My grandparents’ home did not have central air conditioning when I was a young girl. During the summer, oscillating fans, box fans, window units and a terrifyingly large attic fan constantly hummed and thumped, running at all hours of the day and night. To avoid preparing food in the stifling midday Georgia heat, my grandmother would wake early and cook in the coolness of the dawn hours.
Modern life with nearly universal air conditioning means most people no longer need to rise early to keep the heat out of the kitchen. But Southern summers are still mighty hot, and my grandmother’s type of common sense still prevails. This means summer is a great time to break out the slow cooker.
Slow cookers are most often associated with rib-sticking fall and winter dishes that need long, slow cooking such as braised meats; thick, rich chili; hearty soups and stews; and tender pot roasts bathed in savory gravy. But in the summer, slow cooking becomes synonymous with barbecue sandwiches on the deck; taco Tuesdays al fresco; and light and easy lettuce wraps after an afternoon at the lake.
Pressure cookers have become all the rage in the past few years, but there’s a lot to be said for popping the ingredients in the slow cooker before work and coming home to the sights and smells of an already-made dinner. If you don’t have a slow cooker, many automated pressure cookers, such as the brand name Instant Pot, also have a slow cooker setting.
These recipes, Korean-Style Beef Lettuce Wraps, Pulled Sweet Heat Barbecue Chicken, and Carnitas-Style Slow Cooker Pork Tacos, all cook while you are going about your day. They are great for a weeknight family supper or a casual weekend dinner party. Instead of actively cooking, look to your slow cooker to help you keep your cool through the summer months.
RECIPES
There are two ways to pull slow cooker meats. Both methods work best with meat that is still warm. You can use two forks to shred the meat while it is still in the insert of the slow cooker, or you can transfer the meat to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Do not add too much of the cooking liquid to the mixing bowl or you will have a mess!) Simply lock the mixer into place and process the cooked meat for 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pulled meat to the reserved cooking liquids and stir to combine and remoisten. Using a slotted spoon, proceed with filling the lettuce leaves, buns and tortillas.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Korean-Style Beef Lettuce Wraps
This recipe is inspired by the sweet and salty flavor of Korean bulgogi. The word bulgogi means “fire meat” but, instead of flames, slow can be the way to go. Lettuce leaves are often used to wrap beef, pork and fish in Korean cuisine. This serving suggestion creates the perfect mashup of savory beef and vegetables, making for a fun-to-eat and filling supper.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Pulled Sweet Heat Barbecue Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts make for a lighter alternative to pulled pork.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Carnitas-Style Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
Carnitas, a Mexican pork dish, means “little meats” in Spanish. A heavily marbled pork shoulder, also called a Boston butt or picnic shoulder, is braised or simmered for several hours with aromatic spices and lard until it falls apart. Then, the meat is refried in its own fat. In this slow cooker version, I skip the additional fat and the second cooking. While not traditional, it’s so simple and tasty I guarantee it will become a family favorite.
Don’t skip the step of searing the meat, it enhances both the color and savory flavor of the final dish. No oil is needed for searing as the meat is so fatty.
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