Bacon in the slow cooker?

Faith

I picked up a thing of bacon offcuts in Aldi today, but I've no idea what to do with it. I'm not actually much of a bacon fan, so wouldn't want to do something like bacon and cabbage. Is there anything I can do with it in the slow cooker? Preferably something that will make it less salty!

The Hill Billy

Boiling it & changing the water a couple of times would make it less salty. That's probably not an option in a slow cooker though.

Saltiness aside, you could try a bacon, veg (carrot, onion, celery) & lentil stew with some earthy spices like cumin or paprika & a couple of bay leaves. Or a Coddle.

In this weather - I'd only be interested in boiling the bacon for sandwiches. I think a stew would kill me.

Faith

Yeah I think sandwiches might be the best idea! Or I could maybe put bits in a salad. I actually wanted pork for pulled pork but Aldi didn't have anything suitable

Honey-ec

Those packets are brilliant. I usually chop them into lardons and freeze them in 200g portions for adding to anything that needs bacon bits - chilli, coq au vin, bolognese, casseroles etc.

Although as tHB pointed out, none of those are things you're likely to be cooking at the moment, but they'll keep in the freezer for months.

Also, they're not that salty, fyi. Definitely don't need a soaking if you're just adding them to a stew or casserole.

The Hill Billy

Is it the sort of cut that you'd get back rashers from? Smoked or green/pale?

nompere

You could use the cooked bits and pieces in some sort of quiche. I think cooking them first is good, as they might be tough, but the cold, cooked meat will be fine in the pastry case.

I love a cold wedge of tart or quiche!

Faith

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Is it the sort of cut that you'd get back rashers from? Smoked or green/pale?

Haven't a notion! It's pink and squishy, that's all I know. I very rarely eat pork so I know nothing about it.

Dizzyblonde

Definitely boil it before you do anything with it Faith.

the beer revolu

If I was given that pack of bacon and a slow cooker (I've never used one) and told to cook dinner, off the top of my head I think I'd:
put the bacon in a pot and barely cover it with water (if I could be arsed, I'd throw in an onion, small bit of fresh thyme and parsley stalks, small bay leaf and some pepper corns) bring it to a simmer for 10 minutes and discard the water. While this is happening, I'd gently sweat an big onion a leek and a stick of celery in a bit of butter. I'd then put them both in the slow cooker with a glass of white wine and a shed load of cooked white beans of your choice for a few hours. And much as I shy away from creamy sauces, I thing it would be good finished with some fresh cream. I'd imagine it might need some reducing before adding cream, I don't know cause I've never used a slow cooker but that's what I'd do. Oh, fresh parsley to serve;)

The Hill Billy

Faith wrote: »

Haven't a notion! It's pink and squishy, that's all I know. I very rarely eat pork so I know nothing about it.

Ah, I was thinking that if it had been a smoked strip of belly that you maybe could have braised it in the slow cooker with a honey, soy, water, lime juice, chillies & garlic (& maybe some chinese 5- or thai 7 spice).

Honey-ec

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Is it the sort of cut that you'd get back rashers from? Smoked or green/pale?

Faith wrote: »

Haven't a notion! It's pink and squishy, that's all I know. I very rarely eat pork so I know nothing about it.

They're the offcuts from the slicing of back bacon into rashers.

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Definitely boil it before you do anything with it Faith.

Kind of curious why you recommend this? Do you boil rashers before you use them? Cause that's all these are. Not having a go at all, just curious.

Honey-ec

the beer revolu wrote: »

If I was given that pack of bacon and a slow cooker (I've never used one) and told to cook dinner, off the top of my head I think I'd...

Didn't want to quote the whole thing again, but that's not a million miles off a gorgeous bacon & butterbean chowder Paul Flynn demonstrated when I was down at the Tannery on a blogger jolly a year or two ago. And it's amazeballs, I've made it loads of times since. The Aldi bacon offcuts are perfect for it. I can post the full recipe if anyone has any interest.

Elevelyn

I made Bacon in the slow cooker on Sunday and it was yummy!

Put in a cup of water, quartered a few onions and popped them in, put the bacon in then and pour over a mixture of honey, mustard and brown sugar (fills about half a cup when mixed together) and put on low for about 8-9 hours.

Was falling apart and so yummy, not salty at all (I hate salt)

Had it with steamed potatoes & salad, loads of leftovers for lunches too

Dizzyblonde

Honey-ec wrote: »

They're the offcuts from the slicing of back bacon into rashers.



Kind of curious why you recommend this? Do you boil rashers before you use them? Cause that's all these are. Not having a go at all, just curious.

No I don't, but I thought it sounded like a miscellaneous piece of bacon rather than slices or lardons and Faith said she was probably going to use it for sandwiches. I'm of the 'boiled bacon' generation and wouldn't roast it, or slow cook it in a small amount of water in case it was too salty.
Mind you, I always cook ham fillets in the slow cooker with a glass of Coke.

Dizzyblonde

Faith, if they're off-cuts I think they'd be nice with onions and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, served with pasta.

MissFlitworth

I buy those offcuts all the time. Cook the whole pack into the slow cooker with water, take it out, take off any extra lumps of fat and shred it into a lunch box to use in omelettes, salads & sandwiches. Sometimes the salty ham water then goes into soups & stews

Honey-ec wrote: »

Didn't want to quote the whole thing again, but that's not a million miles off a gorgeous bacon & butterbean chowder Paul Flynn demonstrated when I was down at the Tannery on a blogger jolly a year or two ago. And it's amazeballs, I've made it loads of times since. The Aldi bacon offcuts are perfect for it. I can post the full recipe if anyone has any interest.

I'd *love* that recipe

Honey-ec

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I'd *love* that recipe

Bacon & Butterbean Chowdah* - serves 4

2 medium onions, finely diced
150g bacon lardons
550ml chicken stock
250ml cream
1 tbs flour
1 tbs English or Dijon mustard
1 tin butterbeans, drained
Small bunch flat parsley, finely chopped
Good knob of butter
Lots of black pepper

1) Melt the butter over a low heat, add the onions and sweat for about 10 minutes with the lid on - you'll know they're done when they go kind of translucent.

2) Turn the heat up and add the bacon. Give everything a good stir and cook for 5 - 7 minutes. Don't bother waiting for the bacon to brown - it won't happen because of the moisture from the onions.

3) Sprinkle over the flour, stir and cook for about 2 minutes, just to get the raw taste off the flour. Add the stock and bring to the boil.

4) Stir in the mustard, then add the cream and the butterbeans. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes, until it thickens slightly. I mean slightly, now, it should still be quite loose! Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of black pepper (no salt, the bacon & stock will take care of that). Ladle into deep bowls and serve immediately with lots of crusty bread for dipping.

*It's chowdah, chowdaaah! Say it, Frenchy!

kylith

I've cooked Lidl bacon in the slow cooker and it's grand, not too salty at all. You don't need to put too much water in because all the juice that comes off the meat will be condensed back into the pot; maybe half cover it with water. You don't even need to do that, really, but the bits that are out of the liquid go an unappetising colour.

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

that's not a million miles off a gorgeous bacon & butterbean chowder Paul Flynn demonstrated when I was down at the Tannery

Paul got all his best dishes from me:D:D

DianaN

I'm sure its all gone now but If its slices of bacon, chop it up a bit smaller, cube sized and fry off til its kind of crispy/brown (but not solid). Add slliced leeks (about 2) and mushrooms (about 1 punnet), and some black pepper for about 7 mins until leeks are tender
Meanwhile put on pasta of your choice to cook (I like Fiorelli but fusilli or shells will be just as nice, and Ive done it with spaghetti too.)

Drain pasta, tip into pan of leeks mushrooms and bacon.
Add some creme fraiche (1-3 tblsp) just before serving, then Salt and more black pepper to taste. I don't tend to add salt unless I use cooked ham because the bacon adds enough for my palate.
Serve with parmesan.
Very easy, very moorish. Everyone in my family devours it.

It serves 4 but easy to make to stretch more by adding more pasta/veg. Takes max half hour to do including preping veg.

I think tis originally a Gordon Ramsey recipe. It calls for pancetta, but I've done it with cooked ham, bacon, rashers, pancetta, even proscittio once. I've also used fat free fromage frais and quark instead of creme fraiche when pretending to be healthy.

The Hill Billy

But she is looking to cook the bacon specifically in a slow cooker.

DianaN

Well, yes. But also that she didnt know what to do with it. So when she said off cuts from slicing rashers, its just another idea....

vibe666

they're literally just bags of the leftover bits and bobs left over from cutting rashers (i.e. the ends and bits that couldn't be made into a whole rasher). you quite often even get bits of smoked and unsmoked in together, it really is just the leftovers, but they're perfectly fine for cooking with.

i usually use them chopped up in a carbonara or to add a bit of baconyness to anything that needs baconing up.