Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Green Salsa

prep: 30 minutes
cook: 4 hours

serves 6 to 8

for the Pork Roast you’ll need…
1 onion, cut into thick slices
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons marjoram
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder

for the Green Salsa you’ll need…
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stem and seeds removed
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, halved

let’s get to it…
Place onion slices on bottom of slow cooker and add chicken stock and bay leaves.

Mix garlic, marjoram, allspice, cumin and salt together in a small bowl to form a paste. Rub paste on pork shoulder; place in slow cooker, and lock on glass lid. Press Program and select 4 hours for Cooking Time. Press Enter and use arrow to move Heat Setting to Low. (You can make the Cooking Time longer, but the Heat Setting must be on Low).

Place tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; set pot aside. Blend tomatillos, peppers and garlic (in batches if necessary) in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Heat pot on medium high for 1 minute; add oil and onions and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Return blended tomatillo mixture to pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro and salt.

Remove pork shoulder from slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Shred meat with two forks, discarding fat, and place meat in a large bowl. Stir in half of the green salsa until meat is lightly coated. Serve meat on top of rice with remaining salsa, or in tacos, enchiladas or sandwiches.

Notes: Pour cooking jus from slow cooker into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight. Skim fat off the top of the chilled jus. Save jus and use as stock in other recipes. Jus can be frozen.

Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs

prep: 30 minutes
bake: 55 minutes

serves 6 

for the meatballs you’ll need…
⅓ pound ground beef
⅓ pound ground veal
⅓ pound ground pork
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red chile flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

for the ziti you’ll need…
1 pound ziti pasta
5 cups pasta sauce or homemade tomato sauce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces ricotta
8 ounces mozzarella, diced

let’s get to it…
Combine the meats, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, parsley, red chile flakes (if using), salt and ground pepper in a large bowl. Mix together (I like to use my hands to mix). Shape the meatballs into tiny balls, about the size of a grape (or any size you want).
Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large skillet. Add the meatballs in batches and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet; set aside. (They will not be cooked through but will finish cooking when you bake the ziti.)
Place oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3½-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. (You can also make these in individual serving dishes like I did in the images.)
Prepare ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Return ziti to the cooking pot and toss with 3 cups of the pasta sauce and the meatballs.
Pour half of the ziti and meatballs into the sprayed baking dish. Spoon and spread the ricotta on top of the ziti. Sprinkle on half of the diced mozzarella, another cup of the pasta sauce and half the Parmesan cheese.
Add remaining ziti and meatballs to the baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella, pasta sauce and grated cheese; cover with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until center is hot, cheese is melted and sauce bubbles around the inside of the baking dish. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

bon appétit inspired Skillet-Fried Chicken

prep: 3 hours
cook: about an hour
serves: 6

you’ll need…
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 3–4-lb. chicken (not kosher), cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Peanut oil (for frying)
• special equipment:
A deep-fry thermometer

let’s get to it…
Whisk 1 tablespoon of the salt, 2 teaspoons of the black pepper, the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder together in a small bowl.  Rub the chicken with the spices in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours (you can also let it sit overnight).

Rest the chicken out of the refrigerator for 1 hour before cooking. Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

Whisk the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, the cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon of pepper in  in a 9x13x2″ baking dish (like a lasagna pan).

Pour the oil into a 10″–12″ cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not a nonstick pan) to a depth of ¾-inches. Prop up the deep-fry thermometer (or clip it to the side of the pan) in the oil so the bulb is submerged. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until thermometer hits 350°F.

Dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture one piece at a time, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. (I like to use one hand for wet ingredients and one hand for dry ingredients.)

Dredge the chicken piece in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Place several pieces of the chicken in the skillet (don’t crowd the pan!). Fry the chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°F–325°F, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.

Remove the chicken from the skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet and place on the wire rack. Repeat as directed until the chicken is cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before diving in!