SLOW COOKER RECIPES: Beef with Beans and Tomatillos . . . Pulled Pork

Beef with Beans and Tomatillos

1 to 1½ pounds lean beef eye of round, cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 to 4 drops hot pepper sauce

2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped, plus additional for garnish, divided

9 to10 tomatillos, husks removed, washed and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon dry minced garlic

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus additional for garnish, divided

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 16-ounce cans reduced sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 whole wheat pita breads, warmed and sliced into wedges, optional

Chopped onion or green onion, optional, for garnish

Place beef cubes in zip-top plastic food bag; add Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce, seal and toss to coat.

Place 2 chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno peppers, 3 tablespoons cilantro and pepper into a medium-sized slow cooker. Pour beef, with any collected Worcestershire sauce mixture, over tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low setting 7 to 9 hours, or until beef is done and tender.

Lift beef out of slow cooker, place in bowl, cover and keep warm. If any fat collects over vegetables and liquid, skim fat to remove. Carefully ladle vegetables and liquid into a blender or food processor. (Any time you blend a hot liquid, remove the center from the cover of the blender to vent and allow hot steam to safely escape.) Process or blend until smooth. Pour puree back into slow cooker. Stir in beef and beans. Cover and cook on high setting 30 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and accompany each with wedges of pita bread, if desired. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of fresh minced cilantro, chopped tomato and chopped onion, if desired.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional ananalysis per serving, with pita bread: 540 calories, 18 grams fat, 69 milligrams cholesterol, 58 grams carbohydrates, 38 grams protein, 453 milligrams sodium, 12 grams dietary fiber.

Pulled Pork

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

½ cup soy sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast, fat trimmed

Barbecue sauce for serving

Whisk the oil, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, onion and Worcestershire sauce together in a mixing bowl. Pour into a large zipper-top plastic bag. Place the pork in the bag with the marinade, seal the bag and turn the pork to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning the bag once or twice.

Pour the entire contents of the bag into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, until the pork is fork tender. Remove from slow cooker, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, skim off any fat from the sauce.

Using two forks, shred the meat, then return it to the sauce. At this point, the pork may be refrigerated for as long as five days or frozen for as many as two months. Serve warm, with additional barbecue sauce.

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