A few weeks ago, a recipe in the New York Times Magazine stopped me in my tracks. Peruvian Pork Stew. Perfect for these increasingly cold DC days. As easy as the recipe looks, I yearned for ingredients easy to find at Trader Joes, and I wanted to toss it all into the slow cooker. No browning or sautéing - I wanted delicious lazy food, so here's what I did: Ingredients: - 2 small pork tenderloins - 2 jars of homemade (or Trader Joes) salsa verde - 2 cups of water - 5 cloves of garlic, smashed - 2 onions, sliced - 1 large red-skinned apple, gala perhaps, cored & sliced thinly - 2 quarts of homemade chicken stock - 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, 2 or so limes - 1/4 tsp ground cloves - 2 dried jalapeño peppers (optional) - 2 tbsp olive oil - salt & pepper to taste
Method: - put it all in the slow cooker - cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 4-6 hours - shred the pork with some forks (ha!) - serve with brown rice & garnish with cilantro
It was ridiculously easy, soooo delicious, and the quantities can be adjusted up or down with ease. The lime gives a quiet zing and the apples melt into the soup, with just a hint of sweetness. If you wanted to add a kick - I recommend pickled jalapeños or dried jalapeño flakes. They don't take away from the soup, just add a bit of heat. This soup is going into high rotation.