I found this recipe on Pinterest for Cuban Pot Roast in the slow cooker & decided to give it a whirl. I liked the homage to Ropa Vieja and the variety of spices that were used.
- 2.5 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast
- ½ cup salsa verde
- ½ cup canned chopped green chilis
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup red and yellow peppers cut into strips
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
1. Generously season the roast with salt & pepper.
2. Sear in a hot pan until browned on all sides.
3. Place the meat in the bottom of a 5 qt. slow cooker.
4. Add the salsa verde, chiles, and tomatoes to the pan you seared the meat in.
5. Deglaze & bring to a boil.
6. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker.
7. Add the onion flakes, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar and stir.
8. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low (or until the meat is tender).
9. Shred the meat & serve with your choice of toppings and/or side.
What we did differently (it's what we do):
1. We used the HT Traders Jalapeno Verde Salsa from Harris Teeter to add some additional heat to the dish. 0 net carbs, no sugar, tons of flavor!
2. I used half of a red bell pepper & half of a yellow bell pepper because 1/2 cup seemed too little. In my opinion you can never have too much pepper in a meat dish like this!
3. Because I didn't get started as early as I'd hoped, I cooked on high for the recommended 4 hours. The meat didn't shred easily at that point, so I continued cooking for another half hour & then the meat shredded nicely.
4. I served with steamed broccoli which added a healthy vegetable with a bit of crunch element.
Our thoughts:
We thought the meat was quite flavorful with a good spice kick. The fat rendering produced a tasty au jus and an ample amount to save with the leftovers to keep the meat moist. Leftover options include sliders on King's Hawaiian Rolls or in quesadillas with a Mexican cheese blend.
