[ recipe ] :: slow cooker pork and black beans (freezer meal!)

I adapted this recipe from October's issue of Real Simple magazine. When I saw it, I was immediately drawn to its simplicity and how easily it could be prepared ahead of time and frozen. I've made it fresh and after being frozen, and it's great either way! This recipe makes 4 servings, of approximately 4 oz of pork per person.

Ingredients

1 pounds boneless pork roast (tenderloin, shoulder, or butt), trimmed of excess fat and cut into pieces
1 can of black beans, drained
1 cup orange juice (fresh or low sugar)
1 cup chicken broth (reduced fat, low sodium)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 heaping tablespoon)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Toppings: salsa, green onion, diced onions, shredded lettuce or spinach (I used Swiss Chard), hot sauce, or avocado.

Directions

Put everything in your slow cooker, and stir gently to combine. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours. Shred pork using two forks and give the pot a stir.

If you cut your pork into smaller 4 ounce pieces (I had 8 ounce pieces), you can reduce  the cook time by 2 hours. Serve over brown rice or quinoa. This recipe would also be delicious inside of a taco!

Note: When I made this recipe after being frozen, the pork proteins broke down a bit and made a "foam" on top of the juices in the crock pot. This is normal and it is completely edible, but I scooped it off with a slotted spoon. I'm weird like that. It was still absolutely delicious.

To freeze it, I combined all of the ingredients except for the black beans. Sometimes beans will get mushy and lose their texture after being frozen. It is absolutely vital that you use proper food storage and thawing for this recipe.

Before cooking, thaw your frozen bag of food in the fridge for 1-2 days - putting frozen meat directly in the slow cooker can cause it to remain at unsafe temperatures for too long (between 40-140 degrees F) and can lead to food poisoning. Not fun! I cut the pork up into smaller pieces for freezing so they would thaw faster in the refrigerator, and if they didn't have time to thaw completely they would cook faster. As the meat thaws, it also marinates in the orange juice and spices, making it even more delicious!

I set up an assembly line of baggies. First, I labeled my baggies with the date, recipe, and directions. I cut up my meat and put approximately 1 pound in each bag. Then, I added my orange juice, broth, garlic, and spices. When I dumped the pork and juices in the slow cooker, I added my can of beans and cooked as usual.

Yum! I hope you enjoy this easy meal. The Hubs loved it by itself, without rice or toppings, and ate three servings of it for dinner the other night.

- Maggie White