Crock Pot, What am I doing wrong?

[lastlight]

What am I missing?

Crock pot/slow cooker set to low. I leave in anywhere from 12-24 hours

Ingredients:
Venison depends on the day neck roast or shank. Brown meat on all sides on the cast iron prior to putting in the pot.
Add meat, home made bone broth, red wine, water (cover all the way), carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, plenty of salt and pepper.

The smell and taste of the liquid and veggies is fantastic. The meat is always super dry, tender, but dry. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Southern Elk]

Cooking it too long.

 

[lastlight]

I meant ive done 8-24 hours, oops.

Ok so maybe try 6 hours?

 

[Nick87]

8 good, 24 I'd say not so much

 

[Bambistew]

What are you doing wrong? Using a crockpot... there is nothing grosser than food out of a crackpot. There are so many better and faster ways to cook game meat or any meat for that matter.

Brown the meat first and braise it in the oven and have way better results than a crockpot. Don't overcook it. There is no wild meat roasts that require to be cooked until obliteration. I eat a lot of roasts including neck roasts and everything in between. Instapot works well too. I smoked a moose brisket the other day that turned out amazing.

 

[LuketheDog]

What am I missing?

Crock pot/slow cooker set to low. I leave in anywhere from 12-24 hours

Ingredients:
Venison depends on the day neck roast or shank. Brown meat on all sides on the cast iron prior to putting in the pot.
Add meat, home made bone broth, red wine, water (cover all the way), carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, plenty of salt and pepper.

The smell and taste of the liquid and veggies is fantastic. The meat is always super dry, tender, but dry. What am I doing wrong?

12-24 hours?! I think you'd get better results if you switched to a good braise.

The Correct Way to Braise Meat | Wild + Whole

Do you struggle to get venison shanks to fall off the bone? Or wonder why a pot roast comes out tender but still dry? Cooking tough cuts from wild game presents many challenges, but with the right knowledge you can transform any hard-working muscle into an amazing meal. The most effective cooking...

www.themeateater.com

Also, meat like venison or elk without lots of intramuscular fat doesn't go in the crockpot real well. I've got a crockpot carnitas recipe for port butt that would blow your mind, but I'd NEVER do it with an elk roast.

 

[44hunter45]

It is hard to imagine, but you can overcook venison or elk in a crockpot, even submerged in water.

 

[LuckyTom]

I'd try 6 and see if it's fork tender. Also I find no matter what venison or bear roast I cook, either in crock pot or braised in the oven, gravy is a must have. Gravy makes everything better.

 

[Boarmaster]

I don't completely cover the meat in liquid. I use just enough in the bottom to keep it moist in the crock. Same with my dutch oven braises in the oven or stovetop.

 

[Gellar]

What are you doing wrong? Using a crockpot... there is nothing grosser than food out of a crackpot. There are so many better and faster ways to cook game meat or any meat for that matter.

Brown the meat first and braise it in the oven and have way better results than a crockpot. Don't overcook it. There is no wild meat roasts that require to be cooked until obliteration. I eat a lot of roasts including neck roasts and everything in between. Instapot works well too. I smoked a moose brisket the other day that turned out amazing.

Nothing better than a braise with a well seasoned Dutch oven. In fact, there is no comparison in the taste of the same recipe in a cast iron Dutch oven vs a crock pot.
That being said I still use a crockpot for weekday meals because of convenience. 4-6 hours is probably plenty on low. 2-4 on high. You could also take some of that braising liquid and inject it with a syringe periodically.

 

[nontyp]

What am I missing?

Crock pot/slow cooker set to low. I leave in anywhere from 12-24 hours

Ingredients:
Venison depends on the day neck roast or shank. Brown meat on all sides on the cast iron prior to putting in the pot.
Add meat, home made bone broth, red wine, water (cover all the way), carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, plenty of salt and pepper.

The smell and taste of the liquid and veggies is fantastic. The meat is always super dry, tender, but dry. What am I doing wrong?

I like to take it out of the crockpot, cut into pieces and brown it in butter. You get that nice crispy brown outside and it soaks up some of the oil making it much less dry. I even do this with beef because it’s so dang tasty.

 

[lastlight]

12-24 hours?! I think you'd get better results if you switched to a good braise.

The Correct Way to Braise Meat | Wild + Whole

Do you struggle to get venison shanks to fall off the bone? Or wonder why a pot roast comes out tender but still dry? Cooking tough cuts from wild game presents many challenges, but with the right knowledge you can transform any hard-working muscle into an amazing meal. The most effective cooking...

www.themeateater.com

Also, meat like venison or elk without lots of intramuscular fat doesn't go in the crockpot real well. I've got a crockpot carnitas recipe for port butt that would blow your mind, but I'd NEVER do it with an elk roast.

Yea I'm going to try this next.

Ive always done around 8 hours. Yesterday I tried 24 for the hell of it and it turned out exactly the same as my 8 hour times. So i think ill try 4-6 hours next.

 

[lastlight]

Nothing better than a braise with a well seasoned Dutch oven. In fact, there is no comparison in the taste of the same recipe in a cast iron Dutch oven vs a crock pot.
That being said I still use a crockpot for weekday meals because of convenience. 4-6 hours is probably plenty on low. 2-4 on high. You could also take some of that braising liquid and inject it with a syringe periodically.

I do have my great grandmas dutch oven laying around...I need to try this!

 

[MThuntr]

I do have my great grandmas dutch oven laying around...I need to try this!

If you have a Costco card I just saw they have a 7 and 4 qt enameled dutch oven set for like $65.

 

[Frenchy]

My wife was getting the same result until she switched crock pots. The lid on the old one didn't seal tight, and we think let some moisture out. With the new one, everything comes out perfect.

 

[rwc101]

Throw a bunch pepperoncini in with some elk/venison. Hot Italian elk sandwiches are pretty good.

 

[NoWiser]

I've given up on crock pots for wild game. No matter what I try, it just never turns out great.

 

[Gellar]

I do have my great grandmas dutch oven laying around...I need to try this!

It is a sin to leave your great grandmas dutch oven laying around! you need to be using that thing! The amount of flavor and love that will add to any and all recipes is unfathomable. brown the meat and braise the meat all in the same dutch oven. While you are braising the meat every once in a while take a wooden spoon and scratch the little brown crispy things off the bottom of the dutch oven to add even more flavor!

 

[Islander]

Four to Six hour max for crockpot. Add some sort of FAT. 6 strips of bacon or some olive oil.

Pressure cooker = 50 minutes for the tough cuts. Same thing with FAT.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Wild game always ends up dry as hell in crock pot, I've made the switch to dutch oven!