Pesto Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Aromatic, mouth watering sandwiches made with pork and pesto--what a way to end a mid winter's day. Hearty, hot sandwiches are great in the winter, especially if you need a knife and fork to eat them. And this one is so easy to make, you will love it!

Pesto Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 large sweet onion
2 pounds boneless pork roast, (can be partially frozen)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup pesto, divided
8 slices sourdough bread
Peel and chop onion roughly. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place pork on onions. Salt and pepper pork. Spoon 1/2 cup pesto onto meat. Place lid on cooker and turn onto low. Cook for 7 1/2 hours. With two forks, pull pork into pieces and mix with the onions and pan drippings. Lightly toast sour dough bread if desired. Spread 1/8 of remaining pesto on each slice of bread, top with pulled pork and serve hot.

Hints: Use home made pesto or store bought. Use another type of bread, like ciabatta rolls or roasted garlic artisan bread if you like. A leaner, tougher cut of meat is great here. And bone in would be fine, merely requiring a bit more time after cooking to prep. This recipe could easily be doubled if you have a larger slow cooker. I haven't tried cooking it on high for less time but I think that would work out fine.

I think this would be a great recipe with chicken as well! Few ingredients with mega taste--my favorite kind of dish. Slow cooking is such a nice option for busy days. And leftovers make a great lunch, (one that you won't resent but actually look forward to eating), another day. 

Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Balsamic Glaze

Long hiatus from the Wasatch Mountain Kitchen. We've been building a house and by that I mean I was throwing trusses around, digging sand out of the water hook up, painting what needed to be painted, etc. Acting as my own general contractor on this project has been rewarding, challenging, frustrating and fun...sometimes all in the same day! Cooking has not been a priority lately but the project is almost done and I am thrilled to see my new kitchen pulling together. (And the rest of the house, too.)
Here is a slow cooker roast that is simply dreamy, both to cook and to eat. I created it one day that I knew was going to be long and arduous. It was great to come back to a beautiful aroma at dinner time. Don't we all love slow cookers for that very reason?

Pork Roast with Balsamic Glaze
3 to 4 pounds pork loin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 purple onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 generous sprigs oregano
6 to 8 sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon corn starch
Place meat in a slow cooker. Season with salt. Peel and quarter the onion then add to pot. Crush and peel the garlic and add to pot. Pour the vinegar over meat. Add oregano, sage and finish with black pepper. Place the lid on and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Remove roast to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid into a sauce pan, discard solids. Place on stove top and begin to heat pan. In a small container, mix water and cornstarch. Whisk into hot liquid and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. Slice meat and pour glaze over top to serve.

Hints: I like to use pretty lean cuts of pork but you may need to skim off some fat before making the sauce if the pork was too fatty. Of course using the slow cooker makes the meat very tender and the slicing may turn into shredding if you are not careful. Allowing the meat to rest a bit helps and a very sharp knife does too. Adjust seasonings in the glaze by adding salt or balsamic vinegar until it taste right to you. Leftovers are great on an artisian roll topped with slaw.

I appreciate all the traffic my blog has received these past several weeks even though there was no new content. I'll be back in the saddle again soon and am excited to begin using a new kitchen to create new recipes and feed family and friends more consistently again.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Succulent, spice rubbed pulled pork, cooked slowly with lovely peppers--this is a hit! Use it for tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Works great as a sandwich filling, too. Or use it to sauce some pasta. Tremendously versatile, extremely tasty.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Peppers
1 teaspoon each chili powder, ground coriander, rubbed sage,
1/2 teaspoon each black pepper, ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, hickory smoked preferred
1 tablespoon each Mexican oregano, brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 pounds boneless pork roast
2 large red or orange bell peppers
1 large sweet onion
1 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, mix together the spices, herbs, smoked salt and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Rub the herb mixture into the pork on all sides. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add oil to pan. Sear pork for 3 to 4 minute on at least two sides. Clean and slice peppers into thin strips about 2 inches long. Peel and cut onion into slivers about 2 inches long. Sprinkle the veggies with 1 teaspoon of salt. Layer veggies and meat in a slow cooker, scraping any of the fond from the meat skillet on top. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 6 hours on high). Shred the pork with a fork before serving. Serve onions and peppers on the side.

Hints: Browning the meat is critical to a good end product. There will be a fair amount of liquid in the slow cooker at the end. It can be thickened with some cornstarch if you like. This can make two meals or can be used all at one time for a larger group. Add some Quesso Fresco, cilantro and lime for tacos. Use with whole grain buns and the thickened sauce for sandwiches. Or stir into cooked bowtie pasta and top with Romano and fresh basil.

This dish has a hint of spiciness but some of us added hot pepper sauce and liked it that way. The fork tender meat is delicious and pairs well with nearly anything. Cooking slow and low allows the flavors to meld in a wonderful way.

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

I know that Lamb stew is the stew of choice on St. Patrick's Day but I didn't have any lamb on hand. So Pork Stew would have to do. This recipe fuses some Native American with some African and Asian influences. The combination works quite well. I served it over quinoa but it would be terrific over polenta, couscous, rice or served with flat bread or tortillas.

Pork Stew (using a slow cooker)
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup diced apple, peeled, (Fuji or Gala preferred)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork loin
3 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons grated ginger root
Place the chopped veggies and apple in the bottom of a slow cooker. Mix the flour, masa harina, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin together in a shallow bowl. Cut the pork into 1 1/2 inch chunks, removing excess fat, and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess flour. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. When pan is hot, melt coconut oil in it. Place pork chunks in hot oil and allow to sear deep brown on one side then turn with tongs and sear at least one other side, cooking pork for 3 or 4 minutes. Place pork on top of veggies in slow cooker. Measure 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture into a small dish. Whisk in 2/3 cup cold water, cider vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomato paste and ginger. Pour sauce mixture on top of meat and veggies. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low, stirring at about 2 hours and 4 hours. Serve over prepared quinoa.

Hints: This cooks down to about half volume at the end. Browning the meat is a critical step in making a good slow cooker dish. This recipe would also work well in a dutch oven, finished on the stove top or in the oven. In that case, brown the pork in the dutch oven then add the veggies and sauce and cook with low heat until tender, probably 3 or 4 hour. You can simulate masa harina with corn meal processed in a blender until powdery. If you don't like the permeating smell of the slow cooked meal in your whole house, I found a trick--plug it in on the patio or in the garage! It will cook just fine but the smell will dissipate outdoors. (I have not done this when it is very cold out, which may change the cooking time, I'm not sure.)

It is very nice to use a slow cooker once in a while. I like to make beans from scratch and a slow cooker is the way I prefer. Being able to work for a few minutes in the morning and have the assurance of a nice dinner to come is delightful some days.

Slow Cooker Blackbean Soup

It is definitely time for some soup! The cool weather screams to be dealt with and what better way than a steaming bowl of good, thick soup? I mean, besides building a snowman?

Black Bean Soup
1 pound dry black beans
water
2 teaspoons salt
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, grated or diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 tablespoons lime juice
avocado, cilantro, sour cream and hot pepper sauce for serving
Soak black beans in 6 cups of water overnight. Drain and rinse beans. Place in a slow cooker and cover with 8 cups of water. Turn on high and cook for 6 to 7 hours. (Or cook beans on the stove top according to package directions.) When beans are soft, stir in salt. Heat a large sauce pan over medium high heat and slice bacon into it with shears. Stir and cook bacon until it is beginning to brown, then remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add veggies to pot with the olive oil. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or until onions begin to be brown. Stir in 3 cups of the beans (reserve the rest for another use), 3 cups of the cooking liquid, cumin, coriander, sage and the lime juice. Continue cooking for 10 minutes and check seasonings, adding more spices or salt if needed. Serve topped with avocado chunks, cilantro and sour cream. Pass the hot pepper sauce for those who want to kick it up a notch.

Hints: This is a good recipe for getting dinner together in a hurry with minimal preparation time. But like all slow cooker recipes, you need to have a plan ahead of time. Fairly inexpensive, quite healthy and yet still tasty. Use a bit less of the bean cooking liquid if you want a thicker soup. I like to serve it with some lovely corn bread.

This is a simple soup that is satisfying and filling--isn't that the best kind of soup?