Slow Cooker Substitute Oven Temp
I want to make a recipe tonight for turkey legs in a slow cooker. Only problem is I don't have a slow cooker. I'm thinking of using a dutch oven in the oven. What temperature should the oven be at if the recipe calls for a slow cooker on high? Or is there a better substitute I can use.
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6 Comments:
Slow cooker is approx. 180 - 200 degrees F, on high.
Please don't leave your oven on unattended like you would a slow cooker (I know you wouldn't, you're a smart cookie).
WickedGoodDinner at 1:44PM on 11/03/09
Interesting question. I'm not convinced that the slow cooker temperature translates directly to oven temp. I have two slow cookers, one that boils even on low so I know it's calibrated to be more than 212 degrees. The other one never really boils but braises beautifully for making pulled pork and vegetable dishes like eggplant caponata.
But I've also braised a lot of meat roasts in my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven in the oven at a slowly bubbling simmer at an oven temp of 310 to 350 depending on how long it's in the oven and how close it is to done. The slow cooker is meant to replace the oven braise so I'd think you might want to start at 325 and go up or down from there. Molly Stevens has a comprehensive book on oven braising and she eschews the slow cooker. Chances are she has a recipe similar to the one you're contemplating, so I'd defer to her, but I'll check. I can say that her chicken recipes are usually braised in a 325 degree oven, using a heavy metal pot like a Le Creuset.
I have seen recipes for cooking long (like 9 hours) at 200-225, but have no experience with that technique.
Otabenga at 2:42PM on 11/03/09
you might have better luck following a recipe for braised lamb shanks (or turkey legs, if you can find it) and use that temperature/timing for your stovetop conversion using whatever ingredients you found appealing in the original slow-cooker recipe.
joyyy at 3:44PM on 11/03/09
I supplement my cooking with make ahead meals from an assemble and freeze store and some dishes have both oven and slow cooker directions. Here is an example:
SLOW-COOKER: Place contents of bag into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours or until beef is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF.
-OR-
OVEN: Preheat oven to 325°F. Place contents of beef bag into a 3-4 qt. Dutch oven or baking dish with a tight fitting lid. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours or until meat is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF.
Like @joyyy said you might have better luck finding an oven recipe online, but if not, this might give you an idea of where to start.
CooksForOne at 5:06PM on 11/03/09
I do chickens in my dutch oven all the time, instead of the crock pot. They come out better and are more moist due to the heat coming at it from all sides.
I set my oven temp to 150. It's surprising how heat will build up in the dutch oven.
Ribster at 5:13PM on 11/03/09
Thanks for the advice everyone. I ended up starting it at 310 and lowering the temperature a little every hour. I cooked it for about 3 hours although it was ready after 2. My parents expect their dinner on the table at 7 so I had to keep it in there another hour with the temp at about 190. The turkey legs came out really delicious. Fall off the bone moist (gotta love that).
rumanddiet at 7:49PM on 11/03/09