Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (35 page)

This pork dish takes the idea of a chile relleno, a batter-fried cheese- stuffed pepper, to another level. When the pork is sliced, the chiles and melting cheese are revealed. The combination with the ranchero sauce is scrumptious. Serve this over rice or polenta, which will absorb the sauce.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons tequila

4 cups tomato purée

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, bell peppers, cumin, salt, and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and the garlic and onions almost translucent.

add the tequila and allow it to evaporate, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato purée and bring to a boil.

transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and prepare the pork.

Two 6-ounce cans roasted green chiles, rinsed and drained

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 3-by-1-inch strips

Two 1-pound pork tenderloins

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

slit each chile down one side. Stuff each chile with a strip of cheese. Remove the silver skin from the outside of the pork with a boning knife and discard.

cut each tenderloin lengthwise in half to within ½ inch of the other side and open it like a book. Place the meat on a cutting board, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and pound the pork evenly ½ inch thick. Sprinkle one tenderloin with half the salt and pepper. Arrange 4 or 5 stuffed chiles on the meat, lining the chiles up parallel with the ends of the meat.

roll up the meat from the short side and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string or silicone loops. Repeat with the second pork tenderloin.

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add one tenderloin at a time and brown on all sides. Transfer to the slowcooker insert and spoon the sauce over the pork.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is tender. (The pork should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

remove the pork from the slow-cooker insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Remove the strings from the meat and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve with the sauce.

serves 6–8

Marinated in teriyaki sauce and then slow cooked, these tenderloins are delicious served on a bed of sesame noodles or an Asian slaw. You also can slice the pork, return it to the sauce, and serve it with skewers as an appetizer.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Two 1-pound pork tenderloins

whisk the oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl until blended. Remove the silver skin from the outside of the pork with a boning knife and discard.

place the tenderloins in a 1-gallon zipper-top plastic bag or 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour the marinade over the tenderloins and seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap.

marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning the meat once or twice during that time. Place the marinade and pork in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

remove the meat from the sauce, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce.

cut the meat diagonally in ½-inch-thick slices. Nap each serving of pork with some of the sauce.

serves 6

Ribs are messy and finger-licking-good food to serve for a casual backyard picnic or cut down and served as finger food at indoor parties. Spareribs are meatier than baby back ribs, and you will need to cut them into manageable pieces when they are cooked. This is easily accomplished with a cleaver or other sharp knife. So-called country-style spareribs are really blade pork chops that have been split. They are delicious when braised, and the slow-cooker takes good care of them.

Baby back ribs become sticky and fall-apart tender in the slow cooker. You can serve them as appetizers, but I really prefer them for dinner. The basic preparation is the same. You could vary the sauce to highlight a different cuisine every week and not have a repeat.

Meaty ribs like these need to be braised in liquid for the meat to fall off the bone and the sauce to absorb the flavors. The basic preparation is the same: the ribs are submerged in the flavorful liquid and cook all day.

Soy and ginger flavor these sticky ribs. Serve them as an appetizer or with rice and Asian slaw for a simple supper with lots of flavor.

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

½ cup chicken broth

4 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and tender green parts

4 pounds baby back ribs (about 3 slabs), cut to fit the slow cooker

stir the soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, broth, and green onions together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the ribs and push them down into the sauce.

cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the meat is tender. Remove cover and cook for an additional 30 to 35 minutes.

serve the ribs with the remaining sauce on the side.

serves 6

When my husband and I met, he did quite a bit of cooking at his bachelor pad. One of his favorites was barbecued chicken with apple jelly and bottled barbecue sauce. He’s graduated since then, and now we like this sweet and spicy apple-flavored homemade sauce over ribs.

½ cup apple cider

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups ketchup

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

4 pounds baby back ribs (about 3 slabs), cut to fit the slow cooker

stir together all the ingredients except the ribs in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the ribs to the pot and push them down into the sauce.

cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours, until the meat is tender.

serve the ribs with the remaining sauce on the side.

serves 6

Red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, red wine, and tomato flavor these ribs. They are superb over pasta or polenta.

3 pounds country-style spareribs

1½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium onions, finely chopped

¹
/
₈
teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup red wine, such as Chianti or Barolo

One 28- to 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with their juice

sprinkle the ribs with the salt and arrange in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, red pepper flakes, garlic, and oregano and sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

add the wine to the skillet and stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender. Skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce.

serve the ribs from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6

Caraway, beer, and sauerkraut flavor these meaty ribs, bringing Oktoberfest into your kitchen any time of the year. Serve the ribs with applesauce and mashed potatoes, and don’t forget the cold beer!

3 pounds country-style spareribs

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium onions, cut into half rounds

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

One 1-pound bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

¼ cup whole-grain mustard

One 12-ounce bottle dark beer

sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper and arrange in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

add the onions and caraway seeds and sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the sauerkraut, mustard, and beer. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender. Skim off any fat from the top of the liquid in the pot.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6

These ribs turn a mahogany red when braised low and slow in aromatic liquid. Serve these ribs over soba noodles with stir-fried vegetables.

2 cups soy sauce

1 cup rice wine (mirin)

1 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

3 pounds country-style spareribs

stir the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, hoisin, rice vinegar, and sugar together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

add the ribs to the pot and spoon the liquid over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the ribs are tender. Skim off any fat from the sauce.

serve the ribs from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6

There are myriad choices when it comes to sausages, and they all do well in the slow cooker. It’s really your choice as to whether the sausage is sweet, spicy, or hot, and those I call for in the recipes are only suggestions. Have fun with this, because sausage is comfort food. It’s all about what makes you happy at the table!

This is a sausage made from pork and chiles. It must be removed from its casing and cooked like ground beef before using.

Made from pork, it is a dried sausage and can be used as is. It is great in paella.

Either sweet or hot, Italian sausages are pork based and can be flavored with fennel seeds or whatever is common in the region. Most sweet Italian sausage sold here has fennel seeds and black pepper added to it. Hot sausages are heated with red pepper flakes added to the mix.

Kielbasa is made from ground beef and pork sausage and is then smoked. Since it’s already cooked, you can eat it right out of the package, but it’s terrific to cook with sauerkraut or potatoes.

Smoked with garlic and black and red peppers, this sausage is Creole to the core. Use it in gumbo and jambalaya.

Made with pork, veal, and seasonings, this delicate sausage works well in the slow cooker.

Already cooked, it’s similar to its cousin bockwurst.

This sausage made with beef, pork, and garlic is generally smoked. Heat and serve.

Made from pork, sometimes with veal added, bratwurst can be smoked or fresh. Make sure to cook the fresh thoroughly. They do well in the slow cooker.

Most versions of this dish, basically a peasant stew made with sauerkraut and pork, contain some type of sausage as the pork component. This simple supper will be a welcome dinner on a cold winter night. It is stick-to-your-ribs fare with a flair. Serve with stone-ground mustard and spicy applesauce.

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 pounds smoked sausages, cut into 1-inch rounds, or your favorite sausage (see savvy)

4 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine

arrange the potatoes, apples, onions, salt, pepper, oil, and garlic in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and toss to coat all the ingredients. Spread them in an even layer.

cover the potato mixture with the sausages and top with the sauerkraut. Mix the mustard and wine and pour over the top of the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. At the end of the cooking time, make sure the potatoes are cooked through and tender.

serve each person a portion of the potato mixture, sausages, and sauerkraut, using a slotted spoon to drain off any additional liquid.

serves 8

sausage savvy

If you would like to make this with uncooked sausages, such as bratwurst, or with pork chops, make sure to brown the meat first and then add them to the slow cooker.