How does someone make stews in a slowcooker? last time i tried

>>9043773
Tips would be to sear the beef, always make your own stock, and preferably don't use a slow cooker. I know it's a convenience, but you then miss the opportunity of things than can be done in the dutch oven like searing meat, sweating onions, frying aeromatics, browning the veg, or having the all-directional heat of an oven instead of the bottom.

That being said, the convenience of a slow cooker can still turn out a good stew.

>>9043773
>real stock
>brown meat
>fresh, whole spices
>add veg no more than an hour or two before eating or itll just make them bland

>>9043815
That explains why the veg i put in the slowcooker ended up tasting like dirt! Thanks

>>9043773
Use more onion than you think you need. 1 onion or 1 clove of garlic in a pot of stew won't do anything. If I'm using about a quart of liquid, I'll use 2 onions. They'll basically melt and get sweet if you're cooking for a few hours. Stock cubes are okay, but watch the salt, and it's not a perfect substitute for a good quality stock. Might be okay to dissolve a stock cube into beer or wine. Add something acidic if you don't already, adding a bit of vinegar really makes a stew taste a lot better.

>>9043773

A bouillon cube is a fucking salt lick. Never use them. Buy a decent base.

>>9043867
Whats a decent base then? UK fag here

>>9043890
We don't have any unless you shop at waitrose.

>>9043890
Slow cook meat on the bone/fatty meat. That is some stock for ya.

>>9043867
>buy a decent base
make one, you unimaginable faggot

>>9043890
>buy bones from a butcher (4lbs worth)
>toss in olive oil with 2-3 chopped carrots, a chopped onion, 1 rib of celery and 3-4 whole cloves of garlic
>place only the bones on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 400F degree oven and roast for about 25 minutes, rotating to keep from burning; add veggies and roast for another 15
>take out pan and use a spatula to spread a few tablespoon of tomato paste over the bones and veg, roast for another 10 minutes (keep an eye on it and remove if it starts to blacken too much)
>transfer to a large stock pot and add enough water to cover plus a couple of bay leaves, stems of parsley or fresh thyme, and a handful of peppercorns
>heat on high until it just starts to bubble, reduce heat to low, cover it loosely and simmer for at least 8 hours and up to 24
>watch stock while it simmers and skim off the fat that comes to the top, don't stir
>strain with a cheesecloth

>>9043773
forget the slowcooker meme. if you want dead easy, get a proper enameled cast iron pot. brown, sautee, stew - all the steps you need to layer flavors for beef stew, all in one cooking vessel.