Here's a good crock pot recipe I tried today from a recipe in my newspaper. Very easy and good. It's an old Cuban standard. Ropa vieja means old clothes in Spanish. The meat is cooked & shredded like rags or old clothes.
La Nueva Ropa Vieja (or "Old Clothes")
Start to finish: 10 minutes preparation; 8 to 10 hours in slow cooker; 3 minutes to shred beef
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic (I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper, or to taste
1 large onion (for about 1 cup slices)
2 pounds skirt or flank steak (see Cook's note)
1 red bell pepper (about 1 cup pieces)
1 green bell pepper (about 1 cup pieces)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, seasoned with garlic and olive oil (see Cook's note)
2 cups cooked rice, for serving
Cook's note: Sirloin steak or chuck roast also can be used. The exact seasoning for the diced tomatoes doesn't matter as long as you choose a type that includes garlic. "Petite" diced tomatoes and no-salt-added varieties also work.
Put the tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, vinegar, garlic, cumin and black pepper into the slow-cooker pot. Stir to combine. Peel the onion, and cut it into quarters. Thinly slice the onion quarters, and add them to the pot. Place the beef over the onions, and spoon some of the liquid over the meat. (If you are using skirt steak or flank steak, there will be several thin pieces, and they will overlap in the pot.)
Rinse the bell peppers, and discard the seeds and membranes. Cut the peppers into quarters, thinly slice them, and add the pieces to the pot. Pour the diced tomatoes with their juice evenly on top. Cover the pot and cook on low until the meat is so tender that it practically falls apart, about 8 hours if using skirt or flank steak or 10 hours if using sirloin or chuck.
About 20 minutes before serving, cook the rice.
Before serving, remove the beef and vegetables from the slow cooker to a large serving bowl. Use two forks to pull the beef apart into shreds. There should be some cooking juices in the bowl, but if not, add about 1/2 cup juices. Stir to mix the beef and vegetables. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve all but 2 cups of the beef/vegetable mixture over a bed of hot rice.
Serves 4 generously, with about 5 cups (total) leftover beef mixture and broth.
Nutrition information per serving: 343 calories (30 percent from fat), 11 g fat (5 g saturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 26 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 631 mg sodium
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