Generally, I use any combination of meat (or beans) + liquid (broth, beer, wine, juice) + hearty veggies and/or starch (carrots, rice, tomatoes, corn do well)
Some of my favorite things to make are chili, carnitas, barbeque, soups, and stews.
Carnitas are pretty easy:
Put in a hunk of pork. Traditionally, it's a shoulder or "picnic cut". For a lighter version, I use the loin, but you really have to season it up.
Add a 50/50 mix of chicken broth and light beer, and the juice of 1-2 limes. I usually have some Coronas in the fridge that I use for the beer.
Add a whole onion, sliced, and bunch of crushed minced garlic cloves.
Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of cumin, some minced jalapeno if you like.
Let it cook all day on high, or until it falls apart in shreds. Fish out all the meat and set aside.
Serve on warm tortillas (whole wheat even), and top with a sour cabbage slaw:
Slice half a head of cabbage into shreds, and put in a bowl. Add apple cider vinegar, thin sliced sweet onions, red chili flakes, pepper.
If you have time, let it soak for a few hours. Turn it over from time to time.
When you're ready to eat, pull some of the cabbage out of the liquid and put it on your carnitas.
Other good toppings include diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, or salsa. Also, avocado.
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DUM SPIRO, SPERO
