Tag: slow-cooker

Slow-cooker Black Beans

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Slow Cooker Black Beans

The easiest way to cook black beans is in a slow cooker. It's easy and budget-friendly. (Dad uses the Mexican variation.)
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: slow-cooker, Vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried black beans picked over to remove broken or wrinkled beans or small stones
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 onion halved or diced
  • 2-3 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon salt this seems like a lot, but is fine with this much water, you can use less
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1-2 splashes hot sauce i.e., Cholula
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

  • Place the beans in a big bowl, cover with water, agitate the beans a few times to remove any dirt, drain in a colander and rinse again.
  • Place black beans, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add water.
  • Cook on high for about 3-4 hours, testing after 3 hours. To test doneness, spoon out a few beans and blow on them. If the skins peel back, they beans are ready. Taste just to make sure. If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. Beans must stay completely covered to prevent them from burning. If cooking on low for 6-8 hours, test the beans at the 6 hour point.
  • Add the salt and let cook, or sit with heat off for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion before using, if desired.
  • Use immediately, or allow to cool before transferring beans and some of the cooking liquid to a zipper-lock freezer bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, flatten bag in freezer–it makes for easier defrosting. Defrost in warm water.

Notes

Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 20 mins

Slow-cooker Guinness Beef Stew

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Stout and Horseradish

This rich and hearty beef stew is made with an Irish stout for a refreshing change on a winter staple. The dark beer mingles with the tomato paste and makes a flawlessly rich gravy after hours of slow cooking. Keeping vegetables chunky helps to retain their texture after a long cook time.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Irish
Keyword: beef, meat, slow-cooker, stew

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • One 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • One 12-ounce bottle Irish stout beer
  • 2 1 /2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 medium carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 pound baby potatoes cut in half if larger than a golf ball
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Prepared horseradish for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Season the beef with salt and pepper and dust with 2 tablespoons flour.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Just before the skillet is smoking hot, add the beef, in batches, and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove meat directly to slow cooker and repeat with the second batch. (Be careful not to overcrowd your pan or the beef
  • will not brown.)
  • Once all the beef has been browned, lower the heat to medium, add the remaining tablespoon oil, and stir in the tomato paste.
  • Sprinkle in the remaining flour and stir until thick and pasty.
  • Slowly whisk in the stout and broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Once thickened and steaming, add sauce directly to the slow cooker.
  • Stir in carrots, potatoes, onion, thyme, and add a big pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Cover slow cooker with lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours on high, or 8 to 9 hours
  • Serve in bowls with a dollop of horseradish, if desired .
  • Tip: We use chicken broth in this stew as we find beef stock can become salty and strongly flavored in a long-cooking stew.

Notes

by Brianna Beaudry for Cooking.com
ACTIVE TIME 20m TOTAL TIME 8h 20m
6 servings

Slow-cooker Carnitas

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SLOW COOKER PORK CARNITAS

The easiest carnitas you will ever make in the crockpot, cooked low and slow for the most amazing fall-apart tender goodness!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: meat, pork, slow-cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons salt or more, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 pound pork shoulder excess fat trimmed
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 onions quartered
  • 2 oranges juiced
  • 2 limes juiced

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Season pork shoulder with spice mixture, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides.
  • Place garlic, onions, orange juice, lime juice and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
  • Remove pork shoulder from the slow cooker and shred the meat before returning to the pot with the juices; season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet and broil until crisp and crusted, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

yield: 8 SERVINGSprep time: 10 MINUTEScook time: 8 HOURS, 30 MINUTEStotal time: 8 HOURS, 40 MINUTES
Adapted from Closet Cooking.
This delicious recipe brought to you by DAMN DELICIOUS
https://damndelicious.net/2014/10/10/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas/