I've been playing around with my slow-cooker this winter season and have stolen 3 recipes from friends.
These are very easy and cheap meals. They're not fancy or full of ingredients. They are designed simply for an excessive amount of leftovers for two people while still being delicious and simple.

"Beans"

Stage I --- Soaking Overnight

Ingredients / Cookware
• Pinto Beans (1 lb bag; dry)
• Large Bowl

1. Sift through the beans as you pour them into a large bowl. Remove 'bad' beans.
2. Fill bowl with water. Be sure water level is above the beans.
3. Leave overnight to soak up the water.

Stage 2 --- Cooking Them

Ingredients / Cookware
• Pinto Beans (the ones from last night)
• Salted Pork
• Crock-Pot

1. Rinse the beans. Move to the crock-pot.
2. Pour water over the beans. Cover them.
3. Drop in the block of pork that is salty.*
4. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Beans are finished** when tender.***

* You may substitute the salted pork for a ham hock.
** Garnish with green onion if you feel frisky.
*** You should probably make some sort of cornbread with this.

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"A Chicken"

Stage I --- Cooking It

Ingredients / Cookware
• Chicken (a whole one)
• 3 Potatoes
• 1 Onion
• Seasonings (your choice)
• Small Bowl
• Crock-Pot

1. Prepare your seasoning blend in the small bowl*. Set aside.
2. Dice the potatoes and slice the onions.** Dump these into the crock-pot. Save some of the onion.
3. Take your chicken out of it's package. Remove internal parts.*** Set on-top of vegetables.
4. Rub your spice into this chicken. Toss remaining onions over chicken.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours.

* I use garlic salt, onion powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, some hot spice from Cambodia, and a little Italian seasoning.
** Other vegetables are encouraged to your liking. Like carrots.
*** I cooked a chicken once with the bag of innards still inside.

Stage 2 --- Adding Texture
*Optional*

Ingredients / Cookware
• The Stuff in the Crock-Pot
• Baking Dish
• The Oven

1. Set oven to a temperature between 250 and 450.*
1. Carefully remove the chicken from the crock-pot. It will be falling apart at this point.
2. Remove legs and wings from chicken. De-meat the carcass. De-bone the meat.
3. Place meat into the baking dish.**
4. Scoop or strain the vegetables from the crock-pot. Layer in baking dish around meat.
5. Pour some chicken juice from crock-pot into baking dish. Not too much. About halfway up the vegetables.
6. Place in oven and cook for an amount of time long enough to crisp up the potatoes and the chicken skin.***

* Use your better judgement based on the crispness you desire and the time you have to do it in.
** I use a glass 8 x 13 dish because it has a lid for later.
*** Again, use better judgement. I usually do 250 for 20 to 25 minutes to keep it from getting to dry. Less time for hotter temps.

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"Pulled Pork"
*Disclaimer - this is not "BBQ". To avoid an argument with a true BBQer, this is a cooked piece of pork with some sauce added later.*

Stage I --- Cooking

Ingredients / Cookware
• Pork Loin (3-4 lb)
• Root Beer (can)
• Spicy Seasonings
• Buns
• Crock-Pot

1. Place loin into crock-pot.*
2. Add a spicy seasoning or two over your loin. Rub it into your loin.
3. Pour Root Beer over loin.**
4. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 to 7 hours.***
5. Shred in the crock-pot. Strain from the liquid into a container.
6. Add BBQ sauce and put on a bun.

* You can substitute with a shoulder, etc... but loin is best to me.
** It should not completely cover it. About halfway or less.
*** Pork is finished when you can shred it with a fork.




I do not claim originality to any of these recipes. In fact, these recipes are pretty common knowledge but I figure what the hell for the person who doesn't know.

We do a similar pork that isn't bad for no smoke:

Use a pork shoulder--this cut of pork is MUCH better for slow cooking than a loin. The loin is tender enough to eat as a roast; shoulder starts to melt when slow cooked. That's why it's the best BBQ cut.
Any BBQ rub (combine cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, brown sugar to make your own)
1 sliced onion
1/2 small can chipotles in adobo
1 beer (dark beer makes a more flavorful broth)

Cook for 4 hours. I always shred on a cutting board, by the way--much easier. Then I toss the meat in some of the broth.

You can serve this Mexican style with tortillas or classic BBQ style on buns with coleslaw.

just try one slow cooker with deer roast in red wine.
we`ll see tomorrow how it turned out. its going to cook all night long

Yes. You need to let me know how that turns out...

Here is my recipe:

2 lb. deer roast
3 lbs. onions chopped
1 whole bunch of celery chopped
2 carrots chooped
1 red potato chopped
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs thyme
Salt and pepper
4 tbs of beef bovril
1/2 cup of red wine

I started the crock pot last evening around 20h30
not sure whether its ready. might wait few more hours..
it smell yummy yummy so far

tonight I will try a deer stew.

3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds venison stew meat
salt and pepper to taste
dried oregano to taste
dried basil to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water

going to have to pass those venison recipe's to my cousin he loves deer + hunting

edit also gonna try your chicken prob next week lol

This post was edited by TeaRs- on Mar 10 2012 12:06pm

that chicken sounds delicious! so does the pork. will have to try these at some point

You know what's always good on a pulled pork sandwhich?

Horseradish mayo.