Does Size Matter?

I commiserated with my coworkers yesterday. Turns out everyone has a crock pot disaster story.

Some shared their tales of woe with such passion that even I was a bit surprised. Bitter frustration underscored each.

They report that, without fail, food will burn and crust on the bottom of their crock pots – even when set to low.

A clever coworker pointed out that our crock pot-to-meat ratio might be off. That is, my 4-pound pork shoulder was too small for my 6.5-quart crock pot.

An interesting theory. One that I am tempted to test out with yet another pork shoulder. But before I go out and acquire a third pork shoulder in two weeks, I need to finish the remaining kalua pig in my fridge. Already, the husband is rolling his eyes at the prospect of consuming more kalua pig. And he LOVES the stuff. But even he has his limits.

So I might give it a week or two, but I will be buying a larger shoulder or using a mini crock pot.

My coworker mentioned that there's a hotline one can call for help in disasters such as these. I couldn't find one other than the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555. It seems to specialize on fielding safety questions, though. If you know of a general one, do share.