Slow-Cooker Cuban Pork

By ccavaletti

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 c fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems), roughly chopped, plus more for topping
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 bone-in pork chops (3/4 inch thick; about 2-1/4 lbs)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 oranges, halved
• 1 c white rice
• 1/2 c frozen peas
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Details

Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 445mins

Preparation

Step 1

Toss the onion, bell pepper, cilantro and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker.

Rub the pork chops with the cumin, 3/4 tsp salt and several grinds of pepper; add to the slow cooker.

Drizzle with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil, squeeze the juice of 1 orange and add the squeezed orange halves. Cover and cook on low until the pork is very tender, 7 to 8 hours.

Cook the rice as the label directs, sprinkling the peas on top of the rice during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Remove the pork chops to a bowl; discard the bones and orange halves and shred the meat with 2 forks. Stir the vinegar and the juice of 1/2 orange into the slow cooker.

Season with salt and pepper; add the juice from the remaining 1/2 orange to taste.

Return the pork to the slow cooker. Fluff the rice with a fork, stirring in the peas. Serve with the rice; top with cilantro.

From Food Network Magazine, September 2017