Great basic stock:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/11/perfect-uncluttered-chicken-stock/

Pulled pork good:
http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/easy-slow-cooker-pulled-pork-30356

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

It's a cooking technique - low temps over a long period of time - not just a lazy mom gimmick. If you put crappy ingredients in there you will get a crappy meal. If you use it correctly you will end up with some delicious meals.

This. I just made an amazing beef vegetable barley soup in my crock pot. It is possible to make great food using a crock pot, but you have to know what you're doing. The dump-everything-in-and-cook-for-12-hours method will more often than not result in bland, nasty food. Using a lot of canned and processed ingredients can result in that off taste as well.

Pork shoulder is a great meat for slow cookers.

Carnitas are fairly easy:
http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/pork-carnitas-1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

It's a cooking technique - low temps over a long period of time - not just a lazy mom gimmick. If you put crappy ingredients in there you will get a crappy meal. If you use it correctly you will end up with some delicious meals.

Anonymous wrote:Slow cooker food is nasty. You are just tasting nasty American style food.

Not everything -- but I agree most things. You can make a good pulled pork, a good chili (although I do brown the meat and par cook the veggies and garlic) and even a good beef stew (again with the browning of meat.) Other than that, I think slow cookers are kind of terrible.

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

i have no idea what the OP is talking about. I used to use my slow cooker often. I only used fresh vegetables and meat though.

That said, not everything should be cooked on a slow cooker. Things that cook well are tough cuts of meat and brisket.

Slow cooker food is nasty. You are just tasting nasty American style food.

Anonymous wrote:I find meats in the slow cooker taste better if you brown them first in a skillet before adding them.

+1

I almost always brown the meat first.

OP, what were you trying to make? Maybe we can find a better recipe.

Anonymous wrote:Good tip on the onions. Seems like almost all recipes we've tried calls for onions which lose all their flavor but then add a weird taste to the meat and broth. Our one success was ribs that didn't call for onions. Maybe that's the trick.

everything you put in a slow cooker loses its original taste and not for the better. Vegetables taste different and meat although tender tastes foul. perhaps its because all the blood and juices are retained and cannot run out. Roast chicken tastes alot better than slo cooker chicken and in fact none of the meat tastes like meat. so dont know how people use it.

Anonymous wrote:I see lots of recommendations on here for slow cooker meals. Most meals I make in the slow cooker just do not taste right. There is a slightly off taste to them that I can't really describe. I am wondering if anybody else has experienced this, and if you might have any tips. I have a Rival crockpot with a ceramic insert, don't know if that makes any difference.

I totally agree

I've never had this happen. Our insert is ceramic -- what is yours?

Which one do you use, OP?
I got this one (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SKTTHI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and it considered to be a multi-cooker in Europe, not just rice-cooker.
I cook chicken and beef there every week on slow cook option (2,5 hours for beef, 1,5 hours - for chicken). LOVE it!!!

Good tip on the onions. Seems like almost all recipes we've tried calls for onions which lose all their flavor but then add a weird taste to the meat and broth. Our one success was ribs that didn't call for onions. Maybe that's the trick.