Adaptive Living: Using a slow Cooker to make Pork
Everybody gotta eat, right? Here is a wonderfully simple meal you can make that tastes so divine it surely is worthy of serving to a king. It has always been a hit when I have made it, and there is little cleanup because it all goes into one pot. Besides, you do not need to watch it at any point during cooking, so you really can’t go wrong with this one.
slow cooker
A good slow cooker has been the most valuable kitchen item I have ever owned. Tough cuts of meat come out tender and juicy, and flavors meld wonderfully over long gentle cooking. It also retains moisture, so you do not need to add much liquid and never need to worry about that liquid boiling dry. It will not burn food if you cook it a little too long. And most of all, I love the dump and forget it capability of a slow cooker. I can dump this meal in the morning and come home to a wonderful smell of a dinner ready to eat. Here is a great slow cooker: Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Slow Cooker with Dishwasher-Safe Stoneware Crock & Lid, Stainless Steel.
I like that this one is easy to operate without vision. It has a single dial which clicks into each setting from left to right (clockwise): off, warm, low, high. There are no other controls to fool with. Simply put the stoneware crock into the electric base, dump in the food, place the lid securely, turn the dial to low, plug it in and walk away. When you are done, the crock can be removed from the base for washing. If the slow cooker you have is large and difficult to handle to wash it, you may choose to use a crockpot liner. I used one once on a large 6-quart slow cooker, as I do not own a dishwasher and it was too large for me to wash by hand. Though, I choose not to use them simply because I prefer to minimize plastics in my life. They do make cleanup much simpler, however. Here is a link to some: Heavy-duty Crockpot Liners.
When you open these liners, shake them open and fold the top over the rim like you would a new trash bag in a trash can. I like to put a heavy bowl in the bottom and pull as much excess up over the rim as possible. Then tie any loose excess in the top of the liner so it hugs tightly over the rim of your slow cooker. I do this by twisting any loose material to form a “rope”, wrapping the “rope” around two fingers to form a loop, then tucking the end through this loop and pulling it tight. This prevents the bag from falling into the pot as it becomes weighed down with food or as you stir. At this point, remove the bowl and begin putting your food in.
Recipe
This recipe is paleo, keto-friendly, autoimmune protocol and whole 30 approved, gluten, dairy, egg and nut-free. Yet it is the most amazing roast I’ve ever had. So, what is it? I call it Hawaiian pork roast.
Ingredients
- 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
- 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice
- 1 large bunch fresh broccoli, chopped
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 cup coconut aminos (I like 1/2 cup personally; I use this one: Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos – 16.9 fl oz – Low Sodium Soy Sauce.
- If you have no diet restrictions, you may substitute ordinary soy sauce.)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (this is the salt I use: HIMALAYAN Pink Salt – 5 Lbs. Reduced Sodium Granular Powder. There is no regular table salt to be found in my house; (I always use this.)
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch (optional; I use this one: Arrowroot Powder 1 Lb. Arrowroot Flour Starch. (Because of my diet restrictions, I always use this as a thickening agent rather than flour or cornstarch.)
- Fresh cilantro and sliced scallions to garnish, if desired
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
Separate pineapple chunks from juice. I do this by replacing the lid back on the can after opening it. Using the lid as a strainer to hold back the chunks, I pour the juice out into a mixing bowl. Reserve the juice.
Open your pork roast. Be sure you peel off the mesh bag around the meat. I once made the mistake of not removing that, as I thought the meat was simply sealed in a plastic package. Make sure there is no absorbent pad on one side of the meat either. Open the shoulder and lay it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Sprinkle onion slices, then pineapple chunks, then chopped broccoli all around on top of the meat.
Lastly, mix the reserved pineapple juice, coconut aminos, melted coconut oil, salt, and arrowroot starch. I measure my coconut aminos by placing a fingertip over the rim of a 1/4 cup measuring cup so I can feel when the liquid reaches the top as I pour it out of the bottle. I measure the other ingredients by using a clean measuring spoon and scooping it directly out of the jar, then leveling the spoon by sliding a finger over the top, brushing excess back into the jar. If the oven is warm for any reason, I let the coconut oil sit on my stovetop to melt. If not, I scoop out A measured portion into a small silicone bowl set in a bowl of warm water to melt. You can microwave it too, but I do not own a microwave. Whisk it very well. Pour this over everything. Place the lid securely on your slow cooker and set it to low. Plug it in and leave it alone for 8 hours.
No peeking! Do not open the lid, don’t stir. Just let it cook for 8 hours. When that time is up, unplug it and let it cool. There will be a lot of fat on the meat, but it will be so tender you can pull the fat away in slabs with your fingers. Cooked fat and cooked meat have a very distinctively different texture, unlike raw pork, so I find it easiest to trim after it is cooked. Personally, I eat the fat or use excess fat for cooking later, but that is up to you.
I like to serve mine on a plate with cooked white rice and a sprinkling of cilantro and sliced scallions. But this stuff is so good, many times I have not bothered to garnish it.
Cooking rice
Cooked rice is a staple in my kitchen and it is very simple to make. I measure one cup dry rice into a small one-quart saucepan. Pour in two cups of water or, better yet, bone broth or meat stock. Put on a secure lid and bring it to a boil. When it starts boiling, I can smell the distinctive smell of rice. At that point, turn the burner off. Do not crack the lid! Let it sit, covered, for 20 minutes. At that point, all the broth will have been absorbed and you will have fluffy, tender but not mushy rice. Because rice cooks well in hot water and I can turn it off as soon as it begins to boil, I have never burned rice. Beans now, that is quite another story.
I hope you enjoy making this scrumptious, healthy meal and your family enjoys eating it with you.
Products List
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| Products List | Description of products. |
|---|---|
| Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Slow Cooker with Dishwasher-Safe Stoneware Crock & Lid, Stainless Steel. | A great slow cooker for every household. Easy to use and easy to clean. |
| Heavy-duty Crockpot Liners. | Once you try this liner, you will never go back. A very fast way to clean up after every great meal. Once meal is gone from the slow cooker, just pull out the liner and throw it away. |
| Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos – 16.9 fl oz – Low Sodium Soy Sauce. | Coconut Soy Sauce for every household. |
| HIMALAYAN Pink Salt – 5 Lbs. Reduced Sodium Granular Powder. | Himalayan Pink salt that is low in sodium. |
| Arrowroot Powder 1 Lb. Arrowroot Flour Starch. | A good alternative to flour or corn starch. |
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