Slow cooker season is upon us, folks!   Here are a few tips on cooking tough cuts of meat to make them turn out restaurant quality.

*Brown your meat in a saute pan before you put it into the slow cooker.  This will induce the Maillard reaction.  That’s just a fancy term for: “Browning meat” which makes it taste better.

*Cook your vegetables a bit, too.  When you saute vegetables (especially onions), they release the oils inside.  This is a huge flavor booster!

*Add some red wine and/or a couple of tablespoonfuls of tomato paste.  The acid in these items breaks down the connective tissue in tough cuts, resulting in a fall-apart piece of meat.

*Use low sodium stock!  It is always best to make your own so that you know what’s in it.  But, if you have to use store bought stock, at least be in control of how much salt you are putting into your dish.  Remember, these tough cuts will cook for hours.  You definitely don’t want them to be sitting in a stock that is full of salt.  It will toughen the meat and make it dry/stringy.  Ick!

We know that, with these tips, they’ll be clamoring for short ribs instead of ribeye!   And, who would even dream that they are half the price?

The best way to decrease your grocery bill is to increase your knowledge of cooking techniques. 

Meats that are meant for the grill or the saute pan are usually very expensive compared to things like roasts and brisket.  Take a pork butt for example.  This cut (which is not a butt at all, but a shoulder) can usually be found for less than $4 per pound.  If you sliced pork butt and grilled it, you’d need a chainsaw to eat it.  But by applying a braising technique, you are left with a fork-tender cut of meat that can be reincarnated into different meals all week. 

What you need:
5 pound Pork Butt
Mirepoix - onion, carrot and celery
Jalapeno, halved
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 heads of garlic, halved
1 (12 oz) beer
1 c. chicken stock

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Season the pork butt all over with your choice of rub or plain old salt and pepper.  Heat a heavy bottom dutch oven* on high until very hot.  Drizzle a couple tablespoons of oil in.  Gently place your pork butt in the pan.  Brown well on all sides.  When browned, remove from pan and set aside.  In the same pan, add onions.  Saute until lightly browned.  Add carrot and celery to onions.  Saute for 3 minutes more.  Add jalapeno, tomatoes, halved garlic, beer and chicken stock.  Place pork butt back on top of vegetables.  Cover the pot with a lid and place in the oven.  Braise for 2 hours.  Check tenderness.  If meat does not pull easily away, cover and continue cooking an additional 30-45 minutes.  Meat can be cooled slightly and then pulled apart with forks.  Strain the liquid from the pot.  This is a great sauce to re-heat the pork in. 

This makes excellent pulled pork tacos, barbecue sandwiches, tamale filling, soup addition - just use your imagination and experiment!!

*If you do not have a dutch oven, or prefer a slow-cooker, brown meat and veg in a heavy saute pan and place in slow cooker with veggies on the bottom.  Increase liquid to fill 3/4 up to top.