Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Sliders

My first introduction to butter chicken came during one of my many pre-move visits to Charleston. While looking for proper sustenance, I was shocked to find that (thanks to her busy doctory schedule) the only safely edible thing Robin had in her fridge was some butter chicken that her mother had made for her. Fortunately for me and my tummy, my future mother-in-law is quite adept at making delicious Indian food, so I was in an amazing treat.

Following a long week of work, I wanted to welcome Robin back with this favorite comfort food of hers while giving it an American (and lazy) twist.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Sliders
Adapted from Kiwi and Bean
Time: 5-7 Hours
Servings: Happy hour amounts of sliders

So many spices

3-4 tbsp butter (pick how "healthy")
1 onion, diced
5 cloves glarlic, crushed
2 thumb-size pieces of ginger, peeled and grated
3 tsp garam masala
2 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cayenne
15 oz coconut milk
5 oz tomato paste

Not pictured: mango chutney

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp cornstarch
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Sriracha to taste
Red Cabbage, shredded
Jalapenos or other spicy pepper, sliced
Cilantro
Mango Chutney
Cucumbers, sliced
Slider Buns

The heart of butter chicken

1. Get really bored while your fiance is working out of town.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until tender and translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook until the onion are browned, stirring frequently to keep from burning. 
3. Coat with the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 
4. Pour in the coconut milk and tomato paste. Mix until smooth. Then bring to a boil. 
5. Transfer the sauce to a slow cooker along with the chicken.
6. Cook over low for ~ 5 hours until the chicken is very tender.
7. Remove the chicken and shred. 
8. Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce in the slow cooker, ramp the heat to high and let thicken. 
9. Return the chicken to the sauce and coat well. Add salt, pepper, and sriracha to taste. You'll likely need a lot of salt.
10. Assemble your sliders with chicken, red cabbage, jalapeno, cilantro, mango, chutney, and cucumbers on preferably toasted buns.
11. Be amazed at how much more amazing they taste the second day.

One day I'll use the book Robin gave me on food photography, so you can stop enjoying shadows in pics.

The veggie toppings provided wonderful freshness, flavor, and crispiness reminiscent of a banh mi, while the mango chutney added a nice hint of sweetness to keep the fire at bay. As with most slow-cooker made deliciousness, the results were even more amazing the second day once the flavors had a little more time to meld together. To make these even more awesome, I would either try to incorporate some yogurt into the mix or try to emulate a nice banh mi a little more by using char-grilled chicken instead of shredded (thus pretty much nullifying the entire recipe and its inherent laziness!). Despite some very minor room for improvement, these provided many days of magnificently tasty and spicy leftovers that I never found myself tiring of. More importantly, they seemed to satisfy and not offend Robin's love of butter chicken.

Slow-Cooker Short Rib Hash

Being on a job hunt presents quite the interesting dichotomy between the lives of the two human residents of my Charleston home (the pets mostly follow the same lead and nap in sunbeams or, in Swarley's case, cabinets). Robin has been on a particularly brutal series of rotations involving both nights and 24 hour calls, while I have had to make such difficult life or death decisions like which pair of pajama pants I should wear and what show I should binge watch on Netflix. I'm pretty sure I can now fully communicate in animal talk, but I'm not certain if I know how to speak to people anymore.

Following one of Robin's 24 hour shifts, I decided to welcome her home with a fancy meal. This slow cooker short rib hash was perfect, as I could let it cook overnight while I slept and then just sautéed all the veggies as it got closer to Robin's return.

Short Rib Hash
Adapted from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant
Servings: 4-6
Time: 8 hours

Soon you will be shredded

Short Ribs
2 1/2 lbs beef short ribs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Canola Oil
1-2 cups Beef Stock
Juice of 1 lime
Sriracha
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Hash
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped small
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
Oregano to taste
Eggs (1 per serving) fried or poached
Sriracha to garnish

Cut the potatoes even smaller or this will take forever

1. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. 
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs in the oil (~ 2 minutes per side).
3. Put the ribs in a slow cooker. Add enough beef stock to cover. Then mix in the sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. Cook on low for 8 hours, turning once.
4. Remove the ribs and shred once cool. Reserve the juice.
5. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Set the bacon aside on a plate lined with paper towels, but reserve the oil.
6. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the bacon fat until the onions are soft and translucent (~ 6 minutes).
7. Add the potatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Toss to coat well with the oil then cook covered for 10 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and tender.
8. Return the bacon and short ribs to the skillet along with some of the reserved juice. Let heat up over low heat.
9. Fry or poach your eggs depending on how fancy you want to be.
10. Serve the hash topped with an egg and sriracha.

A piece fell on the ground during shredding, giving Maggie the greatest moment of her life (until she discovered a bag of cookies several weeks later)

This hash was perfect for sending Robin to much deserved slumber. The hearty meal was highlighted by the absolutely delectable, mouth-wateringly good short ribs, and the rich gooey egg yolk brought it to near sinful breakfast levels (seriously I'm pretty sure nothing should be this enjoyable before 8 am). My only regret was being too lazy to poach the eggs, as that would have been far prettier and achieved even higher levels of fancitude.

The less photogenic the hash is the tastier it will be.

Lazy Sunday: Korean Short Rib and Kimchi Tacos

On this rare occasion of actually being home on a Sunday with nothing to do aside from trying to meld with my couch, I realized that I needed something equally lazy to make. Following some of Cafe TH's addictive Vietnamese tacos for lunch Saturday, I decided to stay with the Mexican-Asian Fusion theme of my weekend and to revisit an old friend long neglected since I left L.A.- the powerful and pungent kimchi.

Would having to go to two stores for supplies ruin my lazy Sunday? Would my tacos burn after their wonderful aroma lulled me into a deep sleep?

Korean Tacos
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Servings: 10-12 tacos
Time: 5 1/2 hours (inactive for 5)

The super packed braising liquid

Slow Cooker
10 oz pear juice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 white onion, sliced
4 tbsp ginger, minced or grated
1 1/2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup gochujang (which I couldn't find so I used Korean BBQ Marinade)
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil

You'll somehow find room for the meat

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 pear, peeled, cored and grated
5 lbs beef short ribs on the bone
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola or peanut oil

Serving
Flour tortillas
Kimchi
Cilantro
Sriracha
Jalapenos
Pear slices
Sriracha

1. Combine the pear juice, garlic, onion, ginger, jalapeno, brown sugar, gochujang (or Korean BBQ marinade), mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce and grated pear together in a slow cooker. Cover and turn to high.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat a large pan over medium. Add oil and brown each side of the short ribs until a crust forms (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may have to do this in shifts. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.
4. Add the short ribs to the slow cooker. Cover and let cook over high for 5 hours until tender and falling off the bone.
5. Take the ribs out from the slow cooker. Lightly pull the short ribs, removing the bones, excess fat, and connective tissue. You may want to let the fat separate out from the liquid before adding it back to the short ribs, or you may end up with an overly oily taco.
6. Serve in a flour tortilla topped with kimchi, cilantro, jalapeno slices, pear slices and sriracha.

Short ribs at their tender finest

I don't even know where to begin with these titans of the taco realm. The short ribs themselves were fall apart tender, but also maintained a lot of moisture and flavor on their own without the need for additional liquid. But that is not to say that you should ignore the braising liquid as it is a treasure trove of amazing (again, just make sure you separate out some excess oil). The dominant flavor is a wonderful sesame and soy combo highlighting the Korean origins, while the cooked down onion and jalapenos are perfect at delivering all that soaked up goodness. It only got better with the toppings, as the kimchi really stood out with the powerful, spicy, tangy and crunchy fermented cabbage, while the pears added even more juiciness and freshness, and the sriracha helped cement a wonderful lip-tingling spiciness. If only all Sundays could be like this.

Works even better with HEB Southwest Tortillas

Dr. Pepper Braised Brisket Tacos

If not for the 10 hours worth of cooking time and my desire to be extremely lazy Saturday morning (read: I didn't want to put on pants to go to the store), this would have been my 200th post. I continued my weekend of delicious cooking with what was quite possibly the best slow cooker recipe I have ever tasted.  At last, I was able to combine my love of Dr. Pepper with my love of meat in one beautiful, tacoey union.

To me, you are perfect.

Dr. Pepper Braised Brisket Tacos
Adapted from Cooking Haven
Servings: 15+ tacos
Time: 10 hours (in a slow cooker for 9 of those)

Aye, there's the rub.

3 lbs beef brisket
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried chipotle powder
1 tbsp cumin
1tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp canola oil
16 oz Dr. Pepper (I used fancy Dublin ones)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp molasses
2/3 onion, diced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
1/2 cup jalapeno pepper jelly
2-4 cups beef stock, as necessary
Tortillas
Jalapenos, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Cilantro
Pickled onions (see recipe below)
Salsa

Silly brisket, you can't escape.

1. Make your rub by mixing the paprika, chipotle powder, cumin, salt, black pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl. Apply the rub generously to both sides of the brisket.
2. Get oil in a skillet hot over medium heat. Once hot, sear the brisket for about 4-5 minutes per side until it starts to brown. Remove.
3. Mix the Dr. Pepper, vinegar, molasses, diced onions, tomatoes and pepper jelly well in a slow cooker. Add the brisket in and top with beef stock until just submerged.
4. Cook covered on low for 8-9 hours.
5. Spend your day being incredibly lazy to make up for the 30 minutes of effort you just put in.
6. Remove the brisket from the liquid and let cool. Once cooled enough, pull with two forks.
7. Transfer the liquid to a pot and reduce over medium-high heat to about half the volume. You're gonna have plenty of time to do this because it takes a while to pull all that brisket.
8. Recombine the reduced liquid with the pulled brisket and warm over medium-low heat.
9. Use a slotted spoon to serve the brisket and remove excess liquid (it's still going to be ridiculously juicy and worthy of 3+ napkins). Fill tortillas with the brisket and top with jalapenos, avocado, cilantro, pickled onions and salsa.
10. Sit and eat in silence aside from "mmm" because everyone is busy stuffing their faces and calculating how much they could eat without feeling shame.

Fancy camera captures the awesome fresh out of the slow cooker steaming brisket.

Originally, this recipe called for root beer, but I have a special place in my heart for Dr. Pepper. Back in college, I used to keep a case of it in my room at all times (and I kept my room at 50 degrees, so I wouldn't have to refrigerate it because we were going to get the most out of our tuition paying the dorm's power bills). I don't often find myself drinking soda anymore, but I make time every now and then for Dr. Pepper (especially if it's the pure cane sugar Dublin variety in a fancy glass bottle).

Kevin's pulling skills are unmatched. Plus, it's a great forearm workout. 

The brisket itself smelled and looked excellent. It had that distinct brisket flavor that makes it the state meat of Texas, but it really excelled when it made its most joyous reunion with the reduced Dr. Pepper braising liquid. The chipotle powder infused rub, fire roasted tomatoes and molasses helped reconcile the brisket's BBQ origins with its current Tex-Mex use.

HEB fresh made tortillas are the way to go if you're in Texas.

The absolutely succulent Dr. Pepper brisket was the perfect taco filling. Its unbelievable melt in your mouth tenderness was kicked up even further with the creamy avocado, crunchy and spicy jalapeno and the perfectly pickled onions to make one of the greatest tacos I have ever eaten (and after 6 years of living in Texas, that's saying something). Nancy, Kevin and I sat at the table stuffed and contemplating justification for another. Fortunately, we all managed to stop at 3.

You can see how juicy it is. Note: your plate and hands will be covered by the time you're done savoring each and every bite.

Pickled Onions

Adapted from Inspired Taste

Servings: 2 onions worth (so a lot)

Time: 1 hour (inactive for 50 minutes)

2 red onions

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

Boring, unassuming red onions just waiting to be brined.

1. Slice your onions into thin strips and place in a bowl or pot with handles.
2. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
3. Cover the onions in boiling water for 10 seconds then drain into a colander and set aside in another bowl.
4. Heat the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sugar and salt together until dissolved. 
5. Brine the onions in the acidic mix and let come to room temperature. 
6. Strain and serve. You should reserve the brine if you want to store for later use.

Pickled red onions turn such a pretty color.

I spent about as much time searching for pickled onions at the store as I did making them. Pickling is an incredibly easy process that produced quick, vibrant results. Note: only use these pickled onions with your tacos. By themselves, they are far too vinegary, but that aspect of them works quite well with the brisket.

From pickling onions to finding the greatest use for Dr. Pepper ever, it was an incredibly productive yet also lazy (thanks slow cooker!) Sunday. It was the perfect finish to a fantastic weekend of tasty adventures.