Budget-Friendly Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork



Pulled pork recipes often call for cuts of pork shoulder, Boston butt, or pork loin roasts.  Last week I got a boneless center cut pork loin roast for just $1.96 per pound, a great deal.


This recipe calls for a lot of spices, but if you're on a budget like me, you can find a wealth of herbs and spices at discount stores like Dollar Tree. Another good place to find discounted spices is your local salvage grocery store, if there's one in your area. This is a grocery store that buys and sells slightly damaged or open products at a deep discount. Neighborhood ethnic stores are also great sources for inexpensive spices.

Delicious pulled pork
Ingredients
  • 1.5 to 2lb center cut boneless pork loin roast
  • 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoon liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite)
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 3 teaspoons bell pepper powder (or one whole diced bell pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chives
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon 
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1.5 teaspoons cumin (ground or seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard (ground or seeds)
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill
Optional: Cilantro to taste (within last hour of cooking)

Directions
  • Add all ingredients except the pork to a crock pot and mix. 
  • Add the pork loin roast and coat with the sauce
  • Set the slow cooker to the setting you prefer. I can set mine on high and it will cook it within five hours. 
  • Check the roast after several hours to be sure it is done. It should no longer be bloody and should pull apart easily. 
  • If done, take two forks and pull apart the roast and mix inside the slow cooker crock to coat all the meat. 
Notes on Bell Pepper Powder

Months ago I found several bags of bell peppers on sale for 99 cents per bag. So I grabbed about 3 bags filled with twelve peppers. They were slightly over-ripe, so I needed to preserve them quickly. 

A few bell peppers after being dried
I sliced all peppers and put them in my dehydrator (another must-have for preserving food). When they were completely dry with no bend or moisture left, I put them into a blender on the "chop" function and made the dried peppers into a powder. 

Powdered bell peppers
This is a great way to preserve bell peppers so they don't go to waste. The powder also adds a flavor punch and extra nutrients to your dishes.

Estimated cost for this dish that will feed two adults for several days, including the spices and dried peppers was just under $5. Truly, a budget-friendly dish.




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