Super-easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork

There came a day when we agreed that the night’s dinner would be pork roast – but I had no clue what I was going to do to the pork…and we were on our way out the door for work. In a fit of desperation, I threw stuff together and I was shocked and amazed that it worked. Not only did it work, but we repeated it several times since, sometimes with pork tenderloin, always to super-tasty results. Now, sure, you can just skip even the work I did by simply making this a two-ingredient recipe (pork and barbecue sauce), but I actually like the idea of mixing something on your own, so you can adjust it however you’d like. Note that if you’re cooking pork tenderloin, you can easily get away with a lower cook time – say, 8 hours on LOW. If, however, you go with the pork roast, I’d strongly suggest more like 10-12 hours, so it has plenty of time to cook itself to death and fall apart. I’m drooling just thinking about it. I will also note that this goes quite well with cornbread, making for a very simple meal, low on prep and high on flavor. Seriously, that’s just a combo made of win.

 

Crock Pot BBQ Pork

*want*

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-12hrs on LOW

Serves 4-6

 

Ingredients

2-3 lb pork roast

1 cup ketchup (I use Heinz Simply or Organic, because both are HFCS-free)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 Tb red wine vinegar

non-stick cooking spray

 

Make it Happen

1. Spray the inside of a 4qt crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (or an olive oil mister, as we do).

2. Place the pork in the bottom of the crock.

3. In a measuring cup or bowl, add the ketchup, then the brown sugar and vinegar. Stir well to combine. Pour over the pork until it’s completely covered.

4. Cook on LOW for 8-12 hours.

5. Remove the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting, then serve with sauce on the side.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Pork

Some days, you just want to find a way to have take-out without the take-out prices and “nutritionals”. (I put “nutritionals” in quotes mostly because the salt, fat and calories from take-out food can just be astronomical, and eating in is a really good way to control all of that.) I was trying to find a way to get a simple “one-off” dinner, and I’ve made sweet and sour chicken in the crock pot, so I thought I’d make some sweet and sour pork for a slight change of pace. I had a recipe for a skillet-based sweet and sour that required a number of ingredients (ketchup, pineapple juice, etc.) – and one of the ingredients was CORN SYRUP. Hrm. Not so sure I like that idea. Believe it or not, the La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce has no corn syrup of any kind in it in it. The sodium was also fairly low, so I figured that this was one of those times where reaching for the bottle was not only convenient but also more in line with what I’d rather have filling the crock.

 

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Pork

Who needs takeout?

We put this over rice, but it goes just as nicely over soba noodles, if you want a different accompaniment. And, if you’d prefer this in chicken form – no worries: substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for the boneless pork sirloin chops and you’re good to go!

 

Prep Time: 10 mins + 5 mins

Cook Time: 6-8 hrs on LOW, + 15mins on HIGH

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

1-1/4 lbs boneless pork sirloin chops

10 oz jar La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce

8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained

1/4 cup water

15 oz can straw mushrooms, drained

15 oz can baby corn, drained

 

Make it Happen

1. Coat inside of crock with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cut pork into 1″ cubes; place in crock.

3. Add the sweet and sour sauce, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and water to the crock. Stir well to combine.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8hrs. (If you need to cook longer, I recommend adding more sweet and sour sauce – maybe another 4-5oz, to make sure that the pork doesn’t dry out during cooking.)

5. When done cooking, add the drained mushrooms and baby corn to the crock and stir to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, then serve over rice or soba noodles.