The challenge: I’m not a morning person. There’s no way I can wake up early enough to do all the prep it takes to get the slow cooker going.
Our solution: Make a recipe that gets better with age, such as chili or brisket, and cook it overnight while you sleep. In the morning, just let it cool slightly, get it in the fridge, and reheat later for dinner. We keep prep here to a minimum so that you’re not spending much time at night getting the dish ready, either. That’s why we don’t brown the meat before it goes into the cooker. If you have more time at night, by all means do brown the meat for deeper flavor. We know it’s tempting to load prepped food into the slow cooker’s crock, refrigerate it overnight, and start the slow cooker in the morning, but manufacturers do not recommend this for food safety reasons (it will keep uncooked meat in the temperature danger zone for too long).
How to Make It
Combine chicken stock, beans, white onion, salsa, 1/2 cup water, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic, and pork in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low 7 hours and 30 minutes to 8 hours. Sprinkle with green onions and radishes, if desired, before serving.