Crock Pot Asian Pork

Crock Pot success! I swear, I just do not “get” a Crock Pot. It’s too easy. You’re telling me you just throw some things in, put the lid on and it’s done in 6-8 hours? Psh. Give me a kitchen full of grease splatters, oven spill-over and a bunch of dishes and I’ll believe you.

But finally, I saw this great recipe on Pinterest. If you haven’t joined Pinterest yet, you must immediately! Check out my pin boards to get your juices flowing. It’s basically a digital pin-board application that allows you to easily keep track of all the cool things you see on the web every day. It’s my favorite new social media community and has served up tons of inspiration from weddings to food and fashion. GET ON IT. I think it’s still in beta, so you’ll have to request an invite, but that takes less than a day.

So this yummy pork dish came from Pinterest and Skinny Taste. I like it because it’s healthy but so RICH in flavor. Searing a pork butt and then bathing it in a pool of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili flakes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and ginger…reveals a most succulent butt of pork. It doesn’t seem like enough liquid to keep the roast from drying out, but do not fear! (Note: Grant says he dumped a bottle of beer into it, which I cannot confirm, but the liquid was still low when I finished).

Fabulous over rice, I could practically drink the juices (that fat solids of which nicely solidify in the fridge for you to scoop out the next day).

Crock Pot Asian Pork

Ingredients:

• 2 lb lean boneless boston butt pork roast (or pork center rib roast, pork center loin roast)
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 2 T canola oil
• 1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup good soy sauce
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet with canola oil. When hot, sear pork on all sides, until nicely browned, then set aside.

In Crock Pot, combine remaining ingredients. Place pork in pot, cover, and put on low for 8 hours.

Remove pork – it will be so soft, you can barely hold it with tongs – and shred with two forks. Add meat back to sauce. If you like, add some mushrooms and greens.

Serve up over rice and top with chopped cilantro and green onions.

I mean wow, I can’t stop talking about this! The next night, we used the leftovers in pork tacos.

If you are a Crock Pot novice, I highly recommend this recipe. Not only is it easy and delicious, but you will go crazy smelling those smells all day long! I cooked mine on a Sunday where I didn’t have time to do much cooking – had the roast in by 10:30 a.m. and it cooked away. Just fabulous.

Enjoy, friends! xoxo

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Mexican Chorizo Tacos

There’s something about warm spring weekends that make me crave tacos – the spicy meat steaming on a soft corn tortilla with crunchy, fresh toppings. I unfortunately do not live near a taco truck, so have started making these easy and tasty snacks/meals every couple of weeks or so.

The Mexican chorizo taco idea came from watching famed South-of-the-border chef Rick Bayless on public television (I had no idea how many great Public TV cooking shows exist!). He was talking about the beautiful simplicity of a the taco – I immediately went out and purchased a bunch of taco fixins.

You’ll notice in the pictures that I used maybe a little too much onion (for my taste), but it was still delicious.

Mexican Chorizo Tacos

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 8 oz. Mexican chorizo sausage, removed from casings
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 10 corn tortillas
• Mexican cheese blend, shredded (optional)
• Mixed greens, or baby spinach
• 1 T EVOO

Heat large skillet over medium; add oil. When hot, add onions and sautee until beginning to brown. Add chorizo and break up with a wooden spoon.

Cook chorizo until the chili oil begins to sizzle and loosen the meat – 4-5 min. Set aside.

Heat tortillas using package instructions (sandwich them between damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds). Sprinkle with cheese, if using, then chorizo mixture.

Top with greens for an added crunch.

These are wonderful with a cold beer or margarita on a warm spring day. Enjoy, friends! xoxo

Skirt-steak tacos with black-bean and corn salsa

I can’t believe I’ve never made skirt steak before. It always seemed like the bottom-rung on the beef pyramid, but then I saw how often Bobby Flay uses it…oh, why not? It’s cheap, so it couldn’t hurt.

We simply grilled 2 pounds of skirt steak with just a little canola oil, salt and pepper. Medium rare, just a few minutes on each side. Charcoal grill.

Then, I grilled corn tortillas until they were softened and charred and filled them with a smear of sour cream, avocado slices, black-bean salsa (fresh tomatoes, roasted corn, red onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, parsley, black beans, lime, S&P) and the steak (top with cheese of your choice, if you wish). I finished with a squeeze of lime, which really added something extra.

The tacos were simply a delicious mess. What a complex marriage of flavors, all wrapped up in a little pouch! Definitely remember to cut the steak against the grain, so it will be easy to bite off. We will definitely be making this again. Soon. Enjoy, friends!