CROCK POT BARBEQUES
Icy treats aren’t our only food craving in summer. We don’t want to face a plate of steaming food, much less work over a stove to prepare it or deal with the formalities of eating it. We want casual meals, simply prepared, easily eaten, preferably by hand. Grilling springs to mind and the aroma of barbeque to memory but not everyone has a grill or even a backyard. For those, and I’ve been one of them, the easiest answer is a crock pot or slow cooker barbeque. All you need is some Deli Coleslaw or other salad, a bag of chips and the meal is ready.
NOTE: I favor crock pots over instant pots for this. I like the meat to be infused with the sauce while cooking, and barbeque recipes, even the sauce alone, contain too much sugar to avoid burning in the time and temperature required to cook the meat in an instant pot. The sauce must be added as a topping, rather than being a key part of the flavoring experience.
These crock-pot barbeque recipes were chosen with an eye toward results a bit more unique than just combining a bottle of sauce and meat in the pot. None of them contain ingredients which require pre-cooking, no steaming, boiling or browning. Hopefully, they will make the meals seem special and encourage repeating. To further encourage trying them, I ‘m printing a crock pot-oven conversion chart below, for those who don’t have crock pots or have grills and want an alternative way to cook in winter. To see other crock pot recipes see postings for July 9, 2015 and Aug. 8, 2019.
RECIPES: These recipes are from Fix It and Forget It –Feasting with the Slow Cooker by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good
As mentioned above, the most basic recipe combines about a 3 lb. piece of well-trimmed beef or pork with a 16 oz. bottle of barbeque sauce in a covered crock pot, cooked on low for 6-8 hrs. Occasionally check to see if water or broth is needed to prevent drying. When done the meat can be sliced and served with the juices or shredded and returned to the pot with juices for 30 min. to allow flavors to meld.
If serving on rolls, crusty rolls, like Portuguese, stand up to the juices better than hamburger buns but tortilla and pita pockets are also options for most of these recipes.
Many of these recipes also welcome toppings. Lettuce, slices of tomato and/or onion, and a variety of cheeses among them Cheddar, Swiss, sharp, blue and feta.
General Recipe for Crock Pot Barbequed Meat: Serves 8-12
3 lb. well-trimmed beef, pork, ribs or chicken pieces, ground meat should be browned first and drained (See Meatball Subs below)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green Bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs. chili powder-optional
Choose one:
6 oz. can of tomato paste+1/2 cup ketchup +1 cup water
12-16 oz. bottle of barbeque sauce. Depending on preference
Combine everything in the crock pot
Cook as directed above and shred as instructed.
Shredded Pork: Serves 4-6
5 lbs. country style ribs
2-3 lb. pork butt or country style ribs
1 cup water
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
Place meat and water in the slow cooker, sprinkle with taco mix. Cook on low 24 hrs. Shred with 2 forks and serve in taco shell, on rolls or over rice.
Sesame Ribs: Serves 6
1 onion-sliced
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 Tbs. vinegar
3 garlic cloves- minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
5 lbs. country style pork ribs
Garnish: 2 Tbs. EACH toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions or chopped chives
.Place onions in the bottom of the pot. Mix remaining ingredients, except garnish, in a bowl and add ribs to coat. Put ribs in pot and pour contents of bowl over. Cover cook on low 5-6 hrs. Plate ribs, garnish and pass sauce on the side
*Garlic and soy sauce create some heat, so start with the lower amount and taste test
Italian Beef: Serves 10-12
3-4 lb. beef roast-chuck or round
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix-‘Zesty’ preferred
12 oz. can of beer
Trim roast, place in pot, sprinkle with seasoning and pour beer over. Cover and cook on low 8-20 hrs.or high 3-4 hrs. Shred meat and return to pot with juice 15-30 min. Serve on crusty rolls.
Deep Pit Beef: Serves 6-8
3-4 lb. beef roast-chuck or round
1 tsp. EACH garlic powder, celery salt, lemon pepper
1 ½ Tbs. liquid smoke
2Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Combine last 3 ingredients in a bowl, add beef and coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 hrs. or overnight. Place meat and marinade in crock pot, cover and cook on low 6-7 hrs. Cool meat and slice. Serve with juice on crusty rolls.
Chicken with Tropical Barbeque Sauce: Serves 6
3 whole breasts –split
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. mustard
1/8 -1/4 tsp. hot sauce
2 Tbs. orange juice
Combine the last 6 ingredients and spread over chicken. Place meat in pot, cover and cook on low 7-9 hrs. or high 3-4 hrs. Serve on plates, or remove the bones, cut meat and serve on taco or in pita pockets.
Sweet Aromatic Chicken: Serves 4-6
8 chicken thighs or 16 drumsticks-skinned
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 garlic cloves-minced
Grease crock pot. Mix coconut milk and water and pour into pot. Add the chicken then the other ingredients in order listed. Cover cook on low 5-6 hrs.
Barbequed Turkey Ham: Serves 6
1lb.thinly sliced turkey ham, or ham
1 small onion –in small dice
½ cup ketchup
1 Tbs; vinegar
3 Tbs. brown sugar
Grease crock pot. Place in ½ the meat, combine the other ingredients and put ½ over meat. Repeat layer. Cover cook on low 5 hrs. and serve on buns.
Ham Barbeque: Serves 6-8
1 lb. boiled ham-cubed
1 cup cola
1 cup ketchup
Place all the ingredients in the pot, cover and cook on low 8 hrs. Serve on buns.
Recipe for Meatball Subs: Makes 18 meatballs –From The Meatball Booth by Joy Wielland
1 lb. ground meat
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
½ hamburger bun in crumbs
½ small onion in fine dice
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups Spaghetti or Barbeque Sauce- home-made or commercial
(6) 6” Italian rolls
Combine all the ingredients except the sauce in a large bowl. Mix together well. Roll into balls about 1 ½ inch diameter. Place, well separated, on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 min. Cool on the sheet.
1) Place meatballs and sauce in a crock pot Cover and cook on low 2-4 hrs. (Longer cooking will not do harm)
2)Heat sauce over medium heat in a pan on stove top. Add meatballs and cook 30 minutes until flavors meld and meat is heated through. Serve hot on rolls with sauce.
3) TO FREEZE: Freeze meatballs in an air-tight plastic bag on a flat surface, so they don’t crowd together. Best re-heated in sauce thawed, but can be done frozen –increase cooking time to 45 minutes or add 1 hr. to crock pot time.
CONVERSION CHART FROM CONVENTIONAL STOVE-OVEN TO CTOCK POT
IF REGUAR RECIPE SAYS COOK = COOK ON LOW = COOK ON HIGH
15 to 30 minutes =4 to 6 hours =11/2 to 2 hours
35-45 minutes= 6 – 10 hours =3 – 4 hours
50 minutes to 3 Hours =8 to 18 hours= 4 to 6 hours
