Basting meat with molasses in slow cooker?

[whm1974]

OK some weeks ago I had this thought of basting a corn beef brisket with molasses and using my slow cooker to cook it along some potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Has anyone tried using molasses for basting meats before? How did it turned out?

 

[whm1974]

What??? No one? I have to try using this, maybe this weekend?

 

[dullard]

I have to say (aside from the fact that placing sweet and meat is disgusting for many of us) that basting has been mostly debunked. Each time you open up the cooker to baste it, you lose the heat and moisture, which means you have to cook it even longer, which means it turns out even drier than before. Plus, the thick molasses won't really penetrate into your meat in any significant way.

If I were to try it, I would cook the meat to be as moist as possible, cook the molasses separately, and then combine them for the last ~10 minutes of high temperature cooking to really stick the molasses to the meat.

 

[whm1974]

I have to say (aside from the fact that placing sweet and meat is disgusting for many of us) that basting has been mostly debunked. Each time you open up the cooker to baste it, you lose the heat and moisture, which means you have to cook it even longer, which means it turns out even drier than before. Plus, the thick molasses won't really penetrate into your meat in any significant way.

If I were to try it, I would cook the meat to be as moist as possible, cook the molasses separately, and then combine them for the last ~10 minutes of high temperature cooking to really stick the molasses to the meat.

I was thinking of basting the brisket completely before I put in the slow cooker and just fire and forget for 8 to 12 hours.

 

[dullard]

I was thinking of basting the brisket completely before I put in the slow cooker and just fire and forget for 8 to 12 hours.

That probably would work*. But it is far closer to marinading (soaking in liquid prior to cooking) than basting (adding liquid during the cooking process).

* If you can clean your slow cooker afterwards.

 

[whm1974]

Sorry I didn't know I had the terms mixed up. Normally I fix corn beef brisket by just putting the meat in with the spice packet and add a few spices, include the veggies and then cover and fire and forget 8 to 12 hours. Come outs perfect every time.

 

[whm1974]

That probably would work*. But it is far closer to marinading (soaking in liquid prior to cooking) than basting (adding liquid during the cooking process).

* If you can clean your slow cooker afterwards.

I use a liner, just pick it up and toss when I'm done.

 

[NesuD]

Using molasses to baste would end up more like a glaze I would think. Unless that is what you are going for I don't think you will get the result your looking for.

 

[whm1974]

Using molasses to baste would end up more like a glaze I would think. Unless that is what you are going for I don't think you will get the result your looking for.

Actually a glaze is probably what I am looking for to think of of it. I should really look up cooking terms....

 

[whm1974]

OK I looked at several recipes using molasses and they all use a 1/4 cup of it mixed with other stuff, so I'm going to try that.

 

[deadlyapp]

I often do pork shoulder with something similar where I mix brown sugar and a liquid (sometimes rootbeer, sometimes just water or chicken stock). Comes out fantastic and not too sweet since I shred it afterwards anyways.

 

[whm1974]

I often do pork shoulder with something similar where I mix brown sugar and a liquid (sometimes rootbeer, sometimes just water or chicken stock). Comes out fantastic and not too sweet since I shred it afterwards anyways.

I might have to check using rootbeer, what brand do you use?

 

[JulesMaximus]

I often do pork shoulder with something similar where I mix brown sugar and a liquid (sometimes rootbeer, sometimes just water or chicken stock). Comes out fantastic and not too sweet since I shred it afterwards anyways.

When I slow cook a pork butt I do something similar but no liquid, only dry spices as a rub. Smoke for 8-10 hours and it is delightfully tender with a nice crust of spice on the outside.

 

[whm1974]

When I slow cook a pork butt I do something similar but no liquid, only dry spices as a rub. Smoke for 8-10 hours and it is delightfully tender with a nice crust of spice on the outside.

Well I do have slow cooker and line in a small apartment with no way to safely smoke meat, so.....

 

[deadlyapp]

I might have to check using rootbeer, what brand do you use?

Doesn't really matter. I can't recall ever using a "better" rootbeer for this.

@JulesMaximus I'd love to smoke but it's just not practical for me most of the time. I've found slowcooking overnight with a dry rub and a slight amount of liquid to be a decent backup option.

 

[zinfamous]

yes, that should be fine. molasses + pork shoulder is very common, and it works extremely well. If you are going that way, however, you might want to try brining it overnight first, in a high salt + molasses bath, then take it out the next day and let it drain a spell, then place it in the slow cooker.

 

[NetWareHead]

I dont think a glaze will work.

The slow cooker is not a hot environment compared to an oven. In an oven, the sugar in a glaze has a chance to carmelize and thicken exposed to the heat and dryer atmosphere of an oven. It then sets up on top of the food and adheres.

A slow cooker cooks at cooler temps and doesnt heat the air above the food. Plus the air will be very humid and condensation will rain back on top of the food cooking. So I think the glaze will be disturbed; washed away by the condensation action and never get really hot enough to properly thicken in the first place.

I think all you will be doing is sweetening and thickening the juice the meat sits in as the molasses runs off the meat.

if you want a proper glaze, you need an oven not a slow cooker.

 

[whm1974]

I was thinking use dark rum and mixing it with Worcestershire sauce, some malt vinegar, some toasted sesame oil, and a few spices and let the meat sit in a bag for an hour or two or even overnight. Then put it in a slow cooker and coat the veggies with the liquid, and fire and forget for 8 to 12 hours.

But how much alcohol would left after cooking is what I'm wondering about?

 

[zinfamous]

I was thinking use dark rum and mixing it with Worcestershire sauce, some malt vinegar, some toasted sesame oil, and a few spices and let the meat sit in a bag for an hour or two or even overnight. Then put it in a slow cooker and coat the veggies with the liquid, and fire and forget for 8 to 12 hours.

But how much alcohol would left after cooking is what I'm wondering about?

in a slow cooker? all of it. You aren't going to be cooking out any alcohol at slow cooker temps, afaik.

 

[whm1974]

in a slow cooker? all of it. You aren't going to be cooking out any alcohol at slow cooker temps, afaik.

That was what I was afraid of.

 

[NetWareHead]

in a slow cooker? all of it. You aren't going to be cooking out any alcohol at slow cooker temps, afaik.

Disagree. Ethanol boils at 173 F and begins to evaporate even before that. Slow cookers certainly cook at higher temps than this and the ethanol will certainly cook off. Unless you have such a tight fitting lid where the ethanol vapor is captured and allowed to condense back into the food, preventing its escape.

 

[zinfamous]

Disagree. Ethanol boils at 173 F and begins to evaporate even before that. Slow cookers certainly cook at higher temps than this and the ethanol will certainly cook off. Unless you have such a tight fitting lid where the ethanol vapor is captured and allowed to condense back into the food, preventing its escape.

interesting, I thought it needed much higher temps. But would it not just collect on the top of lid with the other water vapor?

 

[whm1974]

Disagree. Ethanol boils at 173 F and begins to evaporate even before that. Slow cookers certainly cook at higher temps than this and the ethanol will certainly cook off. Unless you have such a tight fitting lid where the ethanol vapor is captured and allowed to condense back into the food, preventing its escape.

Even so, wouldn't the alcohol be diluted by liquid drawn from the meat and veggies?

 

[NetWareHead]

interesting, I thought it needed much higher temps. But would it not just collect on the top of lid with the other water vapor?

It would but the lid would have to be air tight to prevent its escape . All the slow cookers Ive used permitted steam to escape so Im sure the alcohol would be lost.

Even so, wouldn't the alcohol be diluted by liquid drawn from the meat and veggies?

Ethanol if mixed with water, when heated, the alcohol will boil away first leaving behind the water which will then begin boiling when it reaches its boiling point

 

[whm1974]

It would but the lid would have to be air tight to prevent its escape . All the slow cookers Ive used permitted steam to escape so Im sure the alcohol would be lost.



Ethanol if mixed with water, when heated, the alcohol will boil away first leaving behind the water which will then begin boiling when it reaches its boiling point

So after 8 to 12 hours of slow cooking I would having to worry about then?