Beirdneau Mexican Pork

Brent and I made up this recipe one day. After trying LOTS of cafe rio recipes and being disappointed, we just wanted a mexican pulled pork. Surprisingly this tastes a lot like cafe rio's to me. But I am not going to claim it as a cafe rio knock off. It is just mexican pulled pork that you can eat in burritos, salads etc..

Sorry if the recipe is rather vague.

Ingredients

1 pork roast 

2 cups of coke

BBQ spice rub

Sauce: 

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1 c ketchup

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c diced onion, or, 1/4 dried onion

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 Tb chili powder

1. Trim off any excess fat from pork roast, and place in crock pot. Pour enough coke on top so that it covers half of the height of the roast (around 2 cups). Generously sprinkle BBQ spice rub on top till it is completely covered. 

2. Cook roast 6-8 hours on low, or until roast can be shredded easily.

3. Shred roast and reserve juices.

4. Put shredded pork back into crock pot

5. Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 minutes.

6. Pour sauce over shredded pork. Add reserved juices so that pork is moist and juicy.

Enjoy!

(hope this recipe makes some sense. I just sorta make it, no exact recipe!)

Crock Pot Lasagna

I found this recipe in a Macey's grocery store flier while we were at BYU.
Thank you Macey's.
Seriously blew my mind, who knew you can make such things in a crock pot!
I have changed a few things to make it easier and more convenient to me.
Easy way to make lasagna when you have had a busy day and don't want to spend all day in the kitchen, plus healthier than store bought!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 (16 oz) container of ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese, which ever you prefer. I like ricotta)
8 oz shredded mozzarella
5 oz shredded Parmesan cheese (shredded is better, but I have also used powdered)
16 oz pkg. Lasagna noodles. Uncooked.

1. Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Cook until meat is cooked and sauce is warm.

2. Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the crock pot. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with a layer of cheeses. Repeat until all are used up. Ending with a layer cheese.

3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Crock Pot Week- Tips and Tricks

In preparation for the upcoming crock pot recipe exchange, I have put together a list of tips and tricks that will make your crock pot meal taste and turn out better!




















image: amazon.com


1. Maximize flavor

If you have don't have time, then of course you can just dump your ingredients in and run. But if you want to make your meal that little bit yummier, then you this simple extra step. Brown your meat, and even your vegetables. It only takes a couple of minutes. Then you can de-glaze the pan and pour it into the crock pot with your food. 

(Browning your meat also helps to drain out some of the fat that will otherwise sit in your crock pot with your food)

2. Don't open the lid

I have read a few different things on this. Most suggest only opening it with 30 minutes before your cook time is complete. Every time you open the lid you loose 15-20 minutes of cooking time. So if you keep opening it, it will take longer to cook. Personally I follow my nose. If it smells done (weird I know, but normally when it is exceptionally fragrant) then I go and check and normally 8/10 times it is done.

3.  Fill it up right

If you over-fill or under-fill your food will not cook correctly. Crock-pot.com suggests 1/2 to 3/4 full for best results.

4. Over-cooking

I have done this way too much. If you don't think that you are going to be home on time to turn off the crock pot, then invest in a automatic 'running late' feature that switches to warm once your timer goes off. Otherwise you will come home to over-cooked food, that does not taste at all how it should (and will probably put you off crock pot cooking ever again).

Also, if you know that you are going to have to leave it on warm for a while. Adjust the cook time so that it doesn't end up over done. 

5. You can cook most recipes in the crock pot

Did you know this!? But some tips to adjusting your recipes for the crock pot.

Dairy breaks down, so things like milk, yogurt and sour cream should only be added during the last 15 minutes of cooking. 

Liquids are not going to evaporate, so cut back on liquids by 20 percent.

If using fresh herbs, select whole leaves and spices, use half the normal amount.

If using ground herbs, add them during the last hour of cooking.

(these last two seem a little weird....)

I hope that these few tips can help you make your crock pot dinners even yummier!

Sources: eatingwell.com, crock-pot.com, foodnetwork.com