Pilaf is a dish of real men, women who know a lot about food, and children who intend to grow up healthy and beautiful. Forget about the harm this dish allegedly brings. If this were true, the eastern peoples would have died out long ago. And if you consider that pork pilaf in a slow cooker is much easier to prepare than the old fashioned way, and without compromising on taste, you can make it your favorite meal consumed weekly.
Note that a similar pilaf can be cooked with any kind of meat. We do not impose the lamb, yet it has a peculiar smell, not everyone will like it. But replacing pork with chicken or beef is welcome. Just have to adjust the cooking time of the meat component. In the case of chicken, it is reduced, in the case of beef, it is increased. Although it is worth checking with the photo: pilaf in a slow cooker with pork turns out to be appetizing, and agreeing to replace it is only for ideological reasons. If they are not, the dish can be considered ideal. Even from the point of view of an avid gourmet.
About the ingredients
Pilaf pilaf in a slow cooker is prepared, in principle, from the same products that are laid in a cauldron. Approximate proportions:
- Meat - 0.5 kg. It is better to take not too lean foods. For example, the neck.
- Carrot - 300 grams. It is possible less, but insignificantly, since this vegetable gives pilaf a special charm.
- Onions are approximately equal to carrots. This component is more democratic. If you are picky about it, you can safely reduce the volume of the product.
- Garlic - 1 head. With a great love of vegetable, you can put two.
- Rice - from 400 to 500 grams. Its amount mainly depends on personal preferences. Someone likes to have more meat, someone respects the "pearl grains."
Speaking of rice. Pork pilaf in a slow cooker requires a traditional approach. That is, round rice is still preferable, but of very good quality. However, a long-grain version is also suitable, but only of the basmati type, in which the grains are not too massive.
About spices
When you are going to cook pilaf in a slow cooker with pork, the recipe is quite tolerant of seasonings. You can, of course, take a ready-made set of spices marked with the inscription "For pilaf." However, in this dish aroma is no less important than taste. So it is better to stock up with pepper, zira, turmeric and barberry. The latter is especially important - it gives pilaf unique notes. Moreover, both aromatic and flavoring.
About vegetables
Onions with carrots are chopped in a classic way. That is, root crops are necessarily cut - rubbing for pilaf from pork in a slow cooker is categorically not suitable. Carrots will let the juice become lethargic, and we need its density and some crunchiness.
The form is less important here. You can chop the roots with straws, you can - with cubes, this is a matter of aesthetics.
As for the onion, that also has a lot of controversy regarding it. Most housewives prefer to chop the onions into squares, but if you cut the carrots into strips, it may make sense to chop the onions in half rings.
And finally, garlic. The top layer of the husk is removed from its head, but it does not understand the cloves. Enough to wash the garlic and dry well with a towel.
About meat
It is very important how pork is cut for pilaf in a slow cooker. Recipes with photos offer different options for slicing - in cubes or not very long strips. It is important that the elements are not too small. But excessive size is also unacceptable, which is due to the peculiarities of cooking in a miracle machine. After cutting, it is advisable to dry the pieces of meat, like garlic, with towels or napkins.
Pilaf in a slow cooker with pork: step by step recipe
When the preparatory phase is completed, you can proceed directly to cooking. It consists of the following steps.
The first stage: we pour a little oil into the bowl, turn on the device to the frying mode and brown the pieces of meat. They should acquire a pleasant shade from all sides.
Second stage: add onion with carrots to pork. In the same mode with regular stirring, bring the vegetables to a pleasant gilding. But not to charring: the color of frying should cause an appetite, and not suggest the idea of a fire extinguisher hidden in the pantry.
The third stage: we wash the rice (even if such a step is not specified in the instructions, it will not be superfluous), strain and pour into the bowl. The layer should be uniform, it can be distributed, but in no case can be mixed. In the center of the multi-pan we make a recess where we place the garlic head. Sprinkle the selected spices around it. You can partially “fertilize” the rest of the rice surface.
Fourth stage: pour water. This is one of the most crucial moments. Overfilling will lead to a boring rice porridge with meat (in principle, it is also edible, but not what we aimed for, starting a pilaf pilaf in a slow cooker). Filling will provide a dry dish in which the grits will grit on their teeth. Water above the surface of the rice should not rise more than half a centimeter.
Fifth stage: add salt and turn on the "Pilaf" mode. By default, the timer starts for an hour. When the “alarm clock” beeps, the multicooker is turned off, the dish is mixed, and all those who wish to eat will start eating it.
Special opinion
Some chefs are firmly convinced that the hour of longing is too much. They say that pork pilaf in a slow cooker is enough to leave until boiling, plus about 7 minutes of cooking. And after the unit must be turned off, wrap it in a thick towel and leave it in this position for forty minutes. They say that the dish turns out to be both saturated and saturated, fragrant and not overexposed. Why not give it a try?
Flexibility of thinking
Not all crock-pots have pilaf mode. It does not matter, it is not particularly unique. With preliminary roasting, everything is clear, and so on, and as the main program, buckwheat, rice, and the most primitive stew are quite suitable. Just don’t be fooled by the application of the “Soup” mode: rice will turn into a mess, and the meat will disintegrate into rags in a rather short time.
By the way, some cooks suggest frying vegetables and meat in a skillet on the stove. The idea also has a right to exist, although it is not particularly justified. After all, why dirty dishes if there is a universal apparatus?