Simple and Easy Pulled Pork : Good Food , Cheap

Ive been meaning to get to this one for well over a month,  I must admit it slipped through the cracks lol .  A request from a friend reminded me that I never did actually finish this post , just got as far as uploading the photos.  Now , like making chili , or gumbo there are a million different ways to go about making a pot of pulled pork and I'm sure more than a few people have a very strong opinion on it :))  What I'm making here , is the simple and easy method.. just a few minutes prep and the slow cooker does the rest !!  

What you will need :  Makes approx 16 servings 

1 Large smoked pork shoulder -                $8.00 for 8lbs on sale 

--  Please note , when using a commercially smoked piece of pork DO NOT add any more salt.  I made that mistake once , and it was almost inedible.  

5 or 6 medium red or white onions             $3.00 for 10lbs = $ 0.60

2 large utility carrots                                    $ 3.00 for 10lbs = $ 0.25 

6 or 7 cloves of garlic                                   $ 3.00 for 3 heads = $ 0.50

3 hot dried chili ( You decide the heat here ... I should have used 6 !  )  

Chili Powder 

Black Pepper

Hot Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce 

1L of homemade Beef or chicken stock - prefer the beef  ( 4 cups ) - 

                                                   Total Cost $ Under $10.00  , or about 65 cents a serving 

Assemble your ingredients :)  Wash and peel the carrots 

I like to give the pork shoulder a good rinse first , to help remove any excess salt.  Then score the fat to the meat , using about 3/4 to 1" squares. 

IN a hot skillet, quickly give all the sides a little colour :)) 

Meanwhile , back at the slow cooker. I added the rough chopped carrots , beef stock , dried chili , Lea & Perrins, and some Bourbon Street Bad hot sauce for a southern kick :)   I set it to high for the first hour , then its slow and low the rest of the time!  Add a tablespoon or two of chili powder too 

Add the pork shoulder to the pot, lol and this is my BIG crock pot.  You my need to move things around a little :) 

IN the same pan I browned the pork in, give the onions and garlic a quick sizzle. Add them to the pot, and cover the lid.  Check back in a hour. 

IT should look something like this , and start to smell amazing . 

I ended up letting mine simmer for a good 8 hours,  you can get away with 4 or 6 .. but I like 8 .. makes it just fall  apart ! 

Remove the carrots , and get in there with a couple of serving forks.  Shred it well. 

Of course a sample is required to test the seasoning :)) 

Sampling the pulled pork ... plain so I can judge the flavours :))Mmmmm good!!  

Later I added some extras, a little red pepper, onion and mushrooms, on a toasted garlic ciabatta roll!!  

I also turned some into a loaded jacket potato :))
http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/01/creative-leftovers-pulled-pork-n-beans.html

That's it ,  Its only about twenty minutes worth of work , and the rest is just waiting :))  Sampling is allowed so its all good :)) So what do you think of my latest Good Food , Cheap post ?  Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated :)  Happy Cooking !

Simple & Easy Beef Stock #10w5 - 9

I have been making my own stock for several years now , with varied successes...   the last few batches though have been great , and Ive stopped buying store bought .   I just make a big batch and freeze it into different sized bags or containers.   That way If i only need a cup , I just take out one cups worth. I have not tried making one with only 5 ingredients before .. ( its usually closer to ten with herbs )  which ones  do I choose , which ones should i leave out ??  The herbs I decided could be added later , which really brought me down to 6 ingredients... still to many :( It was a toss up between carrots, celery and garlic...   Garlic is my all time fav , so that stayed ...  It was a tough choice, in the end I let a coin choose for me , and carrots it was.

Ingredients Required : Makes 5 litres


5lbs of beef bones - Frozen is fine
3 large carrots
6 or 7 medium onions
1 head of garlic
10 litres of water


For something so simple to make I sure took a LOT of photos during this process,  I have condensed a few of the shots.  The order is Top Left , Top Right, Bottom Left , Bottom Right.

NO need to defrost the bones , if they are frozen,  just put them on a baking tray for 10 minutes in the 350F oven ,  the separate and add 3 halved onions, and a half a head of garlic, drizzle with sunflower oil , and give it a few pinches of sea salt.  Into the oven for about 45 minutes, it should look something like the bottom left picture.  Get your biggest pot out, I have a 20Quart one i use for stocks and canning.  

Spicy Shepherds Pie

I grew up eating Shepherds Pie,  and its always been a favourite of mine .   So you can imagine my surprise a couple of years ago when I found out it wasn't really Shepherds pie , but was in fact a Cottage Pie.  The difference you ask ?  Is really just the meat.   A Shepherds Pie is made with lamb or mutton, while a Cottage pie is made with beef, which is what I grew up with.  After reading that, I was determined to try a real one.  It actually took me a month just to find ground lamb at a reasonable price..  but I did and made my first real Shepherds Pie :) It was awesome !! Since then I make sure to call them by their correct names . You can make them as fancy as you like or just keep them plain and simple.   This one has a few extras , but turned out really well.  

For a basic pie, you will need :

1lb of ground lamb

2 medium onions

2 large or 4 medium potatoes 

2 large carrots 

2 cups of brown gravy ( http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/12/who-doesnt-love-gravy.html ) 

1 cup of peas

Everything else is a bonus :)  The extras 

2 chili peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

3 cloves of garlic 

2 parsnips

jar of stewed tomatoes

baby corn 

Chili Powder

Mozzarella, and cheddar 

Most of the ingredients :)  Everything is local, and half of it was organic .  

Slice and dice all the veggies into small bite sized pieces,  and give them a quick saute. They do not need to be cooked thru as it will be going into the oven.  Pour into the bottom of a lasagna pan.  

Less Words, More Food 2 :)

Its been a strange week for food for me,  a few days of cooking like a mad man ,  then a couple of days surviving on cheese and toast :)  Also,oddly enough it started with meatballs, and ended with meatballs :)

Here is a quick look at what has been coming out of my kitchen :)

Grass fed Beef Meatballs with Garlic Latkes

More free range beef, all from a local farm :) Today was -20C a good stew was needed .

Who needs words when you have food pics:) LWMF 1

Ive been thinking about , how to get an extra post in every week. I came up with this idea the other day ,  Once every week Ill post a week in review, kind of post.  With just captions, and maybe a short blurb. So here is my first try at this : Please let me know what you think ... all suggestions, and comments are appreciated. 

Marmite & Chili Roast Beef & Root Veggies.

Vegetarian Dinner, Jacket Potato with garlic/onion baked beans and cheese :)

Chicken Caserole .. Day 2 :) Creative Leftovers

Is anyone else like me?   Maybe one or two people eating, yet you cook for 6 , or even 10 at time... only to have to eat the same dish for 3 days in a row?   Until you so sick of it you don't make it for a year ? Well, I do this all the time ! I'm trying to stop, but for some reason .. when I grab a crock pot or a dutch oven ,  I just have to fill it up !!  LOL I am getting better , I'm down to cooking for 6 , instead of 10 like last year .  However this has taught me to be extremely creative with my leftovers turning them in to all sorts of interesting to eat treats. This week, it was Chicken Casserole. that started it off :)

This was a great dinner,  Chicken Casserole, loaded with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms,  peppers, carrots, broccoli and I used a 6 bean medley instead of potatoes for a change :)

For this dish you will need per person:

• Leftovers, about two cups, chopped in bite sizes - Warmed up
• One Medium/Large Yukon Gold Potato - Baked
• Butter, Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Chili Powder
• Mozzarella and aged Cheddar ( Or your favourite cheeses ) - Shredded
• Oven Safe Plate or Dish

Baked your potato for about an hour at 360F, I simply wash mine and prick the skin a few times with a fork and toss it in the oven. If you don't like a crispy skin , you can wrap the spud in tin foil .
 When done,  cut it half lengthwise ,  I like to slice down with a butter knife, but I don't actually remove any potato.  add butter, and salt and pepper at this point. 

Before adding you topping,  I liked to add a little extra flavour,  a few sprinkles of chili powder and a little bit of cheese go down first.

Now the fun part!  Take your preheated casserole , and pour it over the potato.  No need to be tidy about it , this is a knife and fork kind of meal :)

Add some more cheese, and your ready for the oven again .  I leave it at 360F and cook for another 15 minutes. If your in a hurry you can switch it to broil or grill, and get the job done in 5 or less minutes.

Chicken Casserole Jacket Potato Done!!  So good , so easy, and a great way to use up almost any leftovers.  Watch out the plate will be hot!  Grab a steak knife and a fork and dig in!

I hope you enjoyed my first in, what I hope to be, a series of Creative Leftovers :)

Im still learning how to write out the recipes, as I don't use one. Also this is my first post since joining the Foodie Blog Roll.  So if you have any questions or comments , please either post below or send me an email. I do appreciate and respond to all feed back.  

Happy Cooking

Rich

Roasted Double Stuffed Pork Tenderloins, with Roasted Carrots, Portabellos, Turnip, Red Pepper & Onion, Broccoli and Potatoes all in about an hour :)

Do roast dinners intimidate you ?  Too many pots , pans and ovens to keep track of? How would you like to be able to do everything , in the oven ?  All you need is 2 or three oven safe baking trays, lasagne pans or preferably some cast iron cookware and about 20 minutes of prep time.  The rest is simply timing.  This is something I came up with out of laziness :) For those long days , when you dont really want to cook, but know you should eat something good.  Besides,  who doesnt like a good roast dinner!  Especially without all the fuss and dishes !

The ingredients, I buy my potatoes and carrots from a local farm, so i simply scrub and do not peel them, the rest is just wash and slice:)

A little sunflower oil and chili powder for the roast potatoes :)

Next is the stuffing , I used fresh rosemary, sage , red onion, garlic,  jalapeno, chili pepper , and sea salt . 

Take your pork tenderloin , and slice almost 3/4 the way thru length wise, wash and pat dry. 



Add your minced goodness to the pockets in the pork, unfortunately I missed the next photo somehow .  But I folded the two tenderloins together . < > Over lapping each other to create 4 layers.  If you have kitchen twine or silicone straps, now would be a good time to truss it up . I couldn't find mine and just let them sit :)  Into a preheated oven @ 350F , set the timer for 30 minutes.   





 Add a drizzle of sunflower oil, honey , Lea & Perrin's , and a couple of cracks of sea salt and black pepper add them to the oven, and set the timer for 15 minutes.  While your adding the veggies, check on your pork and potatoes...



At the 30 minute mark, while adding the veggies. Check on the roast and rotate the potatoes for ultimate crispiness! 



After the 15 minute timer goes off (total cook time 45 minutes) add the mushrooms and broccoli, a little S&P, and sunflower oil.  I also lightly rubbed the broccoli tops in the pork drippings for a little extra flavour:) Set the timer for 10 minutes. 

Total cook time 55 minutes , (if your unsure of it being fully cooked, please check with a thermometer) remove the pork to a warm plate and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Check the veggies, if they are done, just leave them in the oven , but turn it off..  I tend to like them a little extra roasted , so i left it on. 

I transferred all the veggies to the pork pan, to soak up some extra flavour. Set the timer for 10 minutes and back into the oven.  On or off your choice at this point. 

After ten minutes of resting, move the pork to your cutting board.  If you like warm plates, like I do,  now would be a good time to put them in the oven.

I don't normally start by cutting it in half, but I knew I had forgotten the assembled raw pic and wanted to show the layers .  They came a part a little as I didn't tie it , but Ive got to say it worked great anyways!  Slice as you like it , I prefer large piece, and will cut on my plate. 



All that's left is to take the veggies from the oven , and arrange on a warm plate! Grab a knife and fork and a glass of red wine and Enjoy ! 

Ive got to add, the reason for the one small turnip is , Ive never liked them .. but have recently found that organic veggies are changing my previously disliked foods. So far this makes, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips and yes even Brussel Sprouts that I have enjoyed in the last month , all organic and delicious.  

I hope you enjoyed my : Roasted Double Stuffed Pork Tenderloins, with Roasted Carrots, Portabello Mushrooms, Turnip, Red Pepper & Onion, Broccoli and Potatoes. 

Happy Cooking :)

Rich

Roasting