Cookin' With Me

Holy smokes this is good stuff! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. We made this for Mexican night the other night and even my kids gobbled it up.

3-4 lbs. pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping (!) tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the pork shoulder into a few large chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized; I make mine about 3-4 inches.

2. Mix cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, and the two peppers together in a small bowl. Place the pork chunks in a plastic container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Pour in the spice blend, then toss the bag vigorously until the chunks are completely coated on all sides.

3. Place the pork in a large, deep pan. Pour the lime and lemon juice into the bottom, then add water to just cover the meat.

4. Turn heat to high and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. You want big bubbles! When it’s rolling, turn the heat to a simmer. Keep the pan uncovered. You want it bubble a fair amount, but not be a roiling boil. While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged!Essentially, you’re waiting for the water to evaporate from the pan, but while the water is evaporating, the powerful acidic qualities of the lime and lemon juice are tenderizing the meat. Yay, science!

5. At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Now things get interesting… allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and carmelizes. It is a thing of beauty. But seriously, you need to watch it at this point.

6. Carefully turn the hunks of meat – without shredding them – to brown all sides, then remove the hunks to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can save the pork fat from the bottom of the pan in a glass jar and use it for other cooking projects.

Source: theclothesmakethegirl.com

Monday, October 24, 2011

Meal Plan Mondays

Monday: Left over Pad Thai and Mummy Hot Dogs for the kids

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs with breadsticks

Wednesday: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Thursday: Soup Night--Pumpkin Coconut Soup and Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

I'll make two and freeze all the leftovers.

Friday: Trunk or Treat at the ward. We'll see if this Chillie can win a prize.

Saturday: Carnitas Mexican night

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble, Rolls, potatoes

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Slow Cooker Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

This is a hit from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. We all love it, and I especially love that you can throw it all in the crock pot. This will be a regular with our family.

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.