Cuban Style Pork Butt In The Slow Cooker

Super Bowl is coming up fast - like this Sunday.  Are you having a party, going to a party?  Do you need to fix something for guests or take something to someone else's party?  Well, I have got a super delicious recommendation for you.  How about a pork butt or shoulder cooked Cuban style in a slow cooker?  It cooks all day and the meat literally falls apart when it is done.  It is easy, super delicious, and this recipe is a keeper!

You can use the meat as pulled pork, you can make a sandwich, eat it plain, you can make a Cuban style sandwich with it, you can add barbeque sauce or hot sauce, whatever you like.  How about sliders or carnitas which are pork tacos?  All you do for carnitas is put a little oil in a pan and cook the pork until it starts to crisp on the outside.  Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.  So good!

This recipe came from the Huffington post.  Yesterday I was in the house because of "the" cold and "a" cold, and I had this pork butt that I needed to cook.  I was going to do it low and slow in the oven and finish it on the grill.  Well, it was too dang cold, so I looked up some recipe options and found this slow cooker one.  Lucky me, because it is awesome and we will be having this again and again!

Here is what you need:

1 pork shoulder or butt, about 4 pounds
6 large garlic cloves, more if they are small
1 TBS coarse kosher salt (1 1/2 tsps table salt if that is what you have)
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP dried oregano
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup orange juice

First, you are going to make a paste out of the garlic, salt, and herbs.  Using the flat side of a big knife, mash the garlic into the salt until you have a paste.  Add the cumin and oregano.

Lightly salt and pepper the outside of the pork butt.   Cut 2 inch slices into the skin side of the pork butt or shoulder.  Make them about 2 inches deep and 2 inches apart.  Rub the garlic/herb paste into the slits all over the pork.

Put the pork into the slow cooker and add the lime and orange juice.  Cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.

Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker.  I had to remove it in pieces because it literally fell apart.  I put it in a 9 x 13 baking dish and pulled it with a fork to make smaller pieces.  Easiest pulled pork ever!  Is it good?  You bet it is!  Amazing flavor and texture - so tender and delicious.

We had guests for dinner last night and everyone truly enjoyed every last bite of this fabulous pork.  That is why I know it would be a major hit for a Super Bowl party.  You can do so many things with it or enjoy it in a simple fashion by spooning some of the au jus over the meat.

Have you ever had a Cuban sandwich?  They are DEEEEEElicious.  They have pork, deli ham, mustard, pickles, and swiss cheese on Cuban style bread (if you can find it).  If not, use an Italian loaf or something a little crusty like ciabatta .  You could use a baguette and make smaller sandwiches.  We simply ate this flavorful, tender pork like a barbecue sandwich on a bun.  Eat it any way you like and it will be delicious.

If you are not attending or hosting a Super Bowl party, you can still enjoy this recipe this weekend.  It is easy and worth every minute of those 6 hours cooking time.  Your house will smell amazing and you will be pacing the floor waiting for it to be done so you can dig in.  Yes, it's that good.  Dan highly endorses it.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

The Super Bowl is Americana at its most kitsch and fun.  Sting

Honey Lime Chicken - To Die For!

What a day, what a day, what a nearly perfect day!  March 1 and the weather is absolutely glorious here in middle Tennessee.  Actually, I would call it perfect weather.  Sun, gentle breeze, and the flowering trees are all beginning to bloom.  There is a riot of color everywhere which is so nice to see after the dullness of winter.

Today, we made a trek across town to visit the good old insurance man to sign Dan up for all the Medicare supplements.  Forms, forms and more forms.  Yup, he starts receiving benefits on April 1.  I am not sure sometimes how he can possibly be eligible for Medicare.  Where has the time gone?  I met him when he was 17 and I was 15 and it has all gone by in a flash!  One day we were going to the prom and today he is signing up for Medicare.  So, all of you younger people remember to savor every moment because it won't be long and you will be asking where has it gone?

On the upside, because it was such a fabulous day weather wise I pronounced that supper would be cooked on the grill.  Yes!!  Everything done out of doors and let me tell you, this recipe is a KEEPER!  I found it on one of my favorite web sites, PlainChicken.com.  Most every recipe I have made from her site has been excellent.  I thought I would pass this one on to you so you can try it too.   We had this delicious honey lime chicken with grilled vegetables and if I had just had an ocean and some sand right outside the door, it would have been like eating at the beach!  Oh, I need to go to the beach.

Anyway, here is what you need:

4 chicken breasts (I use boneless, skinless)
1/2 cup lime juice (it took 3 whole limes)
1/3 cup oil
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic mashed
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix the lime juice, oil, honey, thyme, rosemary, garlic cloves and black pepper in a bowl.  Put the chicken breasts in a gallon sized zip lock bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Squeeze out the excess air as you zip the bag and knead it over and over to make sure all the chicken has been covered with the marinade.  Put the bag in a container (in case of leaks) and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 - 6 hours.  (I knead it again from time to time, just to make sure all the chicken gets it's chance in the pool.)  Put the chicken on the grill and cook until juices run clear.  The marinade allowed the chicken to take on a beautiful color and lots of nice grill marks.    All the chefs on the Food Network say grill marks are very important.  Whatever.  I always thought it mattered if it tasted good.

Fantastic!  All I have to say.  The chicken was super tender and oh so tasty.  Dan and I decided it would be nice to save back a little of the marinade before adding it to the bag to use as a dipping sauce for the cooked chicken because the flavors are so good.  I'll do that next time and there will be many next times with this recipe.

I actually cheated and did 6 chicken breasts because that's how many I had and there was plenty of marinade for all of them.  Now, we have extra chicken for tacos - yippee -  another one of our favorites.  This yummy chicken would also be fantastic on a green salad.  Since tomorrow is Friday, and cleaning day, it will be an easy food day because I cooked ahead.  Yes!  Don't you love when that happens?  I sure do!

Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend.  Hope you have great weather and you have a new recipe to try!   I really think you are going to like this one.  Now, if I just had that ocean and sand outside the door, it would really be perfect.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

It is very important that when you put something on the grill, you leave it in place to cook. If you move it around too quickly, chances are it is going to stick.
Bobby Flay