Helpful Hints - Westbend Versatility Manual De Instrucciones

Be sure to cook foods to recommended food-safe temperatures. Always check with a
meat thermometer to ensure that the center is cooked completely.
MEAT
Beef
Pork
Lamb
Veal
Poultry
• Adapting Recipes to Slow Cooking: Many of your favorite oven and range top
recipes can be adapted to slow cooking with a few minor changes. Here are some
important points to remember:
Amount of Liquid: Because little moisture evaporates during slow cooking,
reduce amount of liquid in your recipe by one-half (1 cup of liquid is enough for
most recipes). For soup recipes, add all ingredients except water or broth to
vessel; add only enough liquid to cover ingredients.
Amount of Seasoning: Reduce amount of seasoning in proportion to reduced
amount of liquid. Use whole or leaf herbs and spices rather than crushed or ground.
Slow Cooking Meat: Less tender, less expensive cuts of meat are better suited
to slow cooking than expensive cuts of meat. Remove excess fat before slow
cooking if desired. Meat can be browned in the cooking vessel on top of the
range before slow cooking.
Slow Cooking Vegetables: Add partially frozen vegetables, Chinese vegetables
and fresh mushrooms during the last hour of cooking. Strong-flavored vegetables
such as spinach, eggplant, okra and collard greens should be precooked before
adding to cooker. The amount of onion normally used in your recipe should be
reduced because its flavor gets stronger during cooking. In most cases, fresh
vegetables take longer to cook than meats because liquid simmers rather than boils.
Slow Cooking Raw Meats and Vegetables: Most raw meat and vegetable
combinations need at least 4 to 6 hours of cooking at "HI" or 7 to 10 hours at "LO."
Slow Cooking Fish and Seafood: Fresh or thawed seafood and fish fall apart
during long hours of cooking. Add these ingredients an hour before serving and
cook at "HI."
Slow Cooking Milk, Sweet or Sour Cream and Cheese: Because milk, sour or
sweet cream and cheese break down during long hours of cooking, add these
ingredients just before serving or substitute undiluted condensed canned soups or
evaporated milk. Processed cheese tends to give better results than aged cheese.`
Rice and Pasta: Rice and pasta may either be cooked separately, or added
uncooked during last hour of cooking time. If added uncooked, make sure there is
at least 1 to 1½ cups of liquid in vessel and heat is set at "LO" or higher.
Dumplings: Dumplings may be cooked in broth or gravy at "HI." Drop by
spoonfuls on simmering broth or gravy. Cook covered for 30 minutes.
English - 5
T
EMPERATURE
Rare
Medium
Well
Fresh
Smoked
Canned
H
ELPFUL
G
UIDE
INTERNAL TEMPERATURES
140°F/60°C
160°F/71°C
170°F/76°C
170°F/76°C
160°F/71°C
140°F/60°C
170°F to 180°F/76°C to 82°C
170°F/76°C
180°F/82°C
H
INTS