Slow Cooker Cajun Pork Steaks and Red Beans
This slow cooker cajun pork steaks and red beans recipe combines tender pork, smoky spices, and creamy red beans for easy, hearty and flavourful comfort food. Perfect for weeknights or meal prep!
Ingredients
- 700 g (1.5 lb) pork shoulder steaks
- 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked or regular sea salt flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 onions thickly sliced
- 155 g (5.5 oz) smoked bacon lardons
- 2 x 400 g (28.2 oz) tins pinto beans drained and rinsed (see Notes)
- 3 celery stalks roughly sliced
- 2 peppers (any colours) deseeded and roughly diced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 800 ml (3 ½ cups) hot chicken stock (made using 1 stock pot or cube)
To serve (optional):
- 400g (2 ¼ cups) long grain or basmati rice cooked
- cornbread
Instructions
- The night before, marinate the pork – put the pork into a large bowl or dish, mix the 2 tbsp of Cajun seasoning, sea salt flakes, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the pepper in a small bowl into a paste, then rub over the pork steaks, cover and chill overnight.
- The next day, heat your slow cooker on low. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the marinated pork steaks to the hot pan (avoid overcrowding the meat – you may want to do this in 2 batches). Cook until deep brown all over (around 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side), then transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat under the frying pan to medium and add the sliced onions and bacon lardons, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions soften, and the bacon lardons are golden.
- Transfer the onions and bacon to the slow cooker. Stir in the beans, celery, peppers, garlic, bay leaves, dried oregano, 1 tsp of Cajun seasoning, the paprika, season and mix everything together well. Add the hot chicken stock, stir and then nestle the browned pork steaks down amongst the vegetables and beans, so that they're mostly sitting in the stock.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 5 to 6 hours. Transfer the pork steaks to a plate or bowl and shred with 2 forks. Return it to the slow cooker and gently stir it through the vegetables and beans. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with rice and/or cornbread.
Notes
- NOTE: the pork needs to be marinated overnight.
- Beans – kidney or borlotti beans will also work well as a substitute for pinto beans.
- Vegetarian option - replace the pork with smoked tofu or tempeh, and use vegetable stock.
- Toppings - try garnishing with sliced spring onions, hot sauce or a dollop of sour cream for extra flavour.
- This slow cooker cajun pork steaks and red beans recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less people.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1411mg | Potassium: 1218mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2751IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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