Braised Pork With Fennel Slow Cooker Food

ONE-POT ROAST PORK CHOPS WITH FENNEL & POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the potatoes, fennel, pepper, thyme and garlic in a large roasting tin. Mix together the tomato paste and stock, then pour into the pan. Tightly cover with foil and cook for 30 mins. Take out of the oven and increase the temperature to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Remove the foil and place the pork in the roasting tin, nestling in between the veg. Season well and return to the oven for 15-20 mins more or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the pan juices drizzled over.

BRAISED PORK WITH FENNEL (SLOW COOKER)

Steps:

• 1. Slice off root end of fennel and discard. Slice bulb and some of the green stems and leaves. Save some of the feathery leaves for garnish.
• 2. In a large, heavy skillet, sear the pork in the oil over medium-high heat until it's brown all over, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to the slow cooker.
• 3. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Sauté the onion and fennel until just a little golden. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
• 4. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar and sugar. Pour the mixture over the pork. Add the tomatoes.
• 5. In a bowl, mix together the broth and bouillon until the bouillon dissolves. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper. Pour this over the pork.
• 6. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• 7. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the vegetables and pile them around the pork. Cover the platter with foil and put it in a warm place.
• 8. Turn slow cooker to high and stir cornstarch mixture into liquid and heat until thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed.
• 9. Chop some of the fennel leaves and sprinkle over roast and veggies. Slice meat and serve with sauce.

BRAISED PORK WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Wrap cinnamon stick and anise seeds in a small square of cheesecloth and tie bundle closed with string.
• Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork in 3 batches, turning, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl as browned.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and cook onion and garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, zest, and sugar and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, rice wine, broth, pork with any accumulated juices, and cheesecloth bag. Braise mixture, covered, in oven 1 hour.
• Stir in fennel and braise, covered, in oven until fennel is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard cheesecloth bag, then season pork mixture with salt and pepper and stir in cilantro.

ITALIAN BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season pork with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, celery, and fennel seeds to pan; cook until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add wine and cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker along with tomatoes. Cover and cook on high until pork is very tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low).
• Transfer pork to a cutting board. With 2 forks, shred meat into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim fat off sauce and discard. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir to combine. (To store: Cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days.) Serve over couscous.

BRAISED PORK WITH FENNEL (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Slice off root end of fennel and discard. Slice bulb and some of the green stems and leaves. Save some of the feathery leaves for garnish.
• In a large, heavy skillet, sear the pork in the oil over medium-high heat until it's brown all over, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to the crock pot.
• Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Sauté the onion and fennel until just a little golden. Transfer them to the crock pot.
• In a bowl, mix together the vinegar and Splenda. Pour the mixture over the pork. Add the tomatoes.
• In a bowl, mix together the broth and bouillon until the bouillon dissolves. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper. Pour this over the pork.
• Cover the crock pot, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Remove the pork from the crock pot and place it on a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the vegetables and pile them around the pork. Cover the platter with foil and put it in a warm place.
• Turn crock pot to high and stir cornstarch mixture into liquid and heat until thickened slightly.
• Chop some of the fennel leaves and sprinkle over roast and veggies. Slice meat and serve with sauce.

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH CHORIZO AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder. Cut the meat away from the bone, if necessary. Roll the meat into a bundle and tie with butcher's twine to secure.
• In a stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, chile flakes, 2 fresh or 1 dried bay leaves, 8 sprigs thyme, and the quartered onion with the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat and let the brine cool completely.
• Pour the brine into a large bowl. Submerge the pork shoulder in the brine, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
• Remove the pork shoulder from the brine and rub it down with the paprika. (No need to wipe it off first.)
• In a large Dutch oven, lidded pot, or roasting pan, combine the pork shoulder, carrot, fennel, sliced onion, garlic, a bunch of thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Pick a cooking vessel that is big enough to hold everything, but not so big you need a gallon of stock to reach three-quarters of the way up the shoulder to keep the pork moist as it cooks.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, wine, honey, and vinegar. Pour the mixture over the pork. Add enough stock to come up to the "shoulders" of the meat. Cover the pork tightly with the lid or seal with two pieces of foil.
• Cook until the pork is very tender but not totally falling apart, 4 to 6 hours. Remove the bay leaves and thyme branches and discard. The pork can be braised up to 1 day ahead. Cool and refrigerate. Reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 45 minutes.
• While the pork is braising, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the chorizo, onion, apples, garlic, and paprika. Cook until the vegetables are soft but not browning, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. When the onion starts to color, pour in the cider. Cook until the cider reduces almost entirely, 2 to 4 minutes.
• If using dried soaked beans, add the soaked beans to the pot with enough water to cover by 1-inch (25 mm). Cook over medium heat until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.If using canned beans, dump in the beans and liquid from the cans and cook until the liquid reduces a bit and the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the beans to the pot with the pork and continue cooking, uncovered, until the beans and cooking liquid are bubbling and a little reduced, about 20 minutes more. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Use two forks to gently pull the pork apart into large chunks, discarding any twine.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the apple, parsley, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top the pork and beans with the apple salad and serve out of the pot.