Slow-Cooker Pork and Hominy Stew

I'm happy to give you week 2 of recipe testing!

Did anyone try the Steak and Spinach Salad?  What'd you think?  Feel free to leave a comment on that post if you did, and let me know how you liked it or if you changed anything!

This weeks' recipe was chosen because I had anticipated that both children had soccer practice, and I always think that it's better to have a home-cooked meal vs. take-out on those days.  And I don't know about you, but I always feel so put-together when I have dinner in the crock pot, like I have really killed this "adulting" thing 👯

This recipe was originally featured in the October 2015 issue of Food Network Magazine, in their "Weeknight Cooking" section.  It stood out to me, because I really love an easy crock pot meal with little to no prep time! 

Here's the original recipe from the magazine:

Slow-Cooker Pork and Hominy Stew

ACTIVE: 20 min  |  TOTAL: 7hr 20 min  |  SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 15-ounce cans hominy, drained and rinsed

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 16oz. jar salsa verde

2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for topping

Kosher salt

10 6-inch corn tortillas

1/4 cup sour cream

1 romaine lettuce heart, shredded

1 avocado, diced

Directions: (Original directions from Food Network Magazine are in bold; my substitutions/alterations are marked with an asterisk (*).

1.  Toss the pork and hominy with the chicken broth, salsa verde, poblanos, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 6-quart slow cooker.*

*I trimmed the pork shoulder a bit while I was cutting it up, as it was pretty fatty, and I can't stand "wiggly" pieces

*The grocery store was out of chicken broth, so I used the chicken stock that I already had in my pantry

*Salsa verde was available in a 16-ounce jar, but with medium heat, which I knew the kids would never go for, so I got two 7-ounce cans of mild salsa.

2.  Tear two of the tortillas into small pieces; add to the slow cooker, and toss.  

3.  Cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

4.  Warm the remaining 8 tortillas as the label directs.  Top each serving of stew with sour cream, lettuce, avocado, and more cilantro.  Serve with the warm tortillas*

*I neglected to add the lettuce and put the tortillas on the side before I took this picture, but we did have them in the final product!

Our Opinion on the Recipe:

We really liked it!  It was an easy meal, and hearty for a chilly evening.  Soccer ended up being cancelled, but having dinner in the crock pot meant that I had more time for passing drills with my son, because he still wanted to get some soccer in.

What We Would Change:

I thought it was great recipe, and I wouldn't change anything!  I would probably skip the corn tortillas for serving, and if we needed a bread item, grill some Bolillo rolls with butter in a skillet to accompany.

My husband wasn't home for dinner, but he will be trying it, and giving me his opinion.

My daughter liked it, though she said it was a little too spicy.  Even though I was careful about taking out the veins and seeds in the poblano, it still had a hint of spice.  If serving again, I would substitute canned mild green chilies.

My son loved it, and agreed that it was a little too spicy.  He also wanted more sour cream and avocado, which I am sure would help cut the spice.

OVERALL SCORE:

4.8 out of 5

If you see in the picture, I served the stew with a Southwest vinegar slaw, one of my favorite accompaniments to Mexican-type food.  Here's my recipe (I typically make it according to taste, and haven't written it down before):

Southwest Vinegar Slaw Recipe:

ACTIVE: 15 min  |  TOTAL:  20 min  |  SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

1/4 head large red cabbage, shredded

2 green onions, minced

1/3 cup carrot, shredded

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

1.  In large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar (or lemon juice, if you're using that), honey, Kosher salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.  Whisk together until thoroughly combined.  Set aside for at least 5 minutes for flavors to meld.

2.  Add red cabbage, green onion, carrot, and cilantro to bowl, and toss with dressing until coated.

3.  Serve!

If you decide to make these recipes, please comment on how you liked it, or what you changed.

Thanks for visiting, and I will see you next week!

GUTEN APPETIT!

Steak-Spinach Salad with Sour Cream Potatoes Recipe

This is it!  

My very first Food Network Magazine recipe test, and I'm excited to do it.  

This recipe originally appeared in the July/August 2010 Food Network Magazine.  I chose it as my first recipe because it was a part of their, "Weeknight Cooking" recipe collection, which means the recipes are meant to be quick!

As promised, I will follow the recipe as written, noting the changes that I may have needed to make due to availability of ingredients, availability of kitchen equipment, etc.  

At the end, I will report on my family's opinion of the finished product, as well as my personal suggestions on changes I would make the next time I prepare the recipe, if any are needed!

So, let's get started:

Here's the original recipe from the magazine:

Steak-Spinach Salad with Sour Cream Potatoes

Active: 35 Minutes  |  Total: 1 Hour 20 Min.  | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 medium russet potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 3/4-pound boneless sirloin steak

1 large red onion, sliced into thick rings

6 ounces baby spinach or chopped regular spinach

2 to 3 tablespoons steak sauce

Directions: (Original directions from Food Network Magazine are in bold; my substitutions/alterations are marked with an asterisk (*).

1.  Preheat oven to 400°.  Pierce the potatoes with a fork and brush with olive oil

-Bake directly on the oven rack until tender, about 1 hour* 

*As you can see, I used my really beat-up "baked potato pan" instead of doing it directly on the rack 

-Cool slightly, then cut into chunks.  

-Mix the sour cream, buttermilk, chives, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper

-Stir in the potatoes

2.  Meanwhile, preheat a grill to high*  

*We do not currently have a grill, so I used a cast-iron skillet, heated over a medium stove.  This is an easy alternative to grilling, especially if it's cold outside!  Cast-iron is cheap, and if well-maintained, will last FOREVER.

-Brush the steak and onion rings, and season with salt and pepper

*There weren't any red onions at the grocery store, but I did have 1/2 of one in the refrigerator, so I used that, and 1/2 of a yellow onion.

-Grill the steak until marked on the bottom, about 7 minutes, then turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more for medium rare*

*I seared both sides of the sirloin for approximately 5-6 minutes, then transferred the skillet into the 400° oven to finish cooking, for 12 minutes (for medium rare)

-Grill the onion rings until charred, about 2 minutes per side.*

*Since I was doing this in the skillet, I needed to wait until the steak was done to make the onions.  Looking back, I could have had both of my cast-iron skillets cooking at the same time, but we have a small oven!

-Transfer the steak and onion rings to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes

-Roughly chop the onion rings and toss with the spinach, steak sauce, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl

-Thinly slice the steak*

*I cooked the steak to medium rare, as the recipe suggested, but it was a little too underdone for me to serve to my children, so I cooked it longer (1 minute per side) in the skillet to be medium for the kids.  I ended up putting the rest of the steak back in the skillet, and back in the oven for another 15 minutes, after I got the kids plates fixed.

-Divide the salad among the plates, top with the steak, and serve with the potatoes

Our Opinion on the Recipe:

We loved it!  It was an easy recipe, and will be something I make again.  While it was a little more work intensive than I would have desired, I believe that using the grill, rather than the cast-iron skillet, will cut time off the recipe.  

What We Would Change:

My husband said that it was delicious, and he wouldn't change anything!  

I would add fresh dill to the potatoes the next time, as I believe it would add a great taste.  And because I love vegetables, I would add some grilled bell pepper to the grilled onions, and possibly cherry tomatoes, to make the salad more colorful and nutritious.

My son said it was awesome!

My daughter wondered why I served spinach, even though I know that she doesn't care for it 😑  Note: I will continue to serve spinach to her.

OVERALL SCORE:

4.8 OUT OF 5

If you decide to make this recipe, please comment on how you liked it, or what you changed.

Thanks for visiting, and I will see you next week!

GUTEN APPETIT!