Is there a rule of thumb for converting slow cooker recipes to conventional cooking, e.g. dutch oven in a slow oven?

I see lots of interesting recipes these days using slow cookers. There is just no way we can fit another gadget in the kitchen. I would like to take the recipes and reverse engineer to the "Brown the meat, cook, the aromatics, add liquids and leave on a slow simmer till done." style. I would be helpful to be able to guess that 10 hours on a slow cooker at low temp is about the same as X hours in a covered pot in a 275 conventional oven.

Uncle Jess
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4 Comments

trampledbygeese
trampledbygeese January 19, 2015
You have the right idea. The whole point of a slow cooker (other than convenience and to save electricity) is low and slow. Usually below 225F (if I remember right). It's excellent for those more affordable cuts of meat that would otherwise be tough as nails. So if you are going for a cut of meat that needs assistance becoming tender, keep the low and slow motto in mind.

I find 10 hours in the slow cooker on low is about 3 to 4 hours in a coolish oven (so about 275 to 300F) or 3 to 5 hours in a dutch oven on the stove at low.

Step one brown the meat (optional)
Step two fry the onions in the fat from the meat, or added fat (also optional)
Step three fry the other veg and herbs (again, optional)
Four, add all the ingredients together in the big dutch oven or lidded pot
Five, add the liquid the slow cooker recipe calls for, then add another quarter cup of liquid

either
a) bring to boil on the stovetop, then turn down to a very low simmer. Check on it every half hour, stir, and adjust liquid as necessary. Serve when everything is tender.
or
b) shove it in the oven on lowish, serve when smells delicious. If done before you are ready to serve, turn off the oven, leave the pot inside and let it hang out with the residual heat, then you can warm it up again 20 min before you serve.

At least that's my experience. I'm off to read some of these great looking links, see what others have to say about converting slow cooker recipes to oven.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx January 19, 2015
Yes, here's one: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-dutch-oven-recipes-to-a-slow-cooker-tips-from-the-kitchn-214539
 
inpatskitchen
inpatskitchen January 19, 2015
Here's an article that may be of some help:
http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/slow-cooker-vs-dutch-oven-a-conversion-guide/
 
Nancy
Nancy January 19, 2015
Don't know of such a guide. There's always the home-experiment way. Take a slow-cooker recipe for something you already know and love, cook in a Dutch oven at medium heat (350-400F) and start testing with your meat thermometer at about halfway through time a regular recipe says it would be done. When internal temp is right, you''ve got dinner and your rough'n'ready rule of thumb.
 
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