Share A Spoon: Crock-Pot-It

  

It's Thursday. . . . and that means it's time to get cooking with my sister's  SAS!!

One of my favorite restaurants is called Puerto Plata (Authentic Latin Cuisine).  It's not a chain restaurant, it's one of those great hole-in-the-wall type places.  When we go, William and I always order the same thing, Pernil (Roast Pork) with red beans (or black beans) and yellow rice!  If you've never had Pernil, it's pork cooked/roasted until it falls apart, sort of like BBQ pulled pork, without the BBQ or vinegar/sugar flavors.  Instead it's flavored with onions and garlic.  It's absolutely fabulous! 

In an attempt to recreate the Pernil at home, I started experimenting with pork in my Crock-Pot.  I always cook my roast in the Crock-Pot and let it cook until it falls apart.  So I figured why not do the same with a pork butt or pork shoulder!  Turns out, I was right on the money!  When I first started, I used one package (envelope) of Lipton's onion soup mix and water.  It's very tasty cooked this way, if I do say so myself!  But my sister later turned me onto salsa verde and pork, and I've been hooked ever since!  So here is a Usina Family FAVORITE!

Crock-Pot Pork- Salsa Verde Style

What you will need:

Pork (I use pork ribs, they're already cut up for me, but you can also use a pork shoulder or pork butt)

1 jar Pace Salsa Verde

1 large onion (3/4 sliced, 1/4 chopped)

1 package of Vigo yellow rice

1-2 cans Goya black beans

or

1-2 cans Goya red beans (in sauce)

1 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional)

1 loaf crusty bread

Place the pork of your choice in the Crock-Pot.  

Pour 1 jar of Pace Salsa Verde over the Pork.

Top with the onion slices.

Cook 4-6 hours on high, until pork falls apart.

 

The Pace pictured above is my favorite to use.  However, I have a hard time finding it at the regular grocery stores.  It's always at Super Wal-Mart and Super Target.  I have used other brands and they work just fine.  So feel free to use any salsa verde you like.  This salsa verde is a tad spicy, it has jalapenos in it.  So keep that in mind if you have youngsters that don't like things spicy!

  

I always serve this with rice! 

Typically I use yellow rice, but occasionally I like to use white rice.

My favorite is the Vigo brand. 

Just follow the instructions on the packaging.

I like to substitute chicken stock for the water.

 

 William likes the black beans best!

And I prefer the red ones! 

I saute the remaining chopped onion and chopped jalapeno in olive oil. 

Add 1-2 cans of black or red beans (in sauce) to the sauteed onion/jalapeno. 

If you don't get the red beans 'in sauce' then they're just regular kidney beans.

Heat and serve!

I like to serve this with the pork over the rice and the beans on the side with a good piece of crusty (buttered) bread!  Yummy yummy! 

I hope everyone enjoys this meal as much as my family does!