Pineapple Shredded Pork Shoulder

Printable version

Lately, I've been making everything grilled and spicy, I guess it’s that time of year. I find it ironic that the warmer it is outdoors the spicier the food on the plate. It seems like the closer you are to the Earth’s equator, the hotter the food.

Anyway ...

This dish is a complete change of pace. I needed to feed a crowd and the recipe had to be easy – two requisites easily accomplished with a slow cooker. I found pork shoulder on sale at Meijer and thought it was the perfect cut to get between 16 and 20 sandwiches out of.

I seasoned it with my basic mole rub that features coca, brown sugar, chili powder and cumin, cook it on a bed of onions and pineapple, then finish it with barbecue sauce and liquid smoke. The end result was tender and juicy pork plentiful enough to satisfy a group of 14 or 15 people. One good thing about this shredded pork is that it can be served in a sandwich or taco, or alone on a plate. Either way - it's Delish!

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is the third time I have used this technique to cook a large cut of pork. It’s one of those “if it isn't broke, don’t fix it” kind of things. The rub was the same as before, but each time, I have changed up the vegetables in the crock pot for the meat to roast on.

This time I used fruit.

Pineapple works so well with pork that you’d think the two were made for each other. In this dish, the pineapple really disappears. It provided an x factor to this recipe - had I not put it in the dish, it would have tasted totally different. It's the secret weapon of this shredded pork and takes a keen palate to detect.

If I had to do it again, I would drain out about half the liquid before shredding the cooked pork, it turned out just fine but I did think there was a little to much moisture. That said, it was still good enough to eat three sandwiches of it myself.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 16 to 20 servings; 6 to 7 hours
1/4 C Brown sugar
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
3 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black pepper
4 lb Pork shoulder boneless 2 cans
Pineapple chunks with juice (8 oz each)
1 C Onion sliced
1 bottle Barbecue sauce (18 oz)
2 Tbs Liquid smoke

Make rub, season loin
In a bowl mix together brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over and rub into pork shoulder with hands until loin is completely covered, set aside for 30 minutes and let marinate.

Sear loin, prepare slow cooker
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear pork shoulder in olive oil on all sides. (Make sure pan is hot and oil is simmering before adding loin.) Mix together pineapple and onion in bottom of slow cooker.

Cook pork, shred
Place seared pork on top of onion and pineapple. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. Shred with a fork and stir together juices, barbecue sauce and liquid smoke. Serve in a sandwich, soft taco or alone on a plate.

Pulled Pork For 100

Printable version

My cousin Tammy is a cancer survivor and every year she organizes a Relay for Life to help raise money for cancer research. Last year she asked me to make the main course for a special meal for survivors at the relay. I must have done ok because she decided to ask for my services again.

This year I not only donated the time to make the food but the cost of the food also, it was the least I could do to help in her effort to help stop the disease that effects all of us one way or the other.

The dinner this year was for 100. Tammy told me there had been a huge donation of rolls so something for a sandwich would be plausible. (Last year I made sliced tenderloin). A few months back I made a slow cooked loin that made for delicious pulled pork sandwiches and I thought it would be perfect for making the large amount needed for the dinner. I found the meat on sale at Kroger and snatched up 25 pounds. All I had to do was prepare, cook and deliver it. I’m happy that I was able to contribute to this great cause that Tammy works so hard at making happen each year.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Over the last year I have really branched out on my own when cooking for crowds. I have learned much from working with my Mom at private catering events and helping the Ragin’ Cajun, John Maxwell, cook for the masses at the Shiloh reception hall last summer. I feel confident enough now to do it myself. Mostly it’s understanding what and how to prepare things that work for large groups.

I would still have trouble creating individual plates for a massive sit-down dinner, but putting out a spread on a table for 60 to 100 is something I can embrace. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun to do. Catering is not something I want to do full-time but for extra money on the side, or for a great cause like Tammy’s Relay for Life – I’m happy to do it.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 100 4 oz servings or sandwiches; 12 hours
1 C Brown sugar
1/2 C Cocoa powder
6 Tbs Chili powder
4 Tbs Cumin
6 Tbs Salt
4 Tbs Black pepper
25 lbs Pork loin, boneless
5 cans Diced tomatoes (28 oz)
5 Onions, diced
100 sandwich buns
1 gallon BBQ sauce

Make rub, season loin
In a bowl mix together brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over and rub into loin with hands until loin is completely covered, set aside for 30 minutes and let marinate.

Sear loin, prepare cookers
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear loin in olive oil (1 or 2 at a time). Mix together tomato, onion in large roasters or crock pots.

Cook loin, shred
Place seared loin on top of vegetable mixture in slow roasters or slow cookers. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Remove lid and shred loin with a fork, then stir together meat, juices and vegetables.

Make sandwiches
Place a portion of pork on a sandwich bun and dress with barbecue sauce for serving.

Crock-Pot Chicken Stir Fry

Printable version

I realize that slow cooker stir fry is really an oxymoron. I guess I could call it slow cooker chicken and vegetables with stir fry flavors, but that's just not fun. This pot of yummy goodness tastes like a plate full of stir fry from a fast-food Chinese joint. I could have pumped up the flavors a little by adding some sautéd ginger and garlic but for a dish that will serve fifteen at a pot luck, this totally does the trick.

I made this in the afternoon and didn’t have to serve it until that evening, so for the purposes of the event, I mixed the rice together with the vegetables and reheated the two together before serving. I recommend this method if you’re taking it on the road just for the ease of travel.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is yet another dish to add to my collection of recipes made to serve a crowd. It’s the first to be Asian inspired and I think I’m going to refine this in the future, like I mentioned in the beginning, I could do a few things that are relatively simple to punch up the flavors but this simple mix really does the trick. It's a low maintenance crowd pleaser.

I served this with srirach on the side.

A friend of mine at the get together put a fair amount of sriracha on his stir fry and that's when the fun began. I love to watch people eat really hot stuff. It seems that as they eat the dish the bites get quicker and quicker, the spicy heat is addicting and it's almost as if they're stoking the fire. Sometimes they’ll even sweat or have a runny nose. I can always tell when someone is indulging in something spicy and hot.

Sriracha is one of my favorites to eat and observe being devoured, it makes most domestic sauces labeled “hot” seem like a mild salad dressing – And it really hits the spot if you love the spice.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
12 to 15 servings; 2 hours, 30 minutes
3 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless and cut in pieces
3 lbs Stir fry vegetables, frozen
1 jar Stir fry sauce (12 oz)
2 C Rice
4 C Water

Brown chicken
In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown chicken thigh pieces in a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook in batches if necessary. Once browned move to crock-pot.

Cook vegetables
Mix vegetables and stir fry sauce with the chicken in crock pot. Cover and cook on high until vegetables are heated through and chicken is fully cooked, 2 hours. Serve over rice, see below.

THE RICE
In a large pot over medium-high heat toast rice in a little olive oil for 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit at least 25 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice fork. 

Cheesy Taco Rice

Printable version

Note: The taco seasoning used in this recipe is my own blend, find the recipe here.

It seems as though anytime I’m involved in some sort of gathering involving a group of people, I end up volunteering to bring something to eat. I love cooking for a crowd, but it does provide a couple of challenges that need to be overcome. Unless the gathering is in your home, it needs to be portable and most important, kept warm for serving.

This is an ideal situation for using a large crock -pot. The food can be cooked ahead of time, transported to the location and plugged in to finish and then served hot. A large crock-pot can also hold the bucket full of food needed to feed a room full of people.

For this recipe, I mix six cups of cooked rice with three pounds of ground beef, two pounds of Queso Blanco Velveeta, salsa, taco seasoning and vegetables and cook it in a crock-pot. The end result is a cheesy Mexican inspired dish that provides a serving for 12 to 15 normal people. A little more might be needed if the party you’re hosting happens to be for the local sumo wrestling club.

BEHIND THIS BITE
Over the last year I have gotten a lot of miles out of my crock-pot. I’ve been living in the Fort Wayne/Churubusco area for three years and now that I'm settled it seems like at least once a week I have somewhere to take food I have prepared.

When I first started taking food places I wasn’t documenting it. I was just throwing things together, but more and more people began asking me for the recipes. In response, I have started to photograph and publish the dishes and I’ve started to develop a nice little collection of crock-pot treasures that provide between 15 and 20 servings.

This recipe is part of that collection and it was devoured in about 20 minutes. I was happy that it went fast but I was glad I saved some for myself before going to the event, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten any. Glad I did because it's tasty!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 12 to 15; 2 hours, 30 minutes
3 lbs Ground beef
2 C Red pepper, diced
2 C Red onion, diced
2 Tbs Garlic, minced
2 lbs Queso Blanco Velveeta, diced
1 jar Salsa (24 oz)
6 C Rice, cooked
3 Tbs Taco seasoning
1C Tortilla strips for garnish

Brown beef
In a skillet over medium heat cook ground beef, breaking up large chunks and stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and place in slow cooker. Reserve a tablespoon of the drippings.

Cook vegetables
Return skillet to medium-high heat, sauté onion and red pepper in reserved drippings until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Place mixture in the slow cooker.

Combine and cook
Add cheese, rice, salsa and seasoning to slow cooker, thoroughly mix together all ingredients. Cover and cook on high for two hours or until mixture is heated through and cheese is bubbly. Scoop into a bowl, garnish with tortilla strips and serve.

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Tacos

Printable version

I have cooked several pork loins in the past. Usually I have either roasted them in the oven - or my favorite way - cooked them over indirect heat on a charcoal grill. Ironically, I had never cooked a whole loin in a crock-pot. Pork loin is lean and tender and I have always thought of the crock-pot as a vessel for turning the tougher cuts into fall-off-the-bone, melt in your mouth meals.

I found loin on sale and wanted to cook it overnight, so I thought the slow cooker was the best option. I made a sweet and savory rub for the loin and seared it on all sides before putting it in with tomato, onion and jalapeño. I set it on low at around 2 a.m. and went to bed.

I awoke around 9 a.m. and checked it. Everything look and smelled good but I decided not to remove the lid until it had been in for 10 hours. When I turned it off and lifted the cover at noon I used a fork to poke the loin. As soon as I touched the meat it feel apart. The entire loin had cooked into a tender juicy mess.

I shredded the entire loin and mixed the meat, vegetables and drippings together for some of the best shredded pork that I had ever eaten. The rub, vegetable base and cooking time of the meat culminated in a perfect pot of pork to share with a crowd. I served it with all the fixings to make either tacos or sandwiches. If you need to feed a group this recipe will do the trick.

BEHIND THIS BITE

One of the guys at the meeting I served the loin at really liked the meat. At first I thought he was just being nice but I could see that he was genuinely into it. I had some left over and decided to give it to him. I didn’t have any baggies but there was an empty sack of burger buns on the table - I asked him if it was ok to use it and he said sure! Off he went with a sunbeam burger bun-bag filled with enough pork for a couple of meals.

When I saw him later in the week he complimented me again and said he finished it off. I was happy because the bun bag would have tempted me to toss it away as soon as I got home, I’m glad he kept it and hopefully it provided him with a lunch or two!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 20 to 25 tacos; 10 hours, 30 minutes
1/4 C Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 Tbs Chili Powder
1 Tbs Cumin
3 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black pepper
4 to 5 lb Pork loin, boneless
1 can Diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 C Onion, diced
4 Jalapenos, seeded, sliced
40 to 50 Corn tortillas (2 per taco)
1 1/2 C Taco sauce
1 1/2 C Onion, diced
1 1/2 C Cilantro, chopped

Make Rub, season loin
In a bowl mix together brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over and rub into loin with hands until loin is completely covered, set aside for 30 minutes and let marinate.

Sear loin, prepare slow cooker
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear loin in olive oil. (Make sure pan is hot and oil is simmering before adding loin.) Mix together tomato, onion and jalapeno in bottom of slow cooker.

Cook loin, shred
Place seared loin on top of vegetable mixture in slow cooker. Spoon some of the mixture and the juice over the loin. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Remove lid and shred loin with a fork, then stir together loin, juices and vegetables.

Make tacos
Toast or warm tortillas, stack two and layer pork, sauce, onion and cilantro, then serve.

Crock-pot Shredded Beef Sliders and Tacos

Printable version

The idea for a post like this originated last March. I wanted to take a large and tough cut of meat, season it with a rub and cook it in a slow cooker. I would then take the meat and do different things with it like the taco and slider presented here. Because of an ingredient mix up, my initial try turned out disastrous and then summer came in March. We had a week of record high temperatures in Northern Indiana and the weather never turned cold again, so a crock-pot meal was kind of forgotten about.

Fall has arrived and I thought I would give the crock-pot meal another try and I'm pleased to report that this recipe turned out even better than expected. The brown sugar was the perfect balance for the chipotle chili powder in the rub. (I used McCormicks brand which can be a bit spicy.)

I would have been perfectly happy eating this beef beside some potatoes and carrots, but I didn’t plan for that when I initially started. I wish I would have because the beef was great by itself. I did have a nice pig-out session after I shredded the beef though, it was a greasy, use-your-fingers kind of pig-out. I really couldn’t resist with two pounds of succulent fall apart meat in front of me.

Either the sliders or tacos are a perfect way to deliver this tasty crock-pot beef. The tacos could probably feed a family of six by themselves. But the idea was to make something that a lot of people could eat - I planned it as a football party snack, and that was accomplished.

BEHIND THIS BITE
As I said in the beginning, I initially tried this type of crock-pot recipe back in early March. In that test I used pork shoulder. The problem arose when I grabbed the wrong bottle of chili powder when making the rub. I noticed the bright red color of the powder when I measured it out, but I didn't know until tasting the final product that I had grabbed a bottle of cayenne instead of regular chili powder. Sometime ago I used an empty bottle of chili powder to consolidate three or four half filled bottles of cayenne pepper – that's the bottle I grabbed. The end result was an extremely hot shredded pork. I basically seasoned three pounds of pork with a rub the featured two heaping tablespoons of cayenne pepper and there was nothing else in the rub to counter balance the heat. It was not inedible, but to much of the pork would have ended up creating fire in the hole. (If you know what I mean)

I made sure I double checked all of my spices before putting them into the rub this time and I'm glad I did because this cut turned out delicious.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
The Beef
Makes 2 to 2 1/2 lbs; 5 hours
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
2 Tbs Brown sugar
1 Tbs Cumin
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black pepper
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
3 lb Chuck roast boneless
1 can Beef broth (14.5 oz)

Make rub, season beef
Mix together chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Rub mix on chuck roast, let marinate half an hour.

Sear roast, cook in slow cooker, shred
In a cast iron pan over high heat, sear roast on all sides until a dark brown crust forms. Place in slow cooker with beef broth and cook on high for 4 hours or until roast easily tears apart with a fork. Remove to a bowl and shred entire roast with forks.

THE SLIDERS
Makes 12 sandwiches
12 Dinner rolls
Shredded beef
1 C Barbecue sauce

Assemble
On a dinner roll cut in half, pile beef, add barbecue sauce and top half of roll.

THE TACOS
Makes 20 to 24 tacos
20 to 24 Flour tortillas
Shredded beef
1 1/2 C Salsa picante
3/4 C Onion diced
2 C Cilantro Chopped

Warm, assemble
Warm tor ill as in microwave or oven until heated tortillas through. On warm tortilla layer, shredded beef, salsa picante, onion and cilantro. Fold and
serve.