A crock pot is a wee different. The warming of the crock pot is on all sides, not just the bottom. Plus its insulated to keep more heat in instead of dissipating. That just means more of a uniform cook. Its entirely possible to get the same effect on a stove, but you may end up with build up on the bottom or uneven cooking - especially with thicker sauces or a dense collection of meats/veggies/solids.

I believe the original crock pot was a hole dug in the ground. Using the embers from the fire they'd fill the hole then set the pot on top. Then, they'd fill the sides with more embers and let the stuff cook throughout the day as the embers died down. Very similar to the first BBQ which was meat cooking over embers and nearby dried woods.

As for the meat, there is a crock pot recipe out there for meat & potatoes. You set the veggies in the bottom with a light broth and put the roast on top. Rub it with whatever you like and let the sucker sit for X many hours. The steam and heat will cook it to the point of falling apart while keeping that savory meat flavor.

I use my crock pot for shredded beef (machaca). Usually two chuck roasts, a can of diced tomatoes, a diced onion, a diced green pepper, mexican spices, and fill the rest with water until it covers the meat. About 6-8 hours, you pull it out and shred it. Stick it back in for about an hour or two and you have a pot full of shredded meat. It usually lasts us a week of various leftover dishes. Steak n eggs, huevos rancheros, burritos, tacos, soups, stews, salad proteins, or on top of a burger/hot dog.

I've also simmered a vegan ramen broth in a crock pot for 16 hours with home made noodles. Came out super tasty.