[Kitchen Witch]

MORE ON MEAT

Be sure to check the meat at the minimum suggested cooking time; this way you can let it cook longer if necessary to suit your own taste buds.

Some larger roasts are designed to fit in 4 1/2 quart and larger crockpots. For these you may want to use a meat thermometer just as you would if cooking in the oven. For 3 1/2 quart or smaller crockpots use a small size roast or have your butcher remove any bones and tie the meat to make it more compact. Smaller roasts take slightly less cooking time.

You will have more meat juices when you finish than you get with other methods of cooking. These can be used to spoon over slices of meat, or thickening them with dissolved flour or cornstarch.



PORK

It is a good idea to brown spareribs before cooking them in a crockpot. Lightly brown them in the oven and drain off the excess fat before adding sauce and vegetables. If pork steaks and chops are fairly lean, either brown them, or just trim the excess fat off the edges.


LAMB

The same principle applies to lamb. If there is fat, trim off excess or brown it and drain off the fat before placing in in the crockpot. You may want to drain the fat at least once during the cooking process.