THE PINK SHOE COOKBOOK

i think one of the most invaluable tools a gal on the go can have is a crock pot.

truth be told when i think of crock pots, i think of old ladies and stew and i also think of the Quimby family (Ramona Quimby a la the Beverly Cleary series) because i know they had one and one day they forgot to turn it on when they left for work and Mrs. Quimby was SO PISSED when she got home from work.

anyone?

ok. anyway. crock pots are not just for old ladies or for making stew or for fictional functional families. they are for people like me and you.

first of all: there are all kinds of interesting things you can cook up with a crock pot: chili, jambalaya, pot roasts, or in this specific case: pulled pork.

the greatest thing about crock pots is their slow cooking capacity, which is the same capacity that turns tough meats into tender delicious scrumptious meat. beef stew bits become tender steak tips. shoulder pork roast becomes melty barbecue-y pulled pork.

and so on.

and the thing about tougher cuts of meat is that they are also the more inexpensive cuts of meat. you buy a pound of actual steak tips and you will spend about $13. you buy a pound of beef for stew and you pay $5.

and my mom always said "never buy inexpensive cuts of meat". but you know what? my mother is married to a rich man, and i am not. so i buy inexpensive cuts of meat, and i slow cook them until they taste so good it makes up for the fact that i saved $10.

plus, you can't beat the convenience of throwing some meat, spice and veggies in a bowl. turning it on, and leaving for work. and then coming home after a long day, and having your apartment smell like yummy goodness, and dinner is ALREADY DONE. YOU DON"T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING BUT EAT IT.

it is heaven.

So here is a Pulled Pork recipe i reallllllly love. I got it ftom a McCormick Slow Cooker Seasoning Pack (another reason to love crock pots, they sell packets of spices specifically for crock pot meals that make whatever you are cooking taste DIVINE and they usually cost $1 or less)

BBQ Pulled Pork


3 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat (which in a regular supermarket is like $5!)
1 pkg McCormickBBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/3 cup cider vinegar

Place pork in slow cooker

Mix seasoning, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar in seperate bowl until well blended. Pour over pork and cover

Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove Pork from slow cooker.

Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker , mix and heat with sauce before serving.

Serve it up on bulkie rolls and whatever bbq side dish you enjoy. with me, it's fries!


(if you don't own a crock pot, check out Walmart or Target. it doesn't have to be fancy. Adam and I bought one for $30 (brand name = Rival) that came with a slow cooking cookbook and it has served us very well!)