Slow cooking with Thermomix® is all about relaxing and building up flavours. Cooking ingredients over a longer period of time brings out deep flavour in a wide variety of different ingredients, both sweet and savoury. Simply prepare the ingredients, then sit back and unwind for up to 8 hours while Thermomix® does the cooking for you. Slow cook your favourite recipes ahead of time, and freeze to have dinner always ready when time is short.
The Slow Cook mode is ideal for cooking economical cuts of meat such as chicken thighs, pork shoulder, lamb shoulder and beef brisket, which are typically tough if cooked for a short amount of time.
To create your own recipe, start by referring to a similar Thermomix® recipe for inspiration. Then place all your ingredients and seasonings in the mixing bowl, evenly distributed around the mixing knife. Add enough liquid such as broth or sauce to just cover the ingredients, mix well using spatula, select the time and temperature (use the settings from your reference recipe) and start the Slow Cook mode. Your chosen ingredients will become soft and succulent after slow cooking in Thermomix®.
• To freeze your slow cooked recipes, allow to cool to room temperature before freezing. Freeze in dishes that can be reheated in the oven, when defrosted.
• Use the blade cover for more sensitive ingredients such as chicken or beans, or to avoid shredding the meat.
• You can use either fresh or frozen ingredients for slow cooking. When using frozen ingredients, thaw meat, poultry or frozen vegetables thoroughly before cooking.
• To ensure even cooking, cut the pieces to roughly the same size and thickness.
• Fat won’t drain away when slow cooking meat, so it is best to trim away any fat before starting.
• For a deeper and richer flavour, before you start slow cooking, use basic High Temp. recipes to brown the meat and sauté or caramelise onions, shallots or leeks.
• Enhance the flavour by adding spices or herbs at the beginning of cooking.
• Pasta, rice or fresh ingredients that need a short cooking time such as spinach, broccoli, peas, courgettes and fresh herbs, can be added and cooked at the end of the slow cooking time.
• Stir in milk, sour cream or cream cheese at the end for a rich texture and fresh taste.
• Add 10 g flour at the beginning of the recipe.
• Add a mixture of 15 g of cornflour and 15 g cold water at the end of the recipe and bring it to a simmer.
• Use Thermomix® to reduce the sauce: at the end of cooking, either drain the stew through the simmering basket or Varoma dish or remove the main ingredients with tongs. Place cooking liquid in mixing bowl, place simmering basket in place of measuring cup on mixing bowl lid and reduce 10-15 min/Varoma/speed 1.
• Use a maximum of 800 g meat.
• To protect against oxidation, add any acidic ingredient such as tomato, wine, vinegar or lemon juice.
• Use pre-cooked or canned red kidney beans, as the temperatures reached by slow cooking are not high enough to kill the naturally occurring toxins.
