I was looking for slow cooker recipes online the other day.
I came across a site that said not to use wine in the slow cooker as it doesn’t ‘cook-off’ like it would in a skillet or Dutch oven.
Oops…….
The article stated that the wine would impart an ‘unpleasant alcohol’ taste to the food.
Okay – I agree that the heat from a slow cooker, and the fact that steam doesn’t readily escape, could cause more of the alcohol to remain.
To be honest, not being concerned I simply never thought about it. I use wine for the flavor it gives and, in slow cooker recipes I have been using much less than I would in other cooking methods.
Until now.
This pork recipe is a wine-based dish and that is the only liquid used. I made it before I read the article saying that I shouldn’t.
We both loved it…. It had exactly the hearty, wine-y flavor we had anticipated with no ‘unpleasantness’ at all.
Maybe the author of the article used cheap wine……
Always cook with a wine you would be happy to drink.
Slow Cooker Pork in Red Wine
Total time: 7 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless pork chops, about 1″ thick, cut in half
- 2 medium red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbs parsley
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) red wine
- 1/2 tsp beef base
- 2 tbs tapioca
Instructions:
- Put onions in the slow cooker.
- Top with chops in a single layer.
- Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chops.
- Cover and cook, low heat, for 3 hours.
- Uncover, quickly give it a stir and turn the chops.
- Cover and cook for 3 1/2 hours.
- Remove bay leaves and serve.
You can find more Slow Cooker Recipes here.
Continuing with my random re-posts of herbs and spices – here are a few herb blends you can easily make yourself:
Fines Herbes
2 tbs parsley 1 tbs chervil
1 tbs lovage 2 tsp green dill weed
2 tsp tarragon
Herbes de Provence
4 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried tarragon
2/3 tsp dried lavender flower 1/2 tsp celery seeds
1 crushed bay (laurel) leaf
Italian Herbs
4 tsp dried basil 3 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried marjoram 2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sage 1 tsp dried garlic flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
Mixed Herbs
4 tsp dried thyme 2 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried mint
3/4 tsp dried marjoram 1/2 tsp dried parsley
long time ago we set the rule: if one of you won’t drink it, don’t cook with it. So I’ll cook with HIS reds and MY whites.
Absolutely – besides, what would you do with the rest if you can’t drink it?
One of our favourite dishes is a “drunken pork” made with pork goulash and red wine. I also do a version using cider. I don’t have a slow cooker but use a Le Creuset type casserole bought at a vide grenier many years ago.
I don’t often cook with cider…. I should. But I love red wine and pork…. and a good vide grenier 😉
I bet it filled the house with the most wonderful smells !
Nothing quite as nice as the smell of meat braising in wine! Well, maybe….
This recipe looks delicious! I’ve been using a slow cooker for years and always used wine in it. I think I probably read the same article you did and scratched my head after reading it too. I buy wonderful wine that I don’t mind drinking an entire bottle of. Why would I buy cheap wine to cook with? 😉
Too many people spouting too many opinions with too few facts – or just no practical information.
My head is hurting. Why would they say that? Are they people who are still trying to promote prohibition?
(I, Want. That. Stew.)
There are far too many people who blather idiocies on the internet. Did you see the one about onions becoming poisonous if they are cut and not used with a day? Silly fools.