Crock Potslow Cooker Pork Prune And Port Casserole Food

CROCK POT/SLOW COOKER PORK, PRUNE AND PORT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place flour in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat pork in flour.
• Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork, in small batches, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate, cover and set aside.
• Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until soft. Spoon into slow cooker. Add port, water, prunes, thyme and pork. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until meat is tender and sauce is thick.
• Notes & tips.
• Leg, loin or diced pork are all suitable cuts for this casserole.
• You can cook this recipe in a casserole dish. Preheat oven to 150°C and cook, tightly covered, for 4 hours. Alternatively, cook for 3 to 4 hours over a medium-low heat in a saucepan. Check regularly to ensure casserole doesn't stick.

SLOW COOKER PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Coarsely chop together the rosemary, sage and thyme, and transfer them to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and stir to combine.
• Score the fat cap of the pork shoulder in a crosshatch pattern, then rub it all over with 2 1/2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the pork, fat-side down, and brown it well, 3 to 4 minutes, then brown it all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a large plate.
• Add the wine, garlic and allspice to the pan, bring to a simmer and reduce by about half. Set aside.
• Put the carrots, celery, onions and bay leaves in the insert of a 7-quart slow cooker. Rub the herbed oil all over the pork, being sure to push some into all the natural divisions between muscles; place it on top of the vegetables, and pour in any collected juices. Add the reduced wine mixture and the chicken broth, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board, and tent with foil. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Discard the bay leaves, and tent the vegetables with foil. Pour the juices into a liquid measuring cup, and let them settle for about 10 minutes. The fat should rise to the surface; spoon off as much as you can, and discard. Pour the juices into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.
• While the juices boil, make a cornstarch slurry: For every cup of juices, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water until dissolved. Reduce the heat so the juices are simmering, whisk in the slurry and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Season with salt if necessary.
• Slice the pork against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on a large platter with the vegetables. Ladle some of the sauce on top. Season the meat with a pinch of salt, and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with egg noodles, and pass the remaining sauce.

SLOW-COOKER PORK LOIN WITH CIDER AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Dry the roast with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until just smoking.
• Brown the roast on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes; add the rost to the slow cooker.
• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds.
• Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.
• Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.
• Add the broth, cider, prunes, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker.
• Nestle the carrots into the slow cooker around the edges.
• Cover and cook on LOW 5--6 hours, until the roast is tender and reads 165-175° on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the pork to a carving board and tent loosely with foil.
• Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface.
• Discard the bay leaves.
• Set the slow cooker to high.
• Whisk the flour with the cream until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker.
• Continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15-30 minutes longer.
• Stir in the mustard, lemon juice, and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Untie the roast and slice 1/2 inch thick.
• Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter and pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the top.
• Serve passing the remaining sauce separately.

SLOW COOKER PORK CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat your slow cooker. Drizzle the oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Season the pork, then add to the hot pan. Avoid overcrowding the meat - you may want to do this in batches. Cook until deep brown all over, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the onion and leeks to the frying pan and cook for a few mins, until they soften. Add a splash of water and scrape any tasty bits from the bottom, then tip everything into the slow cooker. Add the carrot, herbs, stock cube, mustard and vinegar, season, then add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Stir, then set your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs, or high for 5-6 hrs.
• In a saucepan, mix the cornflour and honey with 1-2 tsp of liquid from the slow cooker, until you have a smooth paste. Add 100ml more liquid, bring to a simmer until thickened, then stir back into the casserole. Serve with mash or dumplings, scattered with thyme leaves.

NORMANDY PORK WITH APPLES & CIDER

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large pan and brown the meat in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan, and only turn the meat when it has a deep brown crust on the underside, as this will add lots of flavour to the stew. When one batch is cooked, tip it into the slow cooker and continue with the next batch, adding more oil as you need it.
• When all the meat has been transferred to the slow cooker, add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 5-10 mins to just soften, scraping any meaty bits up from the bottom of the pan. Tip the veg into the slow cooker. Add the lardons to the pan and fry until crispy. Pour in the cider, bubble for 1 min, again scraping the bottom of the pan, then tip the cider and lardons into the slow cooker too. Add the apples, stock cube and herbs to the slow cooker, pour in 400ml water, season well and turn the heat to Low. Cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hrs until the meat is very tender. (If you don't have a slow cooker, tip all the ingredients back into the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 3 hrs over a low heat, stirring every now and then to prevent it from catching on the bottom. You may have to add a splash of water during cooking if the sauce looks dry.)
• Turn your slow cooker up to High. Add the crème fraîche and mustard to the stew and check the seasoning. If the sauce is thin, you can thicken it with the cornflour - ladle 2 spoonfuls of the sauce into a pan and bring to a simmer, mix the cornflour with 1-2 tsp cold water to make a paste, then stir it into the sauce. Once thickened, return the sauce to the slow cooker and cook for 10 mins more on High, stirring occasionally (or for 5 mins on the hob). Serve with mashed potato, greens and extra mustard and thyme, if you like.

BRAISED PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole pan and cook the pork, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown all over, about 10 mins. You need plenty of space in the pan, so cook in 2 batches if the meat starts to steam. Remove from the pan to a plate. Tip out any burnt bits, then add the butter and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the flour, then return the pork and juices to the pan. Pour over the wine and enough stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip in the prunes, top up with stock or water if the meat isn't covered, and cook 45 mins more, uncovered, until really tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.