2 Recipes in 1 -- Crockpot Pork Roast and Leftover Shredded Pork Roast Chili

Last night I put a pork roast in my crockpot and cooked it for over 10 hours. The result: a deliciously, tender (falls apart when you touch it) pork roast. After lunch, when I was putting everything away and bagging up the roast, I realized just how much of it was actually left over. 

My family and I are notorious for not eating much of our leftovers, with the exception of soups and chili. It always sounds good when you finish at a restaurant and ask for a box to take the rest home, but in the end, it usually goes in the trash rather than eaten. 

What to do...what to do with all this pork roast...

In the end, with hopefully the last cold blast, snowy day of the season, I decided to make my own version of chili using my shredded pork as the meat in it. Even with the pork, I wanted to boost protein, so I added two different kinds beans to the chili. You can do the same and add as much or as little as you wish. Heck add black, pinto, kidney and even navy beans. The more the merrier! Great boost of protein, which is always a good thing. 

And boy oh boy was this chili is great choice! It's a step away for the traditional chili I know, but if you are looking for something a little different, but delicious nonetheless, this is the recipe for you! Try it out! I doubt you'll be disappointed!

I decided to add my simple recipe for the pork roast first, followed by my chili recipe. 

Crockpot Pork Roast Ingredients:

1 pork shoulder roast 

1 onion (sliced into rings)

4 cloves cloves garlic (chopped)

1 can chicken broth or 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic salt

Combine spices to make a rub for the roast. Rub and work the spices into the roast. Add the onion slices to the bottom of the crockpot. Place the seasoned roast on top of the onion. Pour in the chicken stock. Add the garlic to the roast, working the pieces into the creases of the roast and down into the stock. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

In the last couple of hours, every 20 minutes or so, using a ladle, dip and pour the juice with onions and garlic over the roast. It's not necessary, but I do it to keep the top nice and moist as it finishes up cooking. The liquid in and around the roast will increase as it cooks, so don't worry if, when you put the stock in, it only comes up half way or less. If you want to shred the pork when it's done, simply do so using two forks. 

Chili Ingredients:

2 lbs leftover pork shoulder roast

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can pinto or kidney beans (drained and rinsed--I used pinto in this batch)

2 cans tomato sauce

2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)

1 can of water (used one of the tomato sauce cans)

1 can sweet corn (drained)

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

In a big pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Shred the leftover pork roast. Chop up the large pieces and then add to the onion and garlic. Add and stir in the beans, tomato sauce, Rotel, corn, water and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Top with shredded cheese (optional) and serve with cornbread. 

If you happen to make this wonderfully flavorful chili, let me know how it turns out. Be sure and leave a comment with any additions you add to the recipe. I'd love to hear from you! Bon appetite!