This can be a 8 - 24 hour recipe. Made for the slow cooker, it's also marinated in a brine. While brining can be overlooked, it's recommended to get a really flavorful meat.
Serves 2 to 4 (2 with leftovers, 4 with a hearty side dish)
TIME: 30 minutes to prep, 6 to 7hrs to cook.
4 cups salt water (4 cups water, 3 Tbsps table salt)
¼ cup salt
2-3lbs fresh pork steak
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsps Herbes de Provence
½ tsp pepper or to taste
Cooking fat (olive oil, or lard, etc)
1 popcorn kernel
2 cups meat broth
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, chopped
3 large potatoes, quartered
2 large carrots, in chunks
OPTIONAL : 1 handful of fresh green beans
- To make a brine, dilute the salt in the water. Marinade the ham steak in the brine - the size of the dish should allow the water to cover the meat.
- Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top. Let that sit from 1 hour to overnight.
- Strain the meat and set the chopped garlic aside for later.
- Pat the meat dry and rub the herbs and pepper all over.
- Heat the fat in a stainless or cast iron pan and fry the garlic in the pan until it turns golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the popcorn kernel to the hot oil and when the kernel pops, remove it - this means the oil is hot enough to sear the meat.
- Sear the meat on all sides until browned. Remove from the pan.
- Add the meat broth and the salt and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Put the meat in the crock pot along with the onion, potatoes, carrots, salt and, if using, green beans. (If using the green beans add last and on top of everything, away from the liquid, so they don't overcook.)
- Pour over this the garlicky broth.
- Cook on High temp for 4 to 5 hours, taste and adjust the seasoning, then cook on Low temp for 2 hours or until the onion is cooked.
- There will be more sauce than you need, but you can save it to make gravy for something else, or use it as a base for soups (such as split pea soup).
