10 Benefits of Slow Cooking
Above Left: A cast bronze cholent pot from Germany, circa 1708, with the name of the family embossed on the pot, from the collection of The Jewish Museum, Jerusalem, on loan from the Jewish Museum of New York Above Right: Bialystock, Poland Nov 20,1932 Bringing pots of shabbos cholent to a baker’s oven on friday afternoon. Photo courtesy of YIVO Polish Jewish archive
Slow cooking is part of a culinary culture that’s been around for centuries, and is in fact a huge part of Jewish culture, and specifically the Shabbat day meal, in Jewish homes around the world. Because cooking and baking are forbidden on Shabbat, special Shabbat dishes are cooked on Friday and kept hot overnight to be eaten on Saturday morning/afternoon. Cholent, (called Hamin or Dafina by Sephardic Jews) a meat stew of sorts simmered overnight, has been eaten on Shabbat in all Jewish communities since the days of the Mishnah. In many cases families would place their pot in a baker’s oven before Shabbat and retrieve it when it was time to eat. Since the oven served the entire community, it was important to identify the owners of each pot, and often their names were engraved on the pot, as seen in the photo above. Today, with the advent of electricity and gas in our homes, we either plug in a warming tray before shabbat, or use a gas flame covered with a sheet of metal on the stove top to slow cook food (that is already 50% cooked before Shabbat) to be eaten the next day. We even have home appliances and electronics for slow cooking like crock pots. They come in different styles and features. Crock pot sizes and compatibility depends on how you want to use it and what fits your daily cooking routine.
Of course, slow cooking can also be employed anytime, as It’s hassle-free and a great way to prepare food the night before or in the morning so you can get home after work, and serve a meal without having to spend hours cooking. Slow-cooked food is rich in flavor and nutrition and because the preparation is ahead time, and likely less rushed, it gives us an excellent opportunity to actually enjoy the process of making the meal. In this day and age, everything is faster, from our busy lives to the food we eat. Slowing down is great for both our bodies and our minds.
Okay, lets learn some more about how to go about slow cooking and some options for including it in your weekly meal plans!
There are several ways to employ slow cooking: with a pot on a low flame on the stove-top, with a dutch oven pot in a low temperature setting in the oven, or with an electric crock pot, or instant pot. All methods are worth trying to see what works for you! For Shabbat meals many Jewish households use electric crock pots to cook the Cholent, while I have gotten used to slow cooking our Hamin in a regular pot placed on a plata, an electric warming tray. (The hamin has already been cooked for several hours on a high temperature before being placed on the warming tray before shabbat.) I’ve mentioned that slow cooking is both a weekly and important part of our shabbat celebration, though beyond that, there are many reasons to give slow cooking a try!
The Many Benefits of Slow-Cooked Food:
- Nutrient preservation through low temperature cooking
Food is cooked at low temperatures for anything from four to eight hours. Because of the low temperature throughout the cooking process, nutrients are preserved. There is also the option to cook on high, but it’s called a slow cooker for a reason so use this setting sparingly, and generally to get the pot of food hot and to start the cooking process. - Tender meat
When cooked in a slow cooker, meat is tenderized because the connective tissue is softened. Even the cheaper cuts turn out tender and juicy. Slow cooking is also an excellent way to cook tough meats like venison. TIP: When cooking poultry, leave the skin on to lock the moisture in and watch out for it overcooking and drying out. - Soft flavorful veggies
Tough root vegetables are softened, making them all the more digestible. The flavor of everything else in the slow cooker is absorbed into the vegetables making them burst with flavor. - It keeps you on track with healthy eating goals
Slow cooking gives you the option to prepare a healthy meal in advance when you know you have a tough day ahead. This can help curb the temptation to get unhealthy take-out. It also keeps all the nutrients in the cooker so anything lost in the liquid is simply reabsorbed. - A variety of neal options with less effort to flavor the dish
Slow cookers can be used for soups, casseroles, stews, or any other one-pot meal. There are many many recipes for delicious slow cooker meals giving, which means you can experiment and come up with a bunch of recipes that you love. Because the flavor of the food is increased, less seasoning and sauces are needed. Instead, the richness comes from the meat, vegetables, herbs and spices used. The extended cooking time causes the flavors to become absorbed into all the food.
TIP: When cooking legumes and beans, don’t add salt until everything is completely cooked. Adding salt too early may cause the skins to become tough. - Quick preparation and cleanup
Although the cooking is slow, preparation time is quick and, since it’s all done in one pot, cleanup is a dream. Slow cookers are usually lined with enamel which makes the pot very easy to wipe clean. - Great benefits for both winter and summer
In winter, slow cookers are great for hearty soups and stews that warm you from the inside out. In summer, they are ideal to use because they don’t heat up the kitchen up like an oven. - It’s more eco-friendly than an oven
Even though the cooking time is longer, slow cookers use less electricity than ovens. People who use solar power particularly enjoy slow cooking because it draws so little power. - Slow cookers are durable
Usually made with glazed ceramic, porcelain, or high-quality cast iron lined with enamel, like a cast iron dutch oven, slow cookers are robust. Some are even passed down generations. - Slow cooking is a simple way to cook
Slow cooking is the epitome of easy meal making. With slow cooking recipes, the only real technique required is chopping up ingredients, and the most challenging part is usually softening the onions and browning the meat if it is used.
Electric slow cookers can be used to prepare complete family meals ahead of time or can be used for functions as an added cooking method when the oven, stove, and microwave are all occupied. They also travel well and can be taken to a party and plugged in to warm the food before serving. For those who keep a kosher kitchen, and want to rent vacation homes a drivable distance from home, the ease of being able to bring your kosher pot with you is great. Most people that delve into slow cooking find many ways to use their slow cooker to ease food preparation.
When should you use a slow cooker? Whenever you want flavorsome, nutritious food with minimal effort, the slow cooker is the way to go.
2 Comments
Lalka Crochetka
I like slow cooking meals and make them quite often – as you say it is one of best ways to save all nutritions and flavours 🙂
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