Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I think we’ve only ever done two or three things in a crock pot that really turned out well; my crock pot has gotten the most use as a way to carry to a party and warm up dishes that have already been cooked otherwise. But one of the things we’ve found that the crock pot does pretty well is pulled pork. (Don't laugh, Texans - we're currently apartment dwellers ;-)

We’ve tried several recipes that turned out OK, but I wanted to make pulled pork in the crockpot like the Carnitas that we get at Chipotle (again, don't laugh! I just like it). A few months ago, I ordered what looks like a lifetime supply of Juniper Berries, because someone online had insisted that they were the key – but for us, they were not; and now I’m stuck with a huge vacuum-packed jar of berries that I’ll probably never use up in the remaining time that the Lord has allotted me.

But: I think I found the recipe last weekend. My husband signed up to receive email recipes from Cooks Country, and a recent one was for ‘Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas’; we tried it, and it was excellent. The secret seems to be citrus, which you don’t really taste AS citrus; but somehow, it adds that elusive 'je ne sais quoi'.

A slight variation of the recipe is available at the Mels Kitchen Cafe website; the Cooks Country recipe suggested crisping the final product in a fry pan, but Mels Kitchen does it under the broiler, and I think that makes a better product:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas

After about a year of ‘window-shopping’ pressure cooker options, we have decided to purchase an Instant Pot. We are going for the 8-quart ‘Duo’, because that seems to offer the most versatility. I became interested in this product because of all the reviews on how well it does hard-boiled eggs (makes them very easy to peel, even very fresh eggs) bone broth, and yogurt-making. Husband is interested in the fast-cooking of meats.

Do any of you who have an Instant Pot have favorite recipes/uses for it?

-JT

[lizma2]

Crockpot chicken and gravy

This sounds tasty! Thanks.

[MomwithHope]

I am from Chicago originally. My sister is still there. Any family get together and she orders up take out Italian beef sandwiches. All the fixins and the rolls come separate. Absolutely delicious.

[MomwithHope]

For at least the last 20+ years we get a fresh turkey from a local turkey farm. Not organic but natural. We always dry brine and roast in the oven. We were talking about getting a small one this year when we passed a road sign for “heritage turkeys”. We know the family through 4H. So we are getting one from them - a red bourbon, a breed I have always been interested in. It will just be the two of us this year so we want a small one, will still dry brine, but this year we will put it on our charcoal weber grill with the rotisserie collar. We have always wanted to do that. Got to do a duck that way recently that I have always wanted to try, came out crispy, juicy and delicious.

[lizma2]

“One of the original Crock-Pots. I only replaced it because I was afraid any day could be “the day” and I didn’t want any safety hazards in the kitchen.”

Dropped my original one right before Christmas. Bummer.

45 years ago.., Lordy, probably. Never though about that. The thing was old.

[Aliska]

You think? I wondered. I saw a Chicago recipe awhile back. Thanks for the tip with B&B, low sodium. I have to struggle to keep my sodium levels up even with high blood pressure but when I cook with B&B, I don't like too-salty taste so that is a great tip.

I don't even feel like ordering the crock pot, not because of that. I don't feel like eating again. I got so hungry the other morning I thought it was a good sign because I never wake up hungry any more. All the things I love to eat and make ran through my head, especially for instant gratification and it was morning, a sausage and egg biscuit, but I doubt I could have gotten it chewed up anyway that day. It didn't last. Now I'm back to forcing myself to eat. I fix 2 cups of coffee with NIDO fortified milk instead of creamer and all the sugar I want. I drink them one after the other then that is it for the day. It's the only thing I really look forward to and didn't drink coffee for years. And I make it without a coffee pot. And use Great Value Colombian coffee. Has to be Colombian and has to come from a store to make sure it has stayed sealed. If you order online, sometimes they palm broken seal coffee, rejects, dated, dented junk off on people at a higher price. Beware.

I don't know what I'll do about the beef sandwiches.

I'll share something with the group because you have been so helpful to me.

I have my old crock pot, I don't know if low works any more, the light went out, but high still works, maybe not for long. I cooked my special knockoff Maid Rites in it. It cooked dry but the meat was perfect. Here's what I did. And my kids can't believe it's just like Maid Rite or better.

I get one pound of 80/20 ground chuck and one pound of ground sirloin at the butcher. Dump it in the crock pot. Add about 1 cup water, 1 packet of Washington Broth seasoning (hard to find now), and go easy on the salt but it needs a little and let it steam. As it cooks, break it up with something. Let it go until it feels right.

But that isn't enough. I bought some special wax papers because the steam doesn't work for regular wax paper. I spread yellow mustard, dill pickle, and chopped onion on the bottom. Pile as much meat as you can get into it, pack it in with back of big ice cream scoop or something. Find a nice puffy bun that you can press down hard on and won't lose it's strength or taste. Wrap it like they do at Maid Rite. Wait about a minute or two and dig in.

You can put the condiments on the top of the meat instead; this is as near as I can piece together of what the original Maid Rite in Muscatine Iowa did. He was a butcher and used the whole cow which is the best way if you can ever get some. For a big gathering I made sloppy joes in the oven in my turkey roaster one year. The guy who contributed the meat said it was part of a whole cow ground up. It's hard for regular people to get it so I did the next best thing with the chuck and sirloin.

I got burned stuff on the walls of my crock, had a time getting it off and can't remember how I finally did. So I was looking forward to getting a new crock pot. It didn't burn or dry out the meat luckily.

I know you will change something about it which is fine. Everybody seems to. But mine except for the meat used is as close to the original way they served them as you can get at home. If you order one with everything here, that's what you get, mustard, pickles and chopped onion, no nothing else. Even ketchup which I always like on my burgers.

This stuff only for me, don't know if I'll be able to find it when I run out.

[Jamestown1630]

We had always wet-brined our turkey, but when we started dry-brining, it was really much better - the breast was as tender and juicy as thigh meat. It’s a lot easier, too.

[MomwithHope]

We have the same results, love the texture of the white meat. Hubby does it each year and cuts up a couple of sprigs of fresh poultry herbs - very tiny - with a scissors, and mixes them in with the salt.

[lizma2]

When I was kid KFC actually sold their “ 11 herbs and spices” in a season mix.

My dad would coat the chicken and fry it in lard. Heaven!!! He also did lard fried taco shells.

Bought some lard for an Alton Brown special occasion pie crust. Used about a TBL. So the with rest the lard I went on fry heaven. Taco shells and fries! That was best food ever!

[Jamestown1630]

I’ll tell my husband to do that this year. So far we’ve just used the salt.

[MomwithHope]

He gets the clamshell fresh poultry herbs in the produce section. Two of those work great. I’m sure you’ll be having a Thanksgiving thread. Sorry to jump the gun. I’m just pretty excited about the red bourbon turkey. :)

[Jamestown1630]

I have that exact thing! We use it for deep frying. About 12 years ago a neighbor had one and loved it, so he got us one too.

[Jamestown1630]

Never too early to gather ideas/make plans.

[Trillian]

Trillian’s Lentil Soup

1-lb bag of lentils
1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, minced
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 medium carrots, diced small
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
12-15 cups of water (or a mixture of water/chicken stock) to fill pot

Place lentils in a bowl and pick out any rocks. Rinse lentils and set aside.
In a large pot saute onions in olive oil. Add garlic, carrots, celery and parsley. Saute for a few minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, lentils and sauce then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour until lentils are done.
Serve with a small pasta and lots of Parmesan cheese.

[Jamestown1630]

Thank You!

[V K Lee]

LOL - Deep frying here as well (majority of the time) The old Rival crock pot still works (but it’s the devil to clean the darn thing) I use the Rival for a crock pot and the kettle for deep frying more often than not.

[CottonBall]

Well, if you don’t have to deal with Polident and can get a better fit, I would agree with you that it was worth it. Just needing bottom ones, at least for now, it sounds like I’ll never get a good fit. Bummer.

Anything dental makes me nervous. Just going in with my son to have a cavity drilled I almost passed out. So the thought of the gauze and bleeding… Very scary!

[CottonBall]

Some nurses are just downright obnoxious. When I had my son, the OB nurse was just evil I am convinced. There are some people that shouldn’t be in that profession. Or maybe they get into it for too long and lose all their empathy and compassion.

[greeneyes]

Beef Roast

Chop up veggies: Potatoes, celery, onions, carrots - amount varies with size of pot and dietary choice - easy on potatoes for lower carbs.

Put roast on top and add a package of Lipton onion mushroom soup mix. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water.

Cook on high or low till beef and potatoes are tender.

Option: Break up beef and add a packet of brown gravy. Cook another 30 - 60 minutes.

[greeneyes]

That’s kinda what I do for holiday get togethers. Since everyone has different schedules and some people are always late, I do the hot sides in various crockpots and when they are done turn them to the warm setting.

We do a Turkey, dressing, ham, and homemade bread in the ovens.

[cherry]

recipes for the dry brine?...