The Easiest Pulled Pork Ever (paleo, slow cooker)

Happy New Year, friends!  I hope you all had a fun and relaxing end to 2014. We enjoyed a fabulous staycation here with my sister who came to visit us from Seattle, and we've been slowly getting back into the swing of normal life.  This last week I spent a good chunk of time making some changes to my website that I hope will make for easier navigation, and a more streamlined experience.  It's still a work in progress, so if you have any requests or comments, I would love to hear from you.  As always, I have been experimenting with creating recipes in the kitchen, and here is one of my new favorites: The Easiest Pulled Pork Ever.

This has got to be one of the easiest and most delicious meat dishes that I've ever made.  It takes just 5 minutes of prep time, and then it cooks all night while you are sleeping.  I started this slow cooker pulled pork for the first time one evening last week, and the house smelled amazing when I woke up the next morning.  The meat was so tender and juicy that it completely fell apart when I barely nudged it with my fork.  Yum!  Felix and I were so into it that we shared a big bowl of pulled pork for breakfast alongside some steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.  Unconventional, I know, but it was delicious!  This succulent meat would also be the perfect filling for tacos or burritos, or served alongside some rice and sauteed greens.  I bet it would also be great under some melted cheese on a yummy sandwich with pickled veggies, or for a lighter meal, on top of a mixed salad with chopped apples and a gingery apple cider vinaigrette.  Whichever way you decide to enjoy your slow cooker pulled pork, I hope you make some soon, and please let me know how it turns out!

INGREDIENTS:

One 2 1/2 -3 pound boneless pork shoulder

1 cup sliced yellow or white onion

5 cloves fresh garlic, roughly chopped

2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

4 whole cardamom pods (omit for Autoimmune Protocol)

1/4 cup water

1-2 tsp red Hawaiian salt, pink Himalayan salt, or any sea salt. The amount will depend on the size of your pork shoulder as well as your preference. I used 2 tsp coarse red Hawaiian salt for a 3 pound piece of meat and it was perfect.

15 turns of the pepper mill (omit for AIP)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Variation:  If you are able to tolerate tomatoes, a tasty alternative to this simple recipe is to add a tablespoon of tomato paste and 2 teaspoons of ground cumin.  Mix well, and turn the pork shoulder a few times to coat before cooking.

DIRECTIONS:

Place the onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, apple cider vinegar, and water in the bottom of your slow cooker pot and give it all a stir.  Lay the pork shoulder on top of the onion and spices, then sprinkle with the sea salt and freshly ground pepper and turn the pork shoulder a few times to coat. Cover, and let it cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Use a fork to gently pull the meat apart, and remove the whole spices before serving.

Khima Matar aka Beef & Peas Curry

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes.  We ate a lot of khima matar growing up, and I remember both my grandmother and my mom making it.  It's nourishing, comforting, deeply satisfying, and I often crave it when I'm feeling rundown. The sweetness of the green peas pairs nicely with the rich, full bodied flavor of the spiced beef in such a perfect way that not only do Ben and I love it, but both of my little guys gobble this up (especially my 14 month old!).  I usually serve this with my spiced jasmine rice for Ben and the boys, and then toss some steamed sweet potatoes in coconut oil for myself, to keep my meal paleo.  I know that peas are controversial in the paleo world, but they seem to work well for me if eaten in moderation.  Feel free to omit the peas if you don't care for them- this curry is still absolutely delicious without them.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp unrefined virgin coconut oil 1 medium yellow onion finely diced (a little more than 1 cup, packed) 1 pound grass fed ground beef 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 4 Roma tomatoes 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 large garlic cloves, or 4 smaller ones, peeled 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, more or less to taste 1 1/2 cups frozen peas 1 1/4 tsp garam masala 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Place the onions in the pot with a pinch of salt and saute them until they are golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  This is the most time consuming step of this recipe (it takes me about 15-20 minutes), but it's well worth the effort.  I think of browning the onions as creating the foundation for your curry.  It lends a depth and sweetness to the dish that you will definitely miss if you skip this step.

While your onions are cooking, puree the tomatoes, ginger, and garlic in a food processor or blender, and set aside. I use a blender to do this, and my puree comes to almost exactly 2.5 cups.

Next, add the ground beef to your browned onions, crumble the beef with a wooden spoon, then stir in the cumin and turmeric.  Reduce the heat to medium-low to ensure that the spices don’t burn, and cook the beef until it is no longer pink.

Add the pureed tomato mix to your beef mixture, along with the frozen peas, garam masala, and salt.  Mix well, then cover your pot and allow everything to simmer for 30 minutes or more on the lowest setting.  The longer it has to simmer, the better the flavors will meld.

Check for salt just before serving.  If you don’t taste the spices, you probably need more salt.  Stir in some fresh lemon juice and as much chopped cilantro as you'd like. Serve your peas and beef curry with spiced jasmine rice, or steamed sweet potatoes.  A side of ripe avocado pairs nicely with this dish as well.  We rarely have leftovers after eating this for dinner, but when we do, it's even tastier the next day.

On a side note...

These are some Molokai sweet potatoes that I picked up at my neighborhood farmers market.  I had never tried this variety before, but I steamed them and loved their vibrant color after cooking.  Molokai sweet potatoes are indeed sweet, and have a subtle, almost floral flavor along with a dense texture that makes them super satisfying to eat.

I want to know about the special finds at YOUR local farmers markets.  What's currently in season in your part of the world that you're enjoying right now?