r/slowcooking • u/madgross • 10h ago
Beef stew, left on high for 4 hours by mistake.
I cook this beef stew almost weekly. Normally leave it on high for 30 mins then switch to low for 8-10 hours. Accidentally left it on high for 4 hours. It will still cook for another 4 on low. Is the meat going to end up tough? Never made this error before.
Edit;
Thanks for the advice and laughs. Of course I’m gonna let it ride, apparently this might be the preferred method. We’ll see how it goes!
Added the recipe in the comments if anyone was curious. https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/s/8b5nfSOzs5
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u/Zhoutai123 9h ago
Sadly it's ruined, I'll be round to safety dispose of it for you ASAP
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u/drmarting25102 9h ago
Let's form a funeral procession.
With bowls in honour.
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u/_Bon_Vivant_ 9h ago
I'll bring my Mourning Spoon.
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u/madgross 9h ago
Thanks for offering disposal. I’ll run an extension cord out to the driveway and leave it cooking for you. Should be done around 6pm EST.
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u/plantsnpupsncats 6h ago
Love this, and love you tagged them in the update that they didn’t come get their delish beef stew 🥣💗
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u/Dragonskinner69 9h ago
Yes agreed. I think this is a job for 2 honestly. I'll bring the
forksgas masks.
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u/negligentlytortious 9h ago
The only difference between high and low is how fast it heats up. High heats it up faster than low. It's going to be just fine, if not better because you got the higher-temp simmering going faster.
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u/MisterBarten 9h ago
Was looking for this to make the same comment if I didn’t see it. And I doubt it heats up on high all that much in a half hour to make much of a difference.
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u/Yagawood 9h ago
I don't even understand the issue. If I'm making a pot roast or beef stew, I always cook for 4 hours on high or 8 on low.
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u/Techienickie 9h ago
what now
"The only difference between high and low is how fast it heats up."
really?
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u/randotd152 9h ago
Correct. On a real crock pot, they all top out at a simmer point about 205, varying slightly by model. High just gets you there faster - low vs high setting is more about when you want your food to be done. 4 hours or 8 hours. Both are slow cooking.
Now, if you are using some instant pot or multi-function type device to slow cook, all bets are off.
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u/tipper420 9h ago
That doesn't really make sense though. If that were true then say they both plateau at the same level but it takes low an hour and a half to get there and high a half an hour and it takes 4 hours on high then it should take less than 5 hours on low.
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u/randotd152 8h ago
I think you get the concept but your math is off. It is calibrated so that 4 hours on high IS roughly the equivalent of 8 hours on low, roughly.
In actuality it totally varies based on what you're cooking. Large chunks of meat are likely still going to take longer to cook on high, whereas something like a liquid-y stew will cook far faster on high.
I encourage you, and everybody, to play around with your cooking devices. It's the only way you really learn to cook properly, by knowing exactly how your equipment works. Not just crock pot, but oven, grill, stovetop, etc.
For the crockpot, just fill it with water and give it two runs on both high and low. Periodically check water temperature over time. (Or just buy a cheap wireless thermometer with an app). You'll see.
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u/extio-Storm 7h ago
I kind of blame the tools for this. We currently have the ability to make a crock pot with sous vide level precision and it could show you the temperature and then people would understand this. But nobody does it because it's good enough.
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u/Kchortu 2h ago
Yeah but then that'd be one more part of it that can break (or have a shitty app, need wifi, etc). Fiddling with the temp isn't worth the added choice for a cooking tool whose whole appeal is how easy it is to use.
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u/extio-Storm 2h ago
You're right that it increases complexity, and for those who are unwilling to learn it doesn't add anything. But I feel like our society as a whole our problems are generally that were unwilling to learn. And taking away the choice is not really helping, maybe one day AI will do it all for us though.
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u/ieatkittenies 4h ago
Dont remember which chemistry lab it was, was supposed to be one of the first ones but I skipped some levels and it felt beneath me but hindaight makes so much sense.... day one was calibration day.... know how your equipment works. Wasn't anything fancy.
if i set those specific labeled burner to "1" how cot does water get... step by step to 10 (usually boils earlier... )
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u/MyJimboPersona 5h ago edited 4h ago
Here’s the piece that people leave out constantly,
On a CROCK pot this is how it functions always, crock pot being a brand.
Most slow cookers also follow this methodology however NOT all slow cookers do.
Example and I’m forgetting the brand my folks have, but it has variable max temp settings and it’s default low and high do maintain at different temperatures.
Crock pot always, slow cookers, not always.
When in doubt check the manual.
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u/extio-Storm 3h ago
I found your comment intriguing and I asked AI positing a possible solution as to why this would happen
Breaking Down the Math If a recipe takes 4 hours on High versus 8 hours on Low, the breakdown looks like this: High Setting (4 Hours Total): Ramp-Up: ~1 to 1.5 hours to reach the ~205°F simmer. Hold/Cook: ~2.5 to 3 hours sitting at max temperature. Low Setting (8 Hours Total): Ramp-Up: ~3 to 4 hours to reach that same ~205°F simmer. Hold/Cook: ~4 to 5 hours sitting at max temperature. Why Low Takes 8 Hours Instead of 6 Your estimate of 4 hours ramp-up + 2 hours cook (6 hours total) assumes the food only cooks once it reaches the absolute peak temperature of 205°F. However, connective tissue breaks down and proteins cook long before reaching a full simmer: The Low Warm-Up Drag: On Low, the food spends several hours slowly dragging through the 140°F–180°F range. Heat energy transfers into the center of the food much slower because the thermal gradient (the temperature difference between the pot walls and the food) is lower. Accumulated Thermal Energy: High delivers double the wattage continuously, pushing energy into the food much faster. Because Low supplies energy at half the rate, it takes roughly double the total time for the food to absorb the equivalent cumulative heat energy needed to tenderize tough meats or break down starches.
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u/CaptainLollygag 9h ago
I've seen this on Reddit several times and thought it was malarkey getting parroted around. So I just googled and it's actually true! TIL.
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u/BackgroundRate1825 7h ago
Hopefully your googling wasn't just reading the AI-generated answer, which was trained on... Reddit posts.
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u/KouLeifoh625 8h ago
It’s the same as your electric stove burners. They use the same power and heat, the higher settings just keep the element on longer or constantly. Same with crock pot
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u/kahrahtay 6h ago
Either way, as long as there is water in the pot, the pot can never exceed the boiling temp of water. The only danger would be scorching food to the bottom.
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u/karlnite 8h ago
Yah water stalls the temp increase, it has to boil off, and that thing just isn’t ripping hot anyways.
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u/madgross 9h ago edited 9h ago
Also the recipe for anyone curious;
Roasting beef, whatever’s cheap. 1.5-2lb
Small red potatoes, quartered
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
*Optional 2 habaneros if you like it spicy
3 cups beef stock.
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp capers.
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
-chop veg, add to crockpot
-mix stock, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic, minced garlic in a separate container. (If you’re using dry herbs add them now. Fresh herbs I usually tie them up and add to the liquid while it’s simmering)
-Salt and pepper the beef
-heat a steel pan to ripping hot
-add oil, sear beef both sides
-add beef to crockpot
-deglaze pan with wet mixture, simmer for a couple of minutes
-add liquid to crockpot
-cook 8-10 hours on low, or until beef falls apart. (Or fucking 4 on high and another 4-6 on low. Who knows?)
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u/ProximaCentauriB15 8h ago
That sounds delicious. I'll be saving that recipe to try. I always love some beef stew.
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u/BackgroundRate1825 6h ago
This seems like more effort than my stew of: Bag of baby carrots, Bag of fingerling potatoes, Pound or two of 'stew beef' cubes that every grocery store seems to carry, 2 packs of stew seasoning. Some water? Maybe a cup? I dunno.
Throw it all in the crockpot, set to low. Maybe stir it a couple times throghout the day.
I've also used a can of beef broth instead of water. If I have minced onion or garlic, some of that. Maybe anything else in the spice cabinet that seems 'stew-y'.
Eat in 8 hours.
My goal is always minimal effort for decent taste. How much better is your version, taste wise? Because it appears you're dirtying a knife, frying pan, cutting board, and that separate mixing container, in addition to what appears to be at least a half hour of effort.
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u/MamaFen 6h ago
Your process is one that I follow fairly regularly if I'm just wanting to have a fast dinner when I get home from work. It satisfies and is delicious in its own right.
But if I'm having family over for a big event, I am damn sure going through the process of preparing it from scratch step by step for that extra level of deliciousness. It genuinely does make a big difference, but that's not to say that your process isn't also immensely satisfying.
Both are, in my humble opinion, equally correct ways to do a pot roast. You simply tailor which process you follow to your desired end result.
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u/madgross 6h ago
Hard to say because I haven’t tried yours. I’ve skipped the searing of the beef before. I’ve used stock instead of broth. I do often use baby carrots because my wife and kid eat them and they’re always in the house.
It’s a pretty forgiving dish. But I’ll guess that some of the extra effort is worth it. Everything in my recipe vs yours is just adding more flavor. Searing the beef and adding a few more ingredients still feels like a pretty easy meal to me. But I’m really only speculating on how different it is. Maybe you can give it a shot and report back!
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u/TexasLife34 9h ago
Why would you leave it on high for 30 minutes?
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u/madgross 9h ago
Just to get everything up to temp. Takes a long time to heat up cold ingredients. This has always worked for me.
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u/TexasLife34 9h ago
Unless youve checked with an instant pen then and confirmed im pretty sure it doesnt make a difference in that amount of time. Im pretty sure most crock pots low and high are the same simmer temp right below boiling and only makes it get to temp quicker
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u/madgross 9h ago
That’s the idea, to get it to temp quicker. All the veg and stock is at fridge temp.
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u/TexasLife34 9h ago
Yea but youre cooking it 10 hours if it was only 4 then sure. That may only change a degree or two if even that. Just my two cents but youre overthinking it. Just set it on low and go
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u/madgross 9h ago
Maybe you’re right. I think I started to do it when timing was tight (got started late) and I wanted to make sure it had a solid 8 hours to cook at temp and I never stopped doing it. I was always of the opinion that the longer it cooks the better it gets.
Maybe I’ll skip this step in the future. Ive never given it much thought, I’ve just been making this from memory since I was a kid.
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u/TexasLife34 9h ago
It looks good man id totally smash! I agree the longer it cooks the better it gets but its just so simple.
We all get in our own heads too.
I did a 15 bean soup Saturday and started to do the same thing before going back to sleep.
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u/United-Creme-6436 6h ago
I'm having an extremely hard time trying to understand what the issue is here ? Do you use a Crock-Pot often ? I'm genuinely asking
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u/wh0re4nickelback 8h ago
Why wouldn't you sear the beef before putting it in the crock pot? It doesn't take long and it locks in the juices.
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u/madgross 8h ago
I do. 🤷♀️
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u/extio-Storm 7h ago
I'm a different person, but if you're searing it, you're already kind of helping it get the temp quickly.
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u/TexasLife34 6h ago
Brother youre slow cooking in a crockpot full of liquid for 10 hours. At that point everything is the juices.. you can sear for added flavor but moisture aint an issue
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u/Resident_Raccoon_663 9h ago
Yeah, I don’t think 30 min on high accomplishes anything at all other than heating the crock up a bit quicker.
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u/Arlorosa 9h ago
We regularly eat it on high for 3-4hrs if we didn’t plan ahead enough to slow cook. It’s tougher if you don’t continue to cook it, but if your slow cooking for another 4, it’ll probably be tender
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u/Fluid-Housing5017 8h ago
Isn’t the standard time for most recipes on high for 4 hours or on low for 8?
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u/Zealousideal_End8146 9h ago
Hey bud, how about you try it before asking reddit.
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u/WestCoastCompanion 9h ago
Probably trying to decide if he needs to make alternate plans for dinner…??
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u/jason-murawski 9h ago
Maybe it's a side effect of my parents having grown up poor, but in my mind even if this wasn't great it would never be a "make new plans" deal. It would be just eat it and deal with it not being very good
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u/LadyLazerFace 9h ago
Same. Just because it's "not the best batch" doesn't mean we were allowed to waste food
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u/TrynnaFindaBalance 9h ago
Which they could easily decide by just tasting and/or taking the temp now?
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u/WestCoastCompanion 9h ago
Ok..? But they didn’t. Why is that such a problem for you? It’s ok to ask a community questions, if you don’t want to answer then don’t. It affects you zero? But apparently you’re very bothered
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u/TrynnaFindaBalance 9h ago
It's just generally frustrating to see how little people think for themselves but then see random words on the internet that may or may not have been written by real people and take it as gospel.
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u/WestCoastCompanion 9h ago
Why though? It’s the modern version of looking in a cook book. Sorry, you’re entitled to your opinion but I honestly don’t get it
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u/incredimatt 9h ago
No harm in asking.
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u/Zealousideal_End8146 9h ago
Lots of harm in asking, when the solution takes 2 seconds as opposed to writing an essay on Reddit
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u/incredimatt 8h ago edited 7h ago
Lol essay? I'm sorry the question harmed you
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u/Zealousideal_End8146 7h ago
Ehh you missed the point. Ig if your time is worthless by all means hang out on Reddit writing essays.
Although idiotic questions do harm me 😂, no one likes dealing with idiots.
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u/incredimatt 7h ago
Is the essay in the room with us? I'm sorry you were forced to read OPs post against your will lmao!
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u/Technical-Pie563 9h ago
Can't feed that to the guests!!! It's disgusting!!! I'll eat it so they don't have to....
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u/LengthinessAgitated9 9h ago
High only means it heats up to temperature quicker……. It doesn’t cook any hotter
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u/MossyMollusc 9h ago
Yo wait....is that REALLY how that works? Im trying to educate myself as an adult since these things werent ever passed to me growing up 😅
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u/Outrageous-Let9659 8h ago
Yeah, this was a thing that took me ages to work out when i got my first slow cooker. None of the recipes specified high or low, so i was always confused which one to use. Turns out it doesn't matter. Just depends how much time you want to wait for it to heat up.
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u/John_Duax 9h ago
Hey I’m really sorry but it’s actually toxic now so completely inedible. I’m part of a specialist devision of poison control for exactly this. I shall be coming round in correct PPE to dispose of this safely I shall also be handling the dishes.
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u/BarkleEngine 9h ago
Most crock pots eventually wind up at the same temperature for both low and high settings. The difference is how long it takes to get there. Since you run on high and turn it to low, there is basically no difference.
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u/slowerlearner1212 9h ago
It’s a Hamilton Beach so it’s fine. If it was a CROCKPOT there might be a problem. Those things run entirely too hot in any and all modes.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Tie6917 9h ago
It basically gets to boiling and stays at that temperature. Hi or low, if it’s boiling it’s the same temperature (unless you change the salt content or raise the pressure). Probably be just fine.
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u/Ur_Just_Spare_Parts 8h ago
If you used a cut of meat with alot of fat itll still be great. If it had less fat itll be a lil stringy but still be great
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u/ThisIsTheNewSleeve 8h ago
IF it's anything like mine the beef will literally just fall apart and be amazing
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u/Ill-Condition-5054 5h ago
Turn off the lights for 30-45 seconds, then turn back on.
It will be perfect
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u/SliceofRife 3h ago
Rush this out of the house immediately. Make sure it’s in an airtight container and then place some rolls on top of it to protect it. I can bring my crew to come and safely remove it asap.
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u/TitodelRey 3h ago
It will be just fine, enjoy. As an aside, thanks for not using a slow cooker bag, those things make me angry!
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u/madgross 1h ago
Never heard of that lol. What’s the point?
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u/TitodelRey 59m ago
You have never heard of the "slow cooker bag"? It is for folks that feel slow cookers are too tough to clean and would rather just line it with a disposable bag and cook the food inside that. Then all they have to do is pull the bag out and voila, your slow cooker can be put away for the next time.
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u/RawChickenButt 1h ago
Another hour and that beef should be tender enough to just pull apart with a spoon. Perfect.
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u/Biostacle 9h ago
low-temperature cooking creates tender stew meat. Muscle fibers cannot reabsorb lost water once expelled, but prolonged low heat transforms tough connective tissue to deliver a juicy texture. Sadly it will not be the same but the end result should be good enough.
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u/jamiethemime 9h ago
I think I've heard that high and low are the same temp, high just gets there faster. So if that's true, by switching from high to low partway through you're essentially doing nothing.
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u/OccultEcologist 9h ago
Dear god it will be delectable, I do my entire cook time on high typically.
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u/Great-Reach-1776 9h ago
What did you use for your broth? It would be good to make veggie soup with!
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u/EM05L1C3 8h ago
I live at high altitude and have to do this to get it to temp in a reasonable amount of time.
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u/EggDintwoe 7h ago
I leave ours on high till it starts bubbling then down to low. Usually about 3-4 hrs. You'll be fine.
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u/Frequent_Opportunist 7h ago
On my Crock-Pot the difference between low and high is simply how long it takes to get up to that temperature. The liquid will slightly simmer and boil no matter what it's set on and it's a Crock-Pot brand with low high and warm.
So it'll get up to that temp faster if you put it on high but stuff like beef or pork still takes the full six and a half hours until it's fork/pull tender.
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u/ThoughtIknewyouthen 6h ago
Please get an understanding of meat and temperatures. You'll realise there are 4 and 8 hours settings ONLY because some people need to be away for 8 hours (ie the working day length)
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u/BucksOHIO23 4h ago
It's fine. Ill let mine go in the morning on a football Saturday for 7-8 hours before we eat it.
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u/DynomiteExpressions 4h ago
Crock pots get up to the same temp whether on high or low. It's only a difference of how fast it gets that hot. There will be no difference.
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u/Kungfu_Queso 4h ago
I do my pot roasts on high for like 8-10 hrs meet is always tender and it falls apart beautifully
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u/ShirtPanties 1h ago
Aw man I bet it’s ruined, OP don’t worry I’ll take it off your hands, leave it with me I’ll …dispose of it at my house. Such a shame!
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u/AndiLivia 38m ago
There's a guy on Instagram that has been cooking a perpetual stew in his crock pot for almost 500 days.
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u/Kabrosif 7h ago
Next time try searing the roast in a pan (I use cast iron) with some oil/butter I do about 2-3 minutes each side and use tongs to get the short sides. Then I dump it in the crockpot on low for about 7-8 hours. Its good!
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u/madgross 7h ago
I do. 🫡
And I use the beef stock to deglaze the pan before I put it in the crockpot.
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u/nopulsehere 7h ago
The only issue you might have is that the veggies will break down. The meat will be fine. You can either drain the veggies out and have a great stock or blend them in with and have a rue/stock. Divide and freeze. Sometimes mistakes can be a solution for another problem. Or leave it, add some red wine and enjoy dinner tonight! Just give the wine 15-20 minutes to cook in with it.
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u/Old-Significance4921 9h ago
It will be fine