October1
Life around my house is lived as though someone stepped on the accelerator—going 80 miles an hour, everything and everyone in constant motion (that happens when you have five kids). Lots of running around.
Last month is a good example—getting everyone ready to go back to school is a balancing act… no, a juggling act, beyond compare. Clothes to pack. Doctor appointments. School supplies. Planes to catch. Trains to catch.
And no real time for meals.
So, it’s kind of ironic that my salvation during all this activity isn’t something that moves fast. Just the opposite…it moves slowly. Methodically. It’s my slow cooker…and it’s a life-saver. Uh, make that a time-saver.
My good friends at Hamilton Beach sent me their Set & Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker to try out. What do I think? In three words: I. Love. It.
What’s really great is that I’m able to prep meals the night before… like this Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Green Salsa recipe. First I sliced an onion really thick and put the slices in the bottom of the Slow Cooker’s crock. I rubbed the pork shoulder with spices and set it on top of the onions… and then put the crock in the fridge.
The next morning I added the chicken stock and programmed the Slow Cooker to be ready by the time I got home. The salsa is so easy to prepare, I made it while I got the rest of dinner ready, but you can also prepare it in advance.
I shredded the pork, stirred in half of the salsa and served it with warm tortillas so everyone could make their own tacos as we all sat down for dinner… and put on the brakes for a little while.
And if you have any salsa leftover, it goes great with eggs the next morning!
One other cool thing is that this slow cooker comes with a temperature probe so that you can cook large cuts of meat, whole chickens or even turkey breasts by relying on the internal food temperature to test for doneness.
I used the probe to cook a 4-pound chicken on High in about 4 hours (internal temperature 180°F in the chicken’s thigh). The skin didn’t crisp up and brown the way I like it, so I but it in a roasting pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes… beautiful!
One more thing… head on over to my friend, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, to find more delicious recipes… just like this one!
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.
