Category Archives: Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

By Stephanie O’Dea

Broccoli Beef

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broccoli_beefCurrently cooking out of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O’Dea

This was . . . okay. I think this is one of those dishes that is better prepared the traditional way, quickly stir-fried.

You start out by stirring together soy sauce, white wine, cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar and crushed red pepper flakes in the slow cooker. Then you add thinly sliced beef and cook everything for 6 to 8 hours on low. When the meat is tender, you add frozen broccoli that has been thawed and cook the mixture until the broccoli is heated through.

I used fresh broccoli, and that was a mistake. The broccoli never got tender. Also, my meat fell apart and it became broccoli with an asian-flavored meat sauce. I quite liked the sauce, and I think it would work in a traditionally cooked broccoli beef dish.

Here’s the link to the recipe on O’Dea’s blog: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/crockpot-broccoli-beef.html

Hirino Psito

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hirino_psitoCurrently cooking out of Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O’Dea

After buying a slow cooker for this dish, I found myself looking for more slow cooker recipes. Like most other people, I like being able to throw a bunch of ingredients in the pot and let it cook all day with me lifting nary a finger. Plus, there’s usually lots and lots of leftovers. I like leftovers.

make_it_fastThis is my newest cookbook, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, by Stephanie O’Dea. O’Dea also has a blog called crockpost365.blogspot.com. The idea behind the blog is that O’Dea spent a year cooking out of her crockpot. This cookbook came out of that project. Most of the recipes in the cookbook can also be found on her blog, with comments by other readers. This is nice if you are looking for substitutions or just want to know what others thought of a particular recipe. Another really nice plus is that all the recipes in this book can be made gluten-free (or not, if you are so disposed).

The first dish I chose to make was this Hirino Psito. I have no idea what Hirino Psito means, other than slow-cooked pork. In this case, a hunk of pork shoulder or butt is covered with various spices, such as sage and rosemary, brown sugar, salt and pepper and dropped into a slow cooker. A healthy dose of Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey, cranberries and beer are added to the pot and the whole thing cooks on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat shreds easily. I served the meat over brown rice.

The meat has a slightly sweet flavor from the honey and cranberries, but that is balanced by the spiciness of the mustard. I’m a little ambivalent about the sweetness in this dish. It isn’t my favorite, but I like it enough to eat the leftovers quite happily. One thing I noticed when I reheated leftovers is that the meat really dried up, and I had to use the (sweetish) liquid to make things edible. Again, I didn’t hate it, but I don’t think this dish will be a favorite of mine.

Here’s the link to the recipe on O’Dea’s blog: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/03/crockpot-hirino-psito-slow-roasted-pork.html