Pastrami on Rye Sliders November 9, 2010

Okay so, these look like they are gross, and perhaps I did not take the best picture in the world, but I assure you, they were actually really good!! Not sure how often I would make them, but they were interesting and at least something different! These came from my Everyday with Rachel Ray Magazine…probably the August issue or something, I forget. Mike made them while I napped!

Pastrami on Rye Sliders

slices of rye bread, cut in half or cut in circles to match meat patty size

1 lb ground pork

3 tbs grated or finely chopped onion (we just used one small onion)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp granulated garlic

salt and pepper

1/2 lb lean pastrami, coarsely chopped

olive oil for drizzling

grainy dijon mustard

relish

(RR wants you to add pickled tomatoes and whole pickles, but we did the relish in place of these two ingredients)

Method:

Toast your rye bread in a toaster oven or regular oven until lightly golden. You can opt to cut each bread into small circles or just use halved slices.

Season the pork with the onion, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the pastrami in a food processor and pulse until a very fine chop (try not to get to a paste consistency though). Add the pastrami to the pork, mix and form into eight 3 inch patties. In a nonstick skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

Place each burger on a piece of bread and top with some relish. Slather mustard on the top slice of bread and top off each burger. Enjoy! Chips are optional on the side, but really add to the meal in my opinion!

Crock Pot Week! Carnitas in the Crock March 20, 2010

This is also from the 365 blog. I made this when my school had March Madness, which means our school’s teachers play vs. the teachers of our rival intermediate school. I do not play, but I always get suckered into selling water the whole night. It is fun, but we don’t get home til after 9, which is exhausting! In past years, I end up eating a lovely KFC bowl or somethings, but this year, I decided I ought to eat real food on my arrival home. The recipe for carnitas looked easy enough and it really was! It took about 5 minutes to prep it in the morning…with the exception of the fact that as I was reaching into the cabinet for my beef stock, I knocked over a jar of chicken bouillon and it SHATTERED all over the counter! Ugh! It took 20 minutes to clean up all the shards and made me late for work. But uh, the meal itself was still fast, I promise!

Carnitas in the Crock Pot

2 pounds pork shoulder (I couldn’t find shoulder, just used a roast)

1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice (1 large orange)

1/4 c. fresh squeezed lime juice (1 large lime)

7 cloves garlic, smashed but intact

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 c. beef broth

tortillas (she says corn but we like flour better)

sour cream, avocado, salsa, cheese for toppings!

Method:

In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork and put it in the crock. Add the garlic cloves and squeeze on the citrus. Pour in the beef broth evenly over the top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. If your meat is still intact after 8 hours, cut it into chunks and cook it on high for about an hour or two.

Shred meat fully and serve on tortillas with toppings!

We will totally make this again, the pork was amazingly good!! The citrus gave it a really yummy tang and the cumin made it smokey and awesome. I didn’t even use salsa on my carnitas, the avocado, sour cream and cheese were perfect touches. Delicious!!