Cut up large roasts for safer slow cooking

Liane Faulder, Edmonton Journal 

Cut up large roasts for safer slow cooking

Cut up large roasts for safer slow cooking

Photos.com / Photos.com


Large roasts are especially popular over the holiday season. Here's how to ensure your roast is safe in addition to being good.

After a reader raised concerns, Bistro did some research on how to safely cook large roasts in a slow cooker.

The reader, Dorothy, said she became ill after eating a large roast she had prepared in the slow cooker and believed it was better to stick with smaller roasts or cut them in smaller pieces.

She was responding to a story about a new cookbook, Cook, written by Deborah Anzinger, a professional home economist in Edmonton, which included a slow-cooker recipe that called for a five-to seven-pound pork shoulder roast.

At the Atco Blue Flame Kitchen, supervisor Norene Larson, also a professional home economist, said she recommends that cooks cut big roasts or whole chickens into smaller pieces before putting them in the slow cooker.

"Large pieces remain in the bacteria danger zone for too long before they heat up," she said, noting that bacteria can grow to dangerous levels without any obvious signs, such as foaming or a bad smell.

"It can make you very ill without any indication."

Anzinger surveyed a number of reputable sources, and found some, including www.crock-pot.ca,that don't mention cutting large roasts into small pieces, while others, including the University of Minnesota's department of food safety education and research, do recommend it for added safety.

She urged anyone with safety concerns to follow the University of Minnesota's advice and review their slow cooker's instruction manual, refrain from lifting the lid during cooking, and to take an internal measurement of the roast when it's done.

"Slow cookers are safe if used correctly," said Anzinger, noting that cooks should use a larger crock pot for a larger cut of meat.

She also said it's a good idea to brown meat before putting it in the slow cooker as that starts the cooking process and helps it cook more evenly.

Frozen meat should not be put in the slow cooker. It must be properly thawed in advance.

The University of Minnesota says food in a slow cooker should reach 140 F (60 C) or higher within four hours. It recommends the following test to make sure your slow cooker is heating properly:

1. Fill the cooker 1/2 to 2/3 full of water.

2. Heat on low for 8 hours.

3. Check the water temperature with an accurate food thermometer. Do this quickly because the temperature drops when the lid is removed.

4. The temperature of the water should be at least 185 F (90 C). Temperatures lower than that suggest your slow cooker does not heat food high or fast enough to avoid possible food safety problems.

If your slow cooker does not pass this test, don't use it.


