Southern Treats: Chuckie in the slow cooker

Southern Treats: Chuckie in the slow cooker: "The slow cooker is one of the most useful tools and helpful gadgets, that is often over looked. This week, the local Food Lion Supermarket ..."

Chuckie in the slow cooker

The slow cooker is one of the most useful tools and helpful gadgets, that is often over looked. This week, the local Food Lion Supermarket has Beef Chuck Roast, on sale for $1.99/lb. This particular roast is about 2.45 lbs. First, we seared the roast on med. to high heat, make sure the pan is very hot, usually I use Pam, but for a little added flavor, I used a tablespoon, of unsalted butter. I liberally used black pepper, garlic, onion pepper, and a slight pinch of salt, to season the roast. Seared the roast, about 3 mins., on each side and then the sides, to get a nice brown on the roast. Get the slow cooker set up and remove the roast from the pan and into the slow cooker. Return the pan to the heat and use a low-sodium chicken stock, to de- glaze, all the flavor bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Using a whisk I lifted up all the flavoring and then pour it over the roast in the slow cooker. I then added a small white onion diced and a cup of white wine. At this point you can add, peppers, carrots, any aromatic spice you might prefer.
This cook was a 10-11 hour cook, at low, and just make sure there is enough liquid to cover the roast. About 6 hours, taste the liquid and see what it needs. I decided to use a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Later the roast started to fall apart, my wife started to make some white rice and I used the liquid to make a gravy.
Made a roux, using equal parts flour, to equal parts canola oil(or grease of choice), melted in sauce pan and consistently whisking. When the roux starts to stiffen and turn dark, add some of the liquid, one ladle at a time. Let the mixture thicken, and add liquid if needed. Don't add to much, because if it is too loose, you would have to start all over. Once the mixtures starts to boil, turn down the heat and add a half cup of milk, or heavy cream, if you want it creamier. Season and taste as you go along.
Let the chuckie, rest for a few minutes on the cutting board, you can use two forks and shred the beef as seen here, this usually takes little effort, as you can see that it is falling apart. A little bit of rice, some chuckie on top and drizzle the gravy. A great meal with little effort, deserves a little presentation. It looks and tastes as if you were cooking all day, and a well appreciated, home cooked meal.
Thanks for looking, I hope you are inspired to dig out the slow cooker and see what you can create.

Mad Max's Smoked Brisket Chili...

This was a first time experiment, which went beyond, my expectations. It was suppose to be entry for a chili-cook-off, at the harvest festival, in our community. Having undergone a heart transplant, within the last 2 weeks, I was ready to get back, to one of the things, I love best. With the support and love of my lovely wife, I started thinking how can I go all out. Still having several packers, in the freezers, I decided to smoke a brisket and chop it up, to use in my chili. I smoked a 12 lb. packer and trimmed it very tightly, in an effort to get the most even cook, possible. I used mesquite wood, for a hardy smoky flavor, which will pull through, in the chili. I used my kettle, using the"fast and hot" method, using reg. Kingsford charcoal. The brisket took about 3.5-4.0 hours, from start to finish. I foiled, at 160 internal, and then back on the kettle, till it reached 190 internal. After resting, in the cooler, for about 2 hours, I started to slice and chop up about 4 lbs. of brisket. Then I gathered some favorite ingredients and started to think of what I like in a chili and what I don't and came up with this recipe, which I tweaked at the end, when I wasn't getting what I wanted. This recipe won 1st. place in a field of 15 recipes, all were amateur cooks (at least, to the best of my knowledge) and had some very happy friends and neighbors. BTW, the brisket was rubbed with salt, black pepper and granulated garlic.
1 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. mustard powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano (grounded up)

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, finely grounded

1 package Hormel center cut bacon, rendered the fat and saved, for the onions

5 links of chorizo, fried and thinly sliced(or andouille sausage)

2 cups beef broth

2 cans 14.5 fired roasted diced tomatoes

1 can 7oz. chopped green chilies, with liquid

1 can 7oz. Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, sliced

1 med. onion diced and sautéed, in the bacon fat.

1 tbsp. crushed garlic

1 can 6oz. tomato paste

12oz. dark stout beer

3 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp. Plowboy's Bovine Bold Rub

3-4 #'s of previously smoked Brisket (cubbed)

2 cans pinto beans
Renderer the bacon strips and then save the strips, to use as garnish. Sautéed the onions and garlic, in the same skillet, using the reserved bacon fat. Once the onions and garlic become translucent, over med. heat, remove the onions into the slow cooker. Using the reserve fat, in the skillet, use it to fry up the chorizo or andouille sausage. Once the sausage is fried up, slice it thin and into the slow cooker. Put in your brisket, and start to add the rest of your ingredients. Hold off on the sugar, honey and Plowboy's Bovine Bold, till the 4 hour mark, taste as you go and adjust to your liking. I try to control the sodium content and usually add the last ingredients, if needed.

This chili has a bit of heat, if you prefer a milder version, then cut down on the chilies, and red pepper. Use half a can, of the chipotle pepper, instead of a full can. Start the slow cooker in high and let it do it's thing. It usually takes about 5 to 6 hours. If you have time restraints, try using a cast iron pot over low to med. heat.
When it is done, serve warm, with the crumbled bacon, on top. I also suggest dicing some cilantro on the top for color, flavor and presentation. Serve along with your favorite toppings, sour cream, shredded cheese or tortilla chips. Hope you enjoy and that it serves you well. I loved to hear your feedback.

Pulled Pork Ziti...

This is a new twist on an old favorite, as requested, we had the task to make an Italian favorite incorporating our pulled pork, in the recipe. We came up with pulled pork baked ziti. Started out with two pork butts about 4-6#'s, each. Rubbed the butts with a combination of Pecan and Cherry rub.
Then we fired up the UDS (ugly drum smoker) with reg. kingsford and cherry wood chunks.
After, about 14 hours, on the smoker, running at about 230-250 degrees, foiled at 160 degrees and then taken to 200 degrees, internal temp.. Stored for 3 hours, in the cooler and then pulled. Started our homemade tomato sauce and added the pulled pork to absorb the flavor.
Let the sauce cook down and then assembled, with penne pasta, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs and spices, and provolone and mozzarella topped.
Very tasty, with a hint of smoky goodness and saucy consistency. It might be a new goto recipe. Thanks for looking.