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A beginner’s guide continued
11
Preparing vegetables
Vegetables should be cut into even-sized pieces to
ensure more even cooking. Frozen vegetables must
be thawed before adding to other foods cooking in
the Meal Maker.
Preparing dried beans and pulses
If time permits, overnight soaking of dried beans and
pulses is preferable. After soaking, drain and place in
the Meal Maker and cover with sufficient water to
reach double their volume. Cook beans on the High
Setting for 2-4 hours or until tender. Pre-soaked
beans and pulses will cook a little faster.
A beginner’s guide continued
10
Preparing meat and poultry
Select the leanest cuts when purchasing meat. Trim
the meat or poultry of any visible fat. If possible,
purchase chicken portions without the skin.
Otherwise, the slow cooking process will result in
extra liquid being formed from the fat as it melts.
For casserole-type recipes, cut the meat into cubes,
approximately 2.5cm to 3cm. Slow cooking allows
less tender cuts of meat to be used.
Browning before slow cooking
Pre-browning meat and poultry, prior to slow cooking,
seals in the moisture, intensifies the flavour and
provides more tender results, whilst producing richer
flavours in other food, such as onions, capsicums and
leeks. Pre-browning may take a little extra time, and
whilst not strictly necessary, the rewards are evident
in the end results. Use a non-stick pan to reduce the
amount of oil required.
Roasting
Roasting meats in the Meal Maker creates tender,
flavoursome results that are easy to slice. The long,
slow, covered cooking process breaks down and
softens the connective and muscle tissue within the
meat. Cheaper cuts of meat can be used to provide
perfect results cooked by this method. Meat will not
brown during the roasting process, so for browner
results seal in a frypan before roasting. The addition
of liquid is not required for roasting. Elevate the meat
to be roasted on an inverted, heatproof saucer or
plate. This will assist in keeping the surface of the
meat dry and free from any fat released throughout
the cooking process.
Pot roasting
The addition of liquid is required for pot roasting.
Place sufficient liquid into the removable crockery
bowl to cover up to a third of the meat. Meat will not
brown during the pot roasting process. For browner
results, seal in a frypan before pot roasting.
Suitable cuts for roasting
Beef Beef Blade, Rump, Rib Roast,
Sirloin, Fresh Silverside, Topside.
Lamb Lamb Leg, Mid Loin, Rack,
Crown Roast, Shank, Shoulder,
Mini Roasts.
Veal Veal Leg, Loin, Rack,
Shoulder/Forequarter.
Pork Pork Loin, Neck, Leg. Remove
Skin and Fat, Racks.
Suitable cuts for pot roasting
Beef Beef Topside, Blade, Silverside
Roasts, Roller Brisket.
Lamb Forequater, Shank, Shoulder.
Veal Shoulder/Forequarter.
Pork Loin, Neck.
Suitable meat cuts for slow cooking
Beef Beef Chuck, Skirt, Round Steak,
Boneless Shin (Gravy) Beef,
Bone-In Shin (Osso Bucco).
Lamb Lamb Shanks, Drumsticks
(Frenched Shanks) Neck Chops,
Best Neck Chops, Boned Out
Forequarter or Shoulder.
Veal Veal Diced Leg,
Shoulder/Forequarter Chops
and Steaks, Neck Chops,
Knuckle (Osso Bucco).
Pork Pork Leg Steaks, Diced Belly,
Diced Shoulder, Boneless
Loin Chops.