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Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

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Making pulled pork is as simple as putting the pork roast in the slow cooker and letting it cook all day omitting wonderful fragrances into your home. With many options out there for flavouring your pork, it really comes down to preference, ingredients on hand and what flavours appeal to you. For example husband had some Village Brewery Blacksmith (beer) hanging around. I had a pork roast. We married the two with some spices and new a pulled pork recipe was born. I purposely kept the flavours simple as I wanted to have leftover pork for pork carnitas the next day. This is why the barbecue sauce in this recipe is served on the side.

Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

Since I’m trying to be more organized with my meals, my motto for this year is cook once and stretch it into 2-3 meals. We typically make Braised Pork in the oven, however nothing beats getting your meat and/or ingredients ready, set into the slow cooker and the refrigerator the night before, to bring it out and on the next morning.

Beer Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Looking forward to enjoying leftover pork tomorrow in these Pork Carnitas. We “pulled”, get it pulled?! a third meal out of this dish by making Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese. A little went a long way!

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Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 (5-7 lb) boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
  • 1 medium sized onion, sliced thin
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 1 bottle beer (2-3 cups)
  • Olive oil
  • Pam
Instructions
  1. In a bowl mix together cumin, pepper, salt, oregano, garlic powder and chili powder. Rub all over pork and let set in refrigerator covered overnight or for at least an hour.
  2. Add a drizzle of olive oil and onions to a hot frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until starting to soften.
  3. Using Pam spray inside of slow cooker. Add onions, pork, lime juice and beer. Drizzle olive oil over top and let it cook up to 8 hours for low or 5 hours on high. The pork is done with it flakes easily.
  4. Remove from slow cooker and let sit for a few minutes on a baking sheet. Shred with two forks and add to serving plate or bowl. Pour additional juices from slow cooker over top including onions.
  5. Serve with your favourite barbecue sauce and fresh buns.
  6. Since we didn't have a slaw to go with the pulled pork, we put out some fresh toppers including: sliced red onion, cilantro, sliced fresh jalapenos

Slow Cooker Five Spice Chicken

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So many recipes, so little time. There are many ways to make chicken in a crockpot, the options are virtually endless. I want to get back to experimenting again with my crockpot now that Fall, and soon to be Winter, are upon us. Not to mention all the evening activities that have us rushing out the door and shoving a sammy down our throats, once work is done for the day. Slowcooker meals are perfect for busy nights. Hearty and healthy they can even become 2 meals in one. This dish is currently smelling up my house with flavours of comfort food, driving both me and the cats nutty. I can’t wait to dish this up this evening with a side of rice and a robust glass of wine.

I always brown my chicken before I put it into the slowcooker. I recommend you do the same. Browning imparts bits of goodness and flavour into the chicken that you won’t get if you just drop it raw into the crockpot dish.

If there are leftovers (and I say if because it’s so yummy you may have to fight for the last bits), remove the chicken meat from the bones and use the next day to make soup, quesadillas, chicken salad or a sandwich. This is your two meals (or more) in one.

My mom first introduced me to a bok choy salad in the 90’s. I loved it back in my single Vancouver days and so this became a one dish meal for me on many occasions. Happy to share the wealth, I also introduced it to my husband. As it turns out, he loves it as much as I do…in fact scrapping for the last bowl full of this salad when it comes to the table, is common.

I keep the salad for this meal simple. Bok Choy, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. The flavours combine so nicely with the chicken, broth and rice. It’s definitely a keeper. Slice or rip up some crusty bread to dip in the broth. And you to will be hooked.

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Slow Cooker Five Spice Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Supper, Main, Entree, Slowcooker
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 2-3 lbs chicken pieces (we had 5 bone in thighs & 5 drumsticks)
  • ⅔ cup chicken stock
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp 5 spice powder + more
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped with leaves
  • 1 can (398 ml) whole young corn
  • canola oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pour some oil into a pan and turn to medium high. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of 5 spice powder on both sides. Brown chicken on both sides and remove to slowcooker.
  2. Toss chopped celery and green onion into slowcooker on top of chicken.
  3. In a bowl whisk together chicken stock, sesame oil, soy sauce, 1 tsp 5 spice powder and oyster sauce. Pour over slowcooker ingredients.
  4. Turn on low and let cook 6-8 hours, or high for 3-5 hours.
  5. The last hour of cooking add your whole young corn and nestle it in around the chicken pieces.
  6. Remove chicken pieces from broth and serve with rice, egg noodles or cheesy mashed potatoes. Ladle on some of your delicious broth and add a little of your bok choy salad on the top before serving.