Haybox cooking

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You probably know this type of cooking as crock-pot cookery, but it has a history behind it.

When I was a small boy and living on a farm, there were days when the men were out working in the fields with only a short break for lunch (although we called it dinner!).  On those occasions they needed something hot and filling to eat.

This was at that time when grocers sold things directly from large tins.  Biscuits, packets of potato crisps and many other types of food were all displayed in the same way.

The grocer would weigh them out, wrap the items in a cone of brown paper and that was it.

Consequently, many farmers wives managed to get hold of the empty tins, which they would line  with hay.  These made excellent slow cooking ovens.

The night before it was needed, a stew would be prepared, brought to cooking temperature and then placed in the hay-lined box, where it would remain until the men were ready for it.

For the whole of this time, well insulated by the hay, the stew would continue to cook slowly and by the time it was opened the meat was tender, the vegetables had melded their flavors and it was a feast fit for a king.

It went down particularly well out in the open air on a crisp spring day.

The great thing about it was that it was so cheap to do.  The oven cost nothing, there was no fuel bill, and the more economical cuts of meat could be used.  This was generally mutton, but beef in the form of skirt, brisket and knuckle was often used as well.

Crock-pot cooking is the inheritor of this tradition.  The principle is the same.  Long, slow cooking to produce a highly flavorsome and nutritious result.

What could be simpler?

You load your cooker with the ingredients, set the cooking temperature and then ignore it for 10 hours.

You could even make it an all-in meal by adding potatoes directly to the stew.  They will cook perfectly.

There are a couple of points to remember.

First of all it is a good idea to brown the meat before adding it to the pot. This will add flavor which is particularly important if you are not using stock.  You don’t have to, water will do.

The other point is, do not add any salt before the meal is cooked.  Wait until you are ready to eat it, then taste and season as necessary.  This is important, unless you like the taste of salty food.

You can add pepper at any time.  I usually include it right at the beginning of cooking, which helps to intensify its flavor.

Now here’s something to consider.

I suspect that you will not use a crockpot very often.  Why?  Because the output is fairly limited and unless you are really organized you will probably find it easier to make a casserole instead.

Not many people are going to want to prepare food in the morning before they get on with the rest of their day.

Consequently I strongly advise against spending dollars on a specialized cooking device which you may not use very often.  You can achieve the same thing by using an earthenware pot with a close fitting lid, and a slow oven.

You will find plenty of recipes for crockpot cookery.  You don’t need them.

Relying on your sense of taste, you can produce delicious meals simply by adding any ingredients you like to the pot and cooking them slowly.  All you really need to remember is that you must add liquid of some kind, although not too much unless you want to end up with a soup.

This can be water, wine, beer or even cider (which is excellent with pork) and of course you can also use stock.  This is also one occasion where there is no reason not to use stock cubes.

Always make use of the cheaper cuts of meat.  Not just to save money, you understand, but for some reason which I have never been able to figure out the tougher cuts of meat have the best flavor.

Slower cooking really brings that flavor out.

By the way, there is an important lesson here for any cook. Food that is kept hot continues to cook!

I know it seems obvious, but it is a factor that is often overlooked and results in perfectly cooked food, particularly vegetables, spoiling before they are served.

Crock-pot cooking solves that problem for you – overcooking is achievable, but you would really have to work at it.  And even then you could turn the result into a nourishing soup.

Just blitz it with the magic wand and serve it with a smile :0)