Depends what you're cooking,generally brown all meat in a pan first,put in pot with onions,veg etc,and hot stock,if it has high and low settings,4/5hours on high,5/7hours on low,the times aren't critical as long as there is plenty of liquid in.You should always fry the meat first as seals it and always use hot stock/liquid as it would struggle from cold,if you're home stir it and use a wooden spoon to get all the brown(caramelized)burnt bits into the stock for best flavour.If the meat isn't tender enough for you,leave it longer or turn it up to high for a while.You just need a bit of practice it's dead easy,Brown Meat/Hot Stock(you can also brown the onions/carrots etc first for more taste)Good luck.
Rich, October 2008
