Roast Pork / Pseudo-BBQ Pork In Slow Cooker Ideas

[roo_ster]

Anyone have a good slow-cooker pork recipe?  I have very good slow cooker beef chuck roast recipe, but my last pork shoulder was all sort of meh.  Precise recipes and/or directions are not necessary.  More ideas and general directions.



I would not mind a sort-of BBQ pork dish, but that almost seems like giving up, it is so easy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

[French G.]

Brown it first, cover in Melinda's black pepper ketchup, turn on for 8 hours low.

[TechMan]

SWMBO puts a pork loin in the slow cooker and covers it with water and then pours dome pepper on.  She sets it for 10 hours low and when it comes out it she is able to shred it wit a fork.

[MillCreek]

Rather than dig out the slow cooker, I put a four pound boneless pork butt roast into a covered dutch oven and cook it in the oven at 250 degrees for five hours.  It is fall-apart tender when I take it out with an internal temp of about 190 degrees.  I pull it apart using two forks and then add a sufficient quantity of the BBQ sauce of my choice.

Using the covered dutch oven and the long slow heat minimizes shrinkage and preserves the moist character of the meat.  The internal fat melts nicely and incorporates with the meat.

[Lee]

Pour in a can or two of root beer and cook all day.

[MillCreek]

^^^ I have heard of this trick, but using Dr. Pepper instead.  I have not yet tried that.

[Dixie_Amazon]

I haven't tried this yet, but it has great reviews. http://www.food.com/recipe/kalua-pig-in-a-slow-cooker-211379

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I slice a bunch of onions cook em till they are carmelized . Season meat brown it (bacon grease). Put it in crock pot. Smother itin onions. Putin other veggies (think pot roast)
Cook about 4 hours. I like it with white and wild rice

damn phone

[charby]

I had some pig last weekend at a friends house.

He would broil the pork roast to where it was almost burnt on the outside then put it in a crockpot with water until it was done. Tasted freaking amazing.

[roo_ster]

Hmm, I'll give some of them a try.

The slow-cooker is a requirement, as this is to be a "prep night before, stuff in fridge, set it out and cook on low all day, ready by dinner" sort of meal.  Yes, I brown roasts in a pot on the over before stuffing them in the slow cooker.  Makes a big difference.

When time gets tight, there is the not-inconsiderable risk of it being a "hamburger helper" night.  I like to minimize that risk.  A 3lb roast + veggies/taters to the top in a slow cooker covers two week night meals for the family and prep time is usually 15-20 minutes.  I need to insert more variation, hence the lame pork roast attempt.  Not sure about chicken & turkey in the slow cooker??

On the weekend, I am liable to cook in the oven 2 round roasts(1) rare to med-rare in the oven while taking care of other chores.  Sometimes slathered with garlic, sometimes with coarse ground pepper & salt.  Quarter-cut taters next to them on the cookie sheet.

I slice a bunch of onions cook em till they are carmelized . Season meat brown it (bacon grease). Put it in crock pot. Smother itin onions. Putin other veggies (think pot roast)
Cook about 4 hours. I like it with white and wild rice

I just recalled I am almost out of bacon grease.  I wonder, if its cheaper to buy bacon grease or cheap bacon and harvest the grease?




(1) One for eating for dinner & lunchmeat for next few days, one for the freezer to break out is zombies hamburger helper threatens.

[charby]

Not sure about chicken & turkey in the slow cooker??

I love crockpot chicken

One whole chicken seasoned with favorite spices surrounded by favorite veggies, add water for broth. Set it and forget it. Takes 4-5 hours on high, I have never tried the all day on low.

I usually start mine at lunch on weekend for sat or sun supper.

[AZRedhawk44]

  Not sure about chicken & turkey in the slow cooker??

I've done cornish game hen in the crockpot.  I'll season it with orange juice.  Not sure where I got the suggestion to try that, but it's pretty dang good.  5-6 hours on low does the trick.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

if you are worried about something over cooking try freezing it. put it in frozen and you "buy time"

[MillCreek]

I just recalled I am almost out of bacon grease.  I wonder, if its cheaper to buy bacon grease or cheap bacon and harvest the grease?

One of my local grocery stores sells a three pound cryo pack of bacon ends and pieces for $ 6.  It is surprisingly good quality bacon. I divide it out into six ounce portions and freeze the portions individually.  When I want to use bacon as a seasoning, I pull out one of these portion packs and fry it up.  A good way to get cooked bacon bits and grease.  As a matter of fact, I used a couple packs just the other night to make some hot German potato salad.  I use the Betty Crocker recipe for this, but use double the amount of bacon dressing for the potatoes, since I like a wet German potato salad, not the dry type where all the dressing has been absorbed by the potatoes.

[charby]

I just recalled I am almost out of bacon grease.  I wonder, if its cheaper to buy bacon grease or cheap bacon and harvest the grease?

You could just use lard.

[Scout26]

I used to have a recipe for BBQ that called for a #5 can of peaches and bottle of ketchup in the crock pot with [slab of meat or your choosing].   We tried it a few times, it was surprisingly good. 

Simply put meat in crockpot (no need to brown it, but you can if you want), open can of peaches, dump in.  Squeeze bottle of ketchup in.  Stir.  Set on low, come back several hours later. 

[Gewehr98]

Not sure about chicken & turkey in the slow cooker?

Be not afraid.

I do Coq au Vin at least once a month here, with just a basic crock pot.

Some recipes call for red wine, but I use chardonnay instead. 

Coming home and having chicken that falls off the bone is awesome!

[SADShooter]

Be not afraid.

I do Coq au Vin at least once a month here, with just a basic crock pot.

Some recipes call for red wine, but I use chardonnay instead. 

Coming home and having chicken that falls off the bone is awesome!

Would you share some more details, please?

[French G.]

I do crockpot chicken and dumplings. Crockpot chicken is awesome. And whole chickens are ridiculously cheap.

[K Frame]

I often do chicken and 40 cloves in my crockpot.

Brown chicken legs and or thighs or whatever, arrange in the crock pot, dose with a cup or more of olive oil, drop in a *expletive deleted*it pot load of peeled garlic cloves, and cook.

[Gewehr98]

I buy whole fryer chickens at the local Piggly Wiggly when they're on sale for $0.99/lb. 

I get 2 or 3, and put them in the freezer for days when I'm lazy and let the crock pot do the cooking.

SADShooter, it's a simple recipe, but you could make it more complex if you'd like.  Garlic cloves come to mind...

1. 1 whole fryer chicken, giblets and neck removed, rinsed clean.

2. One whole lemon.

3. Two or three sprigs of fresh rosemary.

4. One bottle Chardonnay.  Merlot or Zinfandel are also great if you want the stronger flavor of red wines and their tannins.

Plop cleaned chicken in crock pot, breast side up.  I grind just a smidgen of sea salt and peppercorns over the breast for seasoning.

Slice up the lemon and cover the chicken with the slices.  Tuck a couple slices into the cavity, then put the rest between chicken and crock pot sides.

Tuck one whole sprig of rosemary into the chicken cavity with the lemon slices.  (Flavors from inside out as it cooks)

Pull the rosemary leaves off of the remaining sprigs, and sprinkle them to cover the chicken as seen in photo.

Add Chardonnay or your choice of wine to cover about 2/3 of chicken.  That way, there's plenty for heat transfer, but you're not totally poaching the bird.

The chicken will add its own liquid to the total volume as it cooks, but you want the breast to stay exposed and absorb the lemon and rosemary sitting on top as it all steams into happiness under the lid.

Set the crock pot's heat to Low or High depending on frozen/thawed bird, how soon you want to eat, etc. 

You'll know it's done when you grab a leg or wing and it just falls away from the rest of the chicken. 

Bon Appetit!   

Pee Ess: I strain and refrigerate the liquid afterwards for my own take on chicken stock.



 

[SADShooter]

Thanks! Sounds like a nice warmer weather approach, good with a tossed salad or lighter sides. Will definitely try it.

[Gewehr98]

I serve it with long-grain wild rice and a salad, so you're in good company!

[roo_ster]

I often do chicken and 40 cloves in my crockpot.

Brown chicken legs and or thighs or whatever, arrange in the crock pot, dose with a cup or more of olive oil, drop in a *expletive deleted* pot load of peeled garlic cloves, and cook.

Ahh, I see you have the same regard for garlic as I do.

Be not afraid.

I do Coq au Vin at least once a month here, with just a basic crock pot.

Some recipes call for red wine, but I use chardonnay instead. 

Coming home and having chicken that falls off the bone is awesome!

Yum, yum.

[Boomhauer]

I just put in chicken or pork and plenty of sauce and cook for 10 hours or so on low. Skim the fat off and shred the meat then back in for an hour or so. Vary the sauce with sauce type and add spices to suit.