For whatever reason, I have been craving Southwest style shredded pork & rice. Forget chicken-fried steak & gravy, this dish is my style of comfort food. Flavorful & filling without muss & fuss, thanks to slow-cooker preparation.

Now, as my Facebook friends already know (via a status update yesterday), I’m not a big fan of this slow-cooker fad. I read somewhere that one lady gained 12-lbs. eating slow-cooker food everyday for a year, and it’s no wonder. Most slow-cooker recipes I’ve seen utilize prepared spice packets and bottled sauces, dressing and cheese product like they’re going out of style. Unfortunately, they won’t be going anywhere fast because Americans have been duped to believe the easiest, quickest and most delicious way to cook is to dump prepared/preservative-full foods in a pot. Newsflash: You can cook delicious food without the prepared products and it cooks just as quickly!

Slow-Cooker Southwest Shredded Pork 
Start this recipe by rubbing a 2-3 lb. pork butt roast down with Southwest Meat Marinade. Then, wrap the roast tightly in foil, place it in a plastic baggie and pop it in the fridge. Let it sit overnight. 

For cooking you will need:
1 can Mexican Style Tomato Sauce (I use El Pato)
1 -2 pints of chicken stock
1 lg. fresh garlic clove, pressed
2 T. ground cumin
2 T. red chile powder
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste if needed

Unwrap prepared pork roast from foil and place in crock pot. Add seasonings and garlic. Carefully pour tomato sauce around the pork, then carefully add chicken stock until pork is covered. You can use leftover chicken stock for the rice. Cover and cook on low, 6-8 hours until falling apart. After cooking, shred between two forks, taste and add seasoning and spices if necessary. 

Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 c. long-grain white rice
2 c. chicken stock/water/broth from completely cooked pork
Juice of 1 lime
1/4. c (heaping) chopped fresh cilantro
Salt (if you use the pork broth, taste first to make sure you don’t add too much salt to the rice)

Stir all ingredients together and follow instructions on rice package for cooking. Prick with a fork before adding to the pork and taste for flavor. Add salt if needed. 

I stirred our rice and pork together with some of the pork broth for a one bowl meal, but you could also serve the pork with tortillas or serve over rice or beans.  ENJOY! 

© Amy Carpenter @ Afternoon Popcorn Snack, 2013

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