$3 taco meat!

Since I first tried this Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef, my family has been hooked!  I've made it both in the pressure cooker and the Slow Cooker as in the original blog by Queen Bee Coupons.  I've kept a jar of salsa verde on hand, and kept my eye out for roast or stew meat in the "Manager's Special" bin at the store. 

Today I found a 3-lb. roast on sale for half-price, which brought it down to about $9.  I'll cook it right away (since it's at date) and freeze in three segments for dinners.  It may take 20 minutes of prep work now, but I can guarantee when I serve it on tortillas or a baked potato some work night, it'll be fast, frugal and fit!

View my original blog here.

Pressure Cookers Part 2, adapting a slow-cooker recipe

I found a 3-pound beef roast in the "managers special" bin at the store yesterday.  With the 30% discount, it was just $10.  Cinco de Mayo was approaching.  What to do?  I saw this recipe for Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef on Facebook.  Only problem was that I didn't get to the store in time to buy the Salsa Verde and so I could prepare it in the slow cooker.  So how, I wonder, would I adapt it to the pressure cooker?

I used the recipe as written, except I was concerned about the amount of evaporation in the pressure cooker.  So I added a cup of water to keep it from burning. "Pressure Cookers for Dummies" (quickly becoming one of my go-to cookbooks) said the cooking time for stew meat is 20 minutes.  So I cooked for that amount of time, then checked to see if it was fork-ready.  It was, but I cooked a little longer to thicken the sauce.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, use the recipe as written in Queen Bee Coupons.  (And do consider subscribing to her blog and/or Facebook feed.  Not only does Queen Bee give great advice on saving money, but also delicious recipes like this.)  And if you're still thinking about getting a pressure cooker, start your research here.

Here is my adaptation of this delicious recipe.

Pressure Cooker Salsa Verde Beef

1 tbsp. olive oil
3-pound beef roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup (heaping) chopped onions
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup salsa verde (hot or mild to taste)
1 cup water

Heat oil in pressure cooker.  Add half of cubed beef.  Brown.  Remove and brown the other half.  Remove from pressure cooker, but keep drippings.  Add onion and spices and cook a couple of minutes until onions are soft.  Add salsa and water.  Return beef to pan. 

Lock lid onto pressure cooker and set to high pressure.  Cook over medium-high heat until pot comes to pressure, then turn to medium or medium-low to maintain pressure.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Open valve and release pressure naturally.  If meat is not yet fork tender, then lock lid, bring to pressure and cook for another 5 minutes.  Repeat if needed. 

If meat is done, but sauce is not thick enough, cook over low heat to thicken.

Use as you would taco meat.  Since I eat gluten-free and corn tortillas are small, I served like an open-face taco.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and cheese.  We had some chopped olives in the fridge which tasted great on the tacos.  This also would be good served over a baked potato.