Sam's Club has been having fulll pork loins at $1.68/lb.
That's some mighty fine eats for less than half the price of beef! So I've been buying one a week, slicing it and putting it in the freezer because you just know the price of pork is not going to stay low. Something will happen, there'll be a big ol' blizzard or swine flu and the price will skyrocket... and I'll be hankerin' for pork chops and applesauce.
"PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE!!!"
Anyway, there's always a gnarly end on the loin, a fattier portion that doesn't make good chops, and I decided to get inventive!!! I took a great new seasoning I found at the Public Market and smothered the end pieces with it. Now in retrospect, I should have blended that seasoning with 3/4 cup of brown sugar and some cajun heat....
So 2 tablespoons fruity rub spice blend
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
Mix together, rub on fatty pork pieces. Lay in bottom of crock pot.
Cover with heavy duty aluminum foil. Then cover it again, a double layer of aluminum foil to hold the heat close to the meat. Turn on high...
Cover and walk away for about 4 hours..... Or less, depending on how much you put in there.
Uncover, pull apart with fork, add favorite barbecue sauce.
HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!!!!
I'm not sure if I have a picture of the finished product!!! What is the matter with me???? EEEK!
First, I am so excited that I've turned in Grace Haven 2 book...
It is a beautiful story of forgiveness and healing and moving on...
And "Refuge of the Heart" releases in SIX WEEKS.... And yes, it is okay to run and pre-order it if you want to, I love that Franciscan Media fell in love with this story, the story of a war-torn refugee and her chance for a new and beautiful life here, in America. Here's the link to Amazon and of course I want you to check it out!!! WHY WOULDN'T I?????
A few free-form Artisan loaves to be that cool person!!!! I've always wanted to be that cool person, LOL!
So why do we humans mess up so much??? :) Waving from upstate where the Crockpot and the big portable roaster oven and the deep fryer live outside... "Summer Kitchen" stuff, at its best!
We love pulled pork, had it last night as a matter of fact. My SIL made 400 lbs! for a Trail Life scout fund raiser at church yesterday, so I didn't even have to cook it! Even better! (when you buy that much at a time, you can get it at the local pork plant for $1.03 a lb. and boneless too)
ReplyDeleteI will have to try your recipe, we always make ours in the crockpot too.
Oh how I would love to get a hold of some of that bread! We have had tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini aplenty from our garden, but if I lived near you your bread and produce stand would take a serious hit!
400 pounds??!!! Wow. That's amazing.
DeleteI agree about visiting often if I lived near the produce stand!
I love that the produce stand is building a fun clientele this year! We're getting ready for Dave's retirement, so this year is crazy with a capital C.... but then he's got his new business established when he hits the retirement ground running next spring. SIX MONTHS!!!! :)
DeleteTracey, I can't even fathom cooking 400 pounds of meat. What did she cook it in?
ReplyDeleteRuthy, I LOVE pulled pork. Best I ever had was in North Carolina, but then that may also be the only place I've had it. ;)
I have a crock pot, but believe it or not, I've never used it. The part of me that is my father's daughter can't leave the house with an appliance plugged in.
Mary, it still pains me to leave mine cooking while I'm away! It helped me a little to buy a new CrockPot. I feared using my old one.
DeleteDave and the scout team used our church's commercial kitchen with four stoves, even then they did it in two shifts 9-1 and 1-5. I think he was sick of chopping it though. The scout troop is hoping to raise $2500 for their various service projects take and camping trips.
DeleteSomeone unplugged my Keurig once. I realized that I didn't care as much about their LIFE as my coffee. :) So mine are always plugged in and now my house will burn down because I'm admitting this!!! EEEEEK!
DeleteTracey, what a cool project, though!!!! Who thought of that????
DeleteRuthy I agree on the coffee pot!! LOL I just get angsty leaving food cooking. Also won't leave the house with the clothes drying. :)
DeleteRuthy, Sorry I didn't see your comment until I backtracked, you may not see mine either. My son-in-law is one of the scout leaders and he likes to cook so it was his idea. My daughter works with my granddaughters troop and she laughs at all the work he puts in, she'd rather sell coupon books for the girls fundraiser and be done with it
DeleteI'll play fetch with Libby while y'all devour the pork, okay?
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to reading Refuge of the Heart. I think you mentioned that this is Franciscan Media's debut into fiction publishing. Curious to know how you discovered them...or they discovered you.
Love pulled pork. There is a place here in Arizona that serves MacDaddy's which is macaroni and cheese with pulled pork on top and bar-b-que sauce poured on top. Yum. I'm getting hungry.
ReplyDeleteSandra, you just made me hungry too!
DeleteOoh, Sandra, that sounds yummy!
DeleteI'm hungry for it now too. Pulling some leftover pork from the frig right now, but alas no mac and cheese to try with it.
DeleteThe pulled pork can go with our fried mac-and-cheese last week! SANDRA! You're brilliant!!!!! :) I had cottage cheese for supper. There was no time to think of food... and now all I'm thinking of is s-l-e-e-p. :)
DeleteYUM! I saw the same thing on sale the other day for $1.68 a pound. I almost bought it. Now you've inspired me to go back. :)
ReplyDeleteMissy, I just look at that and how many meals it is, and that's such a good price!!!!
DeleteYes, I'm going to have to pick up some of that pork, too!
ReplyDeleteMy family loves pulled pork sandwiches, but today the idea of using the crock pot...oh, I don't know...maybe it has something to do with the 100° weather yesterday! We're supposed to be cooler on Sunday - and my crock pot is my go-to appliance for Sunday lunches!
I'm going to have to try your version. I never thought of covering the meat with foil inside the crock pot.
And, oh, the bread! If only I lived closer...or you lived closer...or something :)
Jan, I stole the foil idea from that great rib recipe I did for Cousinpalooza.... and I did a few racks in the big roaster oven, and the website said that double wrapping them makes them cook better and keeps them from drying out, and it works! It leaves them steaming, but roasting, too. If that makes sense!!!! What a great idea, right?
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