Recipes: Slow and Steady Wins

PHOTO: NATIONAL PORK BOARD

Do you use your trusty slow cooker frequently? Or, do you often vow to use it more, especially in winter when comfort food comes to mind? It’s certainly the perfect kitchen tool to make a batch of pork, chicken, or beef for a meal today, tomorrow, the week ahead, and also to freeze for even more meals down the road. So, today I wanted to share some recipes you can find with links here, as well as highlighted recipes below to keep you well supplied with ideas for the cold days and weeks ahead. (Slow cookers are also great during the summer when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen with the oven.)

I came across this All-Purpose Pork Shoulder recipe by Melissa D’Arabian years ago and have used it many times for family birthday parties, stirring it with barbecue sauce for pulled pork sandwiches, and it’s always a hit. (In fact, I’m going to cook it overnight tonight for my son’s birthday lunch tomorrow!) It also works well mixed with green salsa for tacos. The recipe calls for white wine, but I sometimes substitute apple juice and it  works well, too. And if you don’t have a slow cooker, there is information on how to braise it in the oven.

If Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken is sounding good, I have been enjoying this recipe by JoyFoodSunshine lately. It is lightly seasoned yet juicy and flavorful, so it works well in a range of dishes—I have been using it for tacos, in pasta, mixed with some mayo and curry powder for sandwiches, and more.

Is something beefy sounding delicious? Check out the recipes below. And all of these recipes are great for game day, too, as you can leave the meat on warm in the slow cooker and people can serve themselves.

Tip: Don’t Peek: While it might be tempting to lift the lid of your slow cooker to take a peek at your meal’s progress, doing so breaks the seal created by the steam between the lid and the cooking pot. So, each time the lid is lifted, you would need to add an extra 20 minutes to the total cooking time.

Photo: Beef, It's What's For Dinner

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

Makes 6 Servings | Recipe courtesy Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner

Start with this base meat and spice it to your liking for use in a number of meals: Stir in barbecue sauce and serve it on buns, mix in salsa and serve it in tacos, and more. See variations below.

1 (2 to 2½ pounds) beef shoulder roast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. For optional browning, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Brown beef shoulder roast on all sides.
2. Place onion and garlic in 3½ to 5 quart slow cooker and place roast on top. Cover and cook on high 5 to 6 hours or low 9 to 10 hours or until roast is fork tender.
3. Remove roast from slow cooker. Skim fat from cooking liquid, if necessary and reserve 1 cup onion mixture. Shred beef with 2 forks. Combine shredded beef and reserved onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Recipe Variations:

Mexican Shredded Beef: Combine tomato or tomatillo salsa and beef mixture, as desired. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in warmed flour or corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and/or chopped white or green onions, as desired.

BBQ Shredded Beef: Combine prepared barbecue sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve on whole wheat rolls topped with creamy horseradish sauce, coleslaw, Cheddar cheese slices, chopped green bell pepper and/or canned French fried onions, as desired.

Asian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared hoisin or teriyaki sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in lettuce or cabbage cups topped with shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, chopped fresh cilantro or mint, sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes and/or chopped peanuts, as desired.

Indian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared Indian cooking sauce, such as Tikka Masala or Vindaloo. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in naan or pita bread topped with toasted chopped pistachios or coconut, raisins, Greek yogurt or mango chutney, chopped fresh mint or cilantro and/or sliced cucumbers or green onion, as desired.

Photo: Beef, It's What's For Dinner

Southwest Beef Wraps

Makes 8 Servings | Recipe courtesy Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner

Shredded beef gets a punch of flavor from salsa, and a quick tomato-corn relish is folded into a tortilla along with the beef for a hearty handheld meal.

For the Beef
1 medium onion, quartered
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (2½ to 3 pounds) boneless beef shoulder roast or bottom round rump roast
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

For the Tomato-Corn Relish
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

For Serving
2 (16-ounce) jars chunky salsa, divided
8 flour tortillas (10-inch diameter), warmed
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

1. Cut beef shoulder roast into 4 even pieces. Place onion and garlic in a 4½ to 5½-quart slow cooker, and top with beef. Add water, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high 5-5½ hours or on low 9½ hours or until beef is fork tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.)
2. Remove beef and cool slightly. Strain cooking liquid, skim fat, and reserve liquid. Shred beef with 2 forks. Place beef in a 2-quart microwave-safe dish and add ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid.
3. Combine Tomato-Corn Relish ingredients in medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup salsa.
4. Add remaining salsa to beef and mix well. Cover and microwave on high 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring once.
5. Top each tortilla with ¾ cup beef mixture, leaving 1½ inch border around edge. Top beef with about ¼ cup relish. Fold right and left sides of tortillas over filling; fold bottom edge over and roll up. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Hungry for More?

Check out these recipes I have highlighted here and keep your slow cooker busy all winter—and into spring and summer.

PHOTO TERRY BRENNAN, FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Soup, Plus Sandwiches: Enjoy two meals from one—Chicken, Rosemary, and Farro soup today and flavorful Chicken, Olive, and Red Pepper sandwiches tomorrow.

PHOTO TERRY BRENNAN, FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

Jerked Pork in the Slow Cooker:Heat things up with Jamaican-spiced pork in an easy make-ahead recipe for the slow cooker.

PHOTO: NATIONAL PORK BOARD

Perfect Pulled Pork + BBQ Pork Pizza Recipes: Easy slow cooker pulled pork makes plenty for sandwiches, a twist on pizza, and more.