Crock pot times vs internal temperature vs meat size
This is a generic and probably not very well posed question, although triggered by a specific recipe.
The original recipe says to sear a pork loin in a pan, then deglaze with white wine and finally put the piece in the slow cooker for 7h on low. Their ingredients list says 1kg of loin.
On the other hand, as I want to cook only a 500g piece and I know that the "low" of their device and the size of the device itself may be different then mine, I decided to use the only reliable instrument when it comes to meat: the thermometer.
I set an alarm at 70°C, that according to some search sounds reasonable for pork loin.
Such temperature was reached after not even 3 hours on my "low" setting!
Now, it can totally be that the recipe authors didn't aim for the same temperature or that they just wrote a nonsense figure.
Also, since that smaller pieces cook faster is true for every device, let it be oven, pots, pans etc. What is bugging me a little is: not even half the time?
Best Answer
You are making the hidden assumption that the recipe intends you to finish when a certain internal temperature is reached. This is absolutely not the case; the point of a crock pot is to have low-and-slow cooking, which requires a long time at the desired temperature. The recipe is exactly as it should be, and if you would stop cooking when 70 C is reached, you will have tough meat.
Pictures about "Crock pot times vs internal temperature vs meat size"
Does meat get more tender the longer you cook it in a crock pot?
Does Meat Get More Tender The Longer You Cook It? Tough cuts that did a lot of work in the animal's life will become more tender the longer it cooks until it becomes stringy and dry. Softer, leaner cuts will become tougher the longer it cooks as they don't need to tenderize first.Is 2 hours on high the same as 4 on low?
The difference between the two settings isn't a higher temperature, it's the time it takes for the slow cooker to reach the simmer point. On high, that's around three to four hours, and on low, it's seven to eight, according to Crock-Pot. So imagine if your dinner is cooking away on high all day while you're at work.How do you adjust slow cooker times for less meat?
The easiest thing to do is to DECREASE your slow cooker size. So, if the original recipe calls for a 6 quart and you cut your recipe in half, try to use a 4 quart or smaller crock pot. If you don't have a smaller slow cooker, you could use an oven safe bowl inside your 6 quart to reduce the size of your cooking area.How long does meat take to cook in a crock pot?
Slow Cookers \u2013 Times, Temperatures and TechniquesMeat CutMeat WeightHigh cook timeLarge pork roast6-7 lbs7 1/3 hoursPork Loin3-4 lbs5 hoursPoultry6 lbs6 \xbc hoursBeef Roast3-4 lbs5 \xbe hours2 more rows•Feb 6, 2014Mistakes Everyone Makes Using The Slow Cooker
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