Slow-Cook Stars: Winter Winners That Practically Cook Themselves!

Why Slow Cooking Rules!

Slow cooking is the thrifty home chef’s best buddy. It lets you creatively use up the contents of your fridge (no more tossing out sad veggies at the end of the week), turns tough meat cuts tender, and produces rich, satisfying meals packed with developed flavours. Slow cookers also can’t be beaten for set-and-forget convenience. They’re designed to cook on a low, sustained heat throughout the day (while you get on with your life), so you’re less likely to overcook dinner.

What Are The Best Things To Make In A Slow Cooker?

Slow cookers are the king of winter meals and a lifeline for busy households. They reign supreme at cooking moisture-based meals, like meat stews, curries, casseroles and soups, and are also perfect for tenderising root vegetables like potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Get a head start on the week’s meals (and lunchboxes!) by preparing a big batch of beef brisket and use it for everything from fajitas and pizza, to a shredded beef salad. Try your hand at our winter winners below, too!

Shop Our Top Slow Cookers

Philips All-In-One Cooker

Feed the family tender ribs one night and a creamy risotto the next with the versatile Philips All-In-One Cooker. The keep warm mode will keep everything toasty for up to 12 hours.

Crock Pot 4.7L Hinged Slow Cooker

Ideal for smaller nests, the Crock Pot 4.7L Hinged Slow Cooker has a nifty hinged lid for convenient one-handed serving and a dishwasher-safe pot for easy clean-ups!

Breville Searing Slow Cooker

Get the perfect sear and seal in juicy flavours with five preset browning features before you slow things down with the Breville Searing Slow Cooker.

Can You Make Slow-Cook Recipes On A Stove, Too?

You bet! “When a slow cooker is busy making a soup or a stew, it’s essentially copying a long simmer, so you can easily adapt any recipe designed for a slow cooker or multi-cooker to a cooktop,” says Tania. “Lots of these recipes started out on stoves anyway, so it’s just a matter of adjusting your temperature and shortening cooking times accordingly.”

Plus, many cooktops now come with safety features, such as automatic switch-off, to prevent overheating or spills, so you can simmer for an extended period with total peace of mind.

Shop Our Top Cooktops For Slow-Food Fans

Electrolux 90cm Induction Cooktop

Use the Bridge function on the Electrolux 90cm Induction Cooktop to merge two separate cooking zones into a single large cooking zone to supersize your slow cooking.

Haier 90cm Electric Cooktop

Simmering big batch liquids? The Haier 90cm Electric Cooktop has a spill detector to automatically switch off your appliance if pots overflow – and an easy-wipe, ceramic-glass surface for when they do!

Westinghouse 60cm Ceramic Cooktop

With nine power levels to hand you precise control, the Westinghouse 60cm Ceramic Cooktop is up for everything, from nourishing, slow-cooked stews and sauces, to high-powered stir-fries. 

How To Use Your Oven For Slow Cooking

Ovens have been around for a lot longer than slow cookers! To use your oven for a slow-cooked winter classic, like melt off the bone lamb shanks or a French-style chicken and wine cassoulet, simply replace your slow cooker with a casserole dish or any braising pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid – and adapt your temperature and cooking time to suit. Generally speaking, you can slow-cook in an electric oven all day (8–10 hours) at around 80–100ºC without losing moisture or overcooking. For a shorter cooking time of about 4–6 hours, set your dial to 115–120ºC.

Shop Our Top Self-Cleaning Ovens

Fisher & Paykel 60cm Pyrolytic Oven

Getting a heavy casserole dish in and out of the Fisher & Paykel 60cm Pyrolytic Oven is a breeze with telescopic sliding shelves that stay steady – even when pulled all the way out.

Bosch 60cm Pyrolytic Oven Black Series 4

Pull off slow-roast perfection every time with the Bosch 60cm Pyrolytic Oven Black Series 4. Its 3D Hotair function evenly distributes heat across three levels, while AutoPilot picks the optimal temperature and cooking time for your dish.

Westinghouse 90cm Pyrolytic Oven

With a whopping 116L capacity and multi-level cooking powers, you can slow cook your way into the hearts of everyone with the Westinghouse 90cm Pyrolytic Oven (and air fry and steam bake!).

Slow-Cooked Winter Winners To Warm Your Family

These 3 mouth-watering recipes are totally worth the wait!

Braised Brisket With Mushrooms

Fall-apart beef paired with mushrooms equals an ingredient match made in heaven! This robust winter dish, designed for the Philips All-In-One Cooker, is even more delicious served with sweet potato mash.

Recipe and image supplied by Philips.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 hours and 25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg piece beef brisket, fat trimmed, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 eschalots, peeled
• 150g mushrooms (see Cooking tip, below), sliced
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• 1⁄4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 sprigs thyme
• sweet potato mash, to serve

Method

1. Press SAUTÉ/SEAR HIGH TEMP button, set cooking time for 15 minutes and press START. Do not close the lid. Sear beef until browned all over. Set aside. Add oil, eschalots and mushrooms to inner pot. Stir for 4–5 minutes, until golden. Add mustard and stir to combine.
2. Return beef to pot. Add stock, wine, sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add thyme sprigs and bring to the boil.
3. Close the lid. Press SLOW COOK HIGH TEMP button and press START. When cooking is complete remove beef and eschalots. Set aside.
4. Press SAUTÉ/SEAR HIGH TEMP button, set cooking time for 10 minutes and press START, but do not close the lid. Boil until sauce has reduced and thickened.
5. Return beef and eschalots to sauce and stir to coat.
6. Serve with sweet potato mash.

Cooking tip: Get creative with the mushrooms and use a mix of varieties, such as button, field, brown and even dried porcini mushrooms for extra flavour.

Indian Beef Korma

Spice up chilly days with this fragrant and flavourful slow cooker beef recipe by Crockpot, which is  infused with the warmth of turmeric and ginger.

Recipe and image supplied by Crockpot.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 7–8 hours
Serves 4–5

Ingredients

• 1.3-2kg stewing beef, cut diagonally into chunks or slices
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large red capsicum, cut into chunks (optional)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• salt and pepper
• fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Mix the beef and curry powder together in a suitable bowl. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Heat a suitable sized frying pan over a medium heat, adding in 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Sauté the beef in batches until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the base of the Crockpot.

3. Heat the fry pan with the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil and sauté the onion and capsicum over a low heat until softened and golden. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and stir well, cooking for a further minute. Sprinkle over the coriander and turmeric and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the flour and mix together. Stir in the puree and coconut milk.

4. Add the mixture to the beef in the Crockpot. Stir to combine.

5. Cover with a lid and cook on HIGH for 4–5 hours, or LOW for 7–8 hours.

6. Adjust the seasoning and garnish with coarsely chopped coriander or parsley.

7. Serve with steamed rice, pappadums and mango chutney!

Rigatoni With Slow-Cooked Beef Shin Ragu

Electrolux ambassador Massimo Mele, of Tasmania’s Grain of the Silos restaurant, shares an Italian family classic. “Beef shin is very affordable; ask for it chopped to save you prep time,” says Massimo. “This dish takes a few hours to cook, but once it’s ready, you won’t regret the time it’s taken! It’s even more tasty the next day as leftovers!”

Recipe and image supplied by Electrolux.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2.5 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g diced pork belly
• 2 tbsp chopped pancetta
• 750g beef shin, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1.5kg onions (mixture of red and brown), chopped
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 500g rigatoni
• pinch of marjoram and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 150ºC.

2. Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Cook pancetta and pork belly until most of the fat has been rendered, about 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Raise heat to high and transfer beef to the pot. Season with salt. Cook, stirring, for 10–15 minutes, or until liquid released from the beef begins to evaporate, and the meat has browned.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onions, celery, carrot and reserved cooked pancetta, then season with salt to taste and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and white wine. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, while scraping up the brownings from the bottom of the pan.

5. Place lid on pot, and cook for 2 hours in a preheated oven.

6. Check every 30 minutes: if sauce has reduced too much, add water or broth as needed to maintain a sauce-like consistency. Cook until beef and onions seem to melt into each other.

7. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni, stirring occasionally, in the boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until just barely al dente. Drain.

8. Add rigatoni to the sauce and cook until heated through. Serve topped with a pinch of marjoram and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Ready to take it slow? Visit us in-store or online for the best brands of slow cookers, ovens and cooktops at the hottest prices.