Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Apple Fennel Slaw

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwich

Autumn is (almost) here! The occasional chill in the air, the shorter days - something about it all makes me crave pork and apples, a classic combination. Then last Saturday was a crazy day and I was on the move constantly. It was so nice to come home and find dinner nearly ready. My husband had starting this pork in the slow cooker that morning, and when I got home that night, it was ready to shred.

Most slow cooker versions of pulled pork involve dousing the meat in prepared BBQ sauce which can be a little bit cloyingly sweet for me. This recipe, from Fine Cooking magazine, was just about right, a great template that you could also tweak to suit your preferences. It uses jarred salsa and a few spices, with great results.

To go with the sandwiches, I whipped up a quick Apple-Fennel Slaw with apples from our tree, and loved the slight sweetness, and the fact that this recipe involves neither cabbage nor mayonnaise. It was a meal so good I just had to share.
　
Apple-Fennel Slaw

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

3 tart apples

2 small heads fennel, cut into matchsticks

1 small red onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Put the lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut one of the apples in half, core it, and julienne it. Put the cut apple in the bowl and toss it with the lemon juice to keep it from browning. Repeat with the other apples. Toss in all of the remaining ingredients. Let stand for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. Taste for seasoning and serve.


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced

3/4 cup jarred tomato salsa (medium heat)

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 Tbs. chili powder

Kosher salt

One 4- to 4-1/2-lb. bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed

3 Tbs. tomato paste

Toasted hamburger buns, for serving


In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, salsa, 1/3 cup of the vinegar, the brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Add the pork shoulder and turn to coat. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the pork is fork-tender, 5 to 6 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the pork. Discard the bone and fat. Put 1 cup of the juices and onions in a large bowl. Whisk in the tomato paste, the remaining 2 Tbs. vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt. Add the pulled pork and stir to combine. If the pork seems dry, add more juices as needed. Mound the pork on the toasted hamburger buns.

Caribbean Spiced Slow Cooker Ribs

Source: nytimes.com via Marie-Helene on Pinterest

I have this problem with ribs. It seems like all I have to do is see a picture of them and all of a sudden: instant craving. And it isn't like ice cream or some other craving where I can go to the store and buy fall-off-the-bone tender ribs slathered in BBQ sauce.

I know there are plenty of grilling experts out there who loving apply homemade rubs, place their ribs in smokers, ovens, on grills, tenderly dab sauce on them... This could take hours. Problem #2 is that I don't have that kind of patience for meat, especially in the summertime when the cooler I can stay, the better.

Solution: My trusty slow cooker. On a hot summer day, this recipe is a god send. It involves applying a simple rub to your ribs, slow cooking them all day, adding some BBQ sauce at the end, and before you know it, you've got tender, gooey ribs - all without turning on your oven once. Thank you to my homegirl Betty Crocker, and my friend Donna for the recipe.

Caribbean Spiced Ribs

From Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

3 pound pork loin back ribs

2 Tbsp instant minced onion

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp garlic powder

1 medium onion, sliced

½ cup water

1 ½ cups barbecue sauce

In a small bowl mix instant minced onion, mustard, red pepper flakes, allspice, cinnamon and garlic powder. Rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces if they have bones. Layer ribs and sliced onion in slow cooker. Pour water over ribs. Cover and cook on Low heat for 8-9 hours. Remove ribs from cooker and drain and discard liquid from cooker. Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl and dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in cooker and pour remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on Low for 1 hour. Revel in carnivorous delight. Serves 6.

Tamarind Pork with Pineapple Chutney

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

This dish was so good. As I sat down to eat it, I was licking my lips and showering my husband with praise. (I left the recipe out on the counter and he had the pork ready and waiting for me when I got home from work. I was ecstatic!) It may seem like a random recipe to try, but ever since last week when I bought some tamarind paste (hoping to add an authentic touch to some shrimp pad thai), I have been wondering what to do with the rest of the jar.

Tamarind is a sour-sweet flavor common to some Asian and South American cuisines. I loved it in this recipe, in which the pork comes out tender, moist and absolutely packed with flavor. Sour and sweet, tangy and a little spicy, this dinner was full of juxtapositions and we couldn't get enough.

P.S. We were fresh out of rum (Why is the rum always gone?) and my husband confided that he substituted some vanilla extract and water for it.

Tamarind Pork with Pineapple Chutney

Chutney:
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cups chopped pineapple
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons gold rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Pork:
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

1. To prepare chutney, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and chile to pan; cover and cook 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Uncover. Stir in pineapple and next 3 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until pineapple is tender, stirring occasionally. Cool 20 minutes; stir in cilantro and red pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. To prepare pork, combine chili sauce and next 3 ingredients (through tamarind), stirring to combine. Reserve half of soy mixture. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with 3/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper; coat pork with oil. Add pork to pan; sauté 4 minutes on 1 side or until browned. Brush pork with half of soy mixture; turn pork over. Place pan in oven; bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of pork registers 155° (slightly pink). Remove pork from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Brush pork evenly with reserved soy mixture. Slice pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick medallions. Serve with chutney.

I Need You to Know... About Pork Belly

I consider it my solemn blogger duty to report that there may be something missing in your life. At least it was missing from my life until this weekend, when a trip to local Sacramento restaurant Roxy alerted me to the deficiency.

Pork belly.

Not pig stomach as my husband initially thought it meant, but pork belly - a tender, moist, rich cut of pork taken from the stomach region.

We had brunch at Roxy on Saturday, a rancher-owned restaurant where the quality of the meat draws locals out morning, noon and night. To be specific, the dish that blew me away consisted of the following: A crispy Southern-style biscuit topped with a slice of braised pork belly, melted aged cheddar, and a softly poached egg. Oh, and a few vegetables and greens, but they're not really the point here.

Have you ever cut open a delicate poached egg and watched the yellow yolk ooze over a braised piece of pork belly so tender that it falls apart when you cut into it? I highly recommend it if you haven't.

I now consider my duty complete.

Like A Julia Child Recipe, Only Easier

Is there anything more tantalizing than a good cut of meat roasting in the oven? Methinks not. I found a quirky cookbook in small used bookstore in Mendocino called Once Upon a Tart. In it, the French owner of said café shares his recipe for a simple roasted pork loin. It is delicious on its own with an arugula salad and vinaigrette, or sliced and eaten on a baguette for lunch.

French Pork Loin

2 lb. boneless pork loin
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½ c. good-quality Dijon mustard
3 T. herbes de Provence
2 T. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.

Take the pork loin and cut slits all over it, inserting slices of garlic in the slits. Spread the mustard liberally all over the meat, then sprinkle with the seasonings. You may want to use a spatula to spread the spices evenly over the meat. Place the meat in a roasting pan on the rack.

Bake for about an hour or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

If You Like Carnitas, Try This

Last week was Cinco de Mayo, aka (in our house) Carnitas Appreciation Day. My husband really loves this dish, and so I found a recipe in which you can use the slow cooker to make tender and moist, nicely spiced Mexican-style pork. Get home from work, finish preparing, fold inside tortillas with lettuce, salsa, and whatever tickles your fancy.

Where to Buy the Best: I buy my pork (and much of my meat, also) at Whole Foods. They offer the strictest meat rules in the industry. For pigs, these rules include:

• No antibiotics — ever
• No animal byproducts in feed
• No gestation crates
• Sows provided freedom of movement in farrowing (birthing) pens
• Bedding required to satisfy natural rooting instincts

(Gestation crates are used by most factory farms to prevent the pigs from moving while they're pregnant and cause sores and discomfort for the sows.) Like the best pig farmers in the business believe, Happy and healthy pigs make happy and healthy humans! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (3-4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast

2 bay leaves

Directions:
1. Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

BBQ Pork in the Slow Cooker

Yesterday, I woke up late, spilled soymilk all over my car, and got trapped in the middle of a huge storm that threw buckets of water on my windshield as I attempted to navigate the freeway on my commute home. On a day like that, I was relieved to come home to a practically ready-made meal that I’d made some time before and frozen. And it wasn’t even hard to make to begin with!

Here’s the easiest recipe ever for BBQ Pork. It actually calls for beef, but since pork at this time is about half the price as beef (and beef is notoriously bad for the environment), I generally use a LOT of pork. Use a quality BBQ sauce, as there are so few ingredients here (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s - I just love saying that name!) Serve on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns, with a green salad and baked beans.

I suggest that you freeze half of what you make. Then, on the day that you want to use it, put it in the refrigerator to defrost in the morning. Before consuming it for dinner, heat it up in a pan for 20 minutes. It will regain that delightful texture it originally had. You can add a little extra BBQ sauce to perk it up if necessary.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

3 pounds chuck roast (or pork)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (18 ounce) bottle BBQ sauce

1. Place roast in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Pour BBQ sauce over meat. Cook on High for 1 hour, then reduce heat to Low, and cook 5-7 hours more.

2. Remove meat from slow cooker, shred, and return to slow cooker. Cook for 1 more hour. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings.

The Battle of the Green Chile Pork Recipes

My husband adores Mexican food. I’m not as enthusiastic in general, but one dish we both enjoy is Green Chile Pork. I found a pretty tasty recipe for this dish in my "Allrecipes" cookbook, and it was one of his favorite dinners that I’ve made so far. I loved the fact that it required so few ingredients and was so easy to prepare.

About 2 months later, while on vacation recently, I found another recipe for the same dish in "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American". Curious, I decided to try the new recipe and see which one was better. I made the dish this week, and felt like the second recipe was great, too, and was having a tough time deciding on the winner. Then, after comparing the two recipes, I realized that they were essentially..... exactly the same recipe! No wonder I couldn’t decide which had been better. I guess we’ll call it a tie.

Green Chile Pork

3 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
7 green chile peppers, chopped (or 2 small cans of diced green chiles)
1 T. cumin
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 (10 ounce) jar prepared green chile salsa
salt/pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the pork in oil, doing so in 2 to 3 batches. Place the meat in 3 to 4-quart covered saucepan and add celery, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic. Add about 1 cup chicken broth or water to skillet pork was cooked in, stirring over high heat to scrape up browned bits on bottom and bring to boil. Add to pot with enough additional water or broth to barely cover the ingredients. Cover and simmer until stew is thick and meat very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Season to taste before serving. If stew is not hot enough, add a bit of green salsa.
Serve with wheat tortillas and a green salad.