Slow cooker meals too watery!

[Empross76]

I've recently started using a slow cooker - only really tried casseroles and meats in sauces. Have noticed that the sauces are quite thin and watery, even though I try to learn from this and add less liquid the next time I make the recipe, etc.
I always make loads to freeze some, and these portions are always thicker and nicer.
How can I make the original servings straight from the slow cooker thicker? Should I whack up the heat at the end or will that make the meat too tough?
Got a pork loin joint in a BBQ sauce in at the moment and it looks so watery!

[nailslikeknives]

Try making a paste with a couple of tablespoons of plain flour mixed with whatever sauce/stock you're adding, or tomato purée or similar. Mix it well with the other ingredients. Over the course of the day, it will thicken up just as in a cheese sauce etc. if you find it's too thick, you can loosen with a bit of water or milk near the end of the cooking time.

[ILikeToClean]

I always add half the amount of liquid stated in a recipe.

[Safmellow]

Depends if you like them but I often use pulses in mine as they soak up lots of water and make it a nice consistency. Usually red lentils.

[Empross76]

Thanks for the tips!

[jollygoose]

have just discovered I can cook joints in slow cooker. Today I did half leg of lamb, added no liquid just rubbed it with some oil and mint jelly, rosemary on top and cooked for 6 hours it was yummy.
Last week did a large gammon joint same way except put brown sugar in pot then rolled joint in it cooked for 8 hours it was lovely and will never cook it any other way cause nothing could be easier.

[sashh]

rub some flour into the meat and only use a small amount of water, you can add more if it goes dry.

[jenduck]

For casseroles, I cheat & add gravy granules or Bisto or cornflour

[Naoko]

If I have something that's turned out a bit thin despite cutting liquid in the recipe, I often take the lid off for the last half hour or so of cooking, that seems to help.

[JamNan]

Most joints will cook in their own juices with very little additional liquid. Sometimes I add a bed of vegetables for it to sit on plus a stock cube.

With your pork loin take out most of the liquid leaving about an inch at the bottom. Continue cooking and the sauce should thicken or you could add tomato puree to help it along. Reserve the sauce you took out and cook separately in a saucepan with some cornflour to thicken it.

sounds yum

[ClaraOswald]

If I'm doing a joint in bbq sauce I don't add any liquid other than the sauce.

[nailslikeknives]

Hi jolly, I love those ideas and will try them out. Did you cook on low?

[Empross76]

Love all these tips! Will try 'em out next time!

[jollygoose]

hi nails, I cooked the gammon on low for 8 hours, the lamb I had high for 1 hour then on low, I think if I had cooked lamb for 1 more hour it would have just fallen off the bone which would have been nice but as it was it cooked nicely.
Dont know why it has taken me 20 years to discover this as so much easier to get right than oven cooking gl.

[nailslikeknives]

Thanks Jolly