corn on the cob, brushed with mayonnaise, rolled in cotija cheese, dusted with cayenne pepper, and served on a stick. Esquites are the same basic dish except the corn is taken off the cob, mixed with mayonnaise and cotija or parmesan cheese, and dusted with cayenne pepper. Ingredients:

• 1 1 ½ cups of corn
• 2 tbsp whole salted butter
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1/3 cup of cotija or Parmesan cheese
• Red pepper (cayenne) for garnish
• Chopped cilantro *optional*

Directions:

• In a pan, heat the corn with a bit of water, a couple of tablespoons and the two tablespoons of whole butter
• Remove from the pan and pour into a bowl
• Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream, and fold in the cheese
• Add the corn to the mayonnaise mixture and fold until completely coated
• Plate it on a plate or in a bowl and garnish with the red pepper.

In Summary

Foods cooked in slow cookers, crockpots, and programmable pots all need to have final cooking temperatures verified, never undercook your foods, and always make sure they reach a safe serving temperature by checking them with your ChefsTemp Final Touch X10.