Wisteria

To go along with the theme on the Atlanta dining scene this week, we're featuring one of the neighborhood's most beloved spots, .  Chef/owner Jason Hill is known for his incredibly tasty, creative Southern fare and the cozy restaurant itself keeps the patrons coming back for the feels-like-home vibe.

Running a restaurant is time-consuming, so Hill often likes to cook a simple crock pot to feed his family when he doesn't have the time to whip up an elaborate meal at home.  He invited us in and demonstrated how to do it his way (trust us: it's delicious), but made it clear there are plenty of ways to play with the recipe depending on your tastes.  

Pork Shoulder Crock Pot (serves 4 or more):

Prep/kitchen time:  10 minutes
Total cook time:  5-7 hours

What you'll need:
About 2 pounds of any braising meat (can be pork, lamb, beef).  Use the rule of  6-8 ounces for each guest.

Vegetables of your choice, can include (for 4 guests):
1 large rutabaga
4 celery stalks
6 cloves garlic
1 large onion
2 cups whole mushrooms 
16 baby potatoes 
4 parsnips
8 oz green beans
2 carrots

1 cup flour

1/4 cup oil

2 quarts beef stock (can also use chicken or vegetable stock)

1 packet of onion soup

 To make the meat: 
Cut meat into large chunks. Hand-toss chunks in a bowl with 1/2 cup flour, then place into pan with 1/4 cup oil. Let meat simmer for about 5 minutes, flipping once. Prepare crock pot with the beef stock and onion soup and turn on high heat. Take meat off the stovetop and place it in the crock pot. Place the cover on let it cook for about 5-6 hours on medium heat. You can lower the heat if you need to cook it longer.

 To make vegetables: 
Chop larger vegetables like rutabagas, celery, carrots, onions into large chunks. Peel 5-6 cloves of garlic, cut in half and crush. Leave potatoes, mushrooms, green beans whole. Take 3/4 of the beef stock from the crock pot and heat it in a stovetop pot (leave 1/4 of the beef stock in the crock pot). Add in potatoes first, letting them cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add in the rest of the vegetables. To thicken sauce, use 1 tbsp. of flour in a stovetop pan and spoon 3-4 tbsp. of the broth in with the flour. Whisk with fork or whisk, and then add back into the pot. Let the pot with vegetables come to a boil for about 10 minutes (or gauge until potatoes are soft).

 To finish:  
Put the vegetables into the crock pot with the meat and let it all cook on high heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve in bowl.

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