I try to keep our meals fairly simple. I mean, who has time to spend hours in the kitchen? Enter the slow cooker.....
My husband is fairly particular when it comes to his meals (I am as well, not intended to be negative, just a fact). One thing that can be challenging for me is he's not a huge fan of slow-cooker meals. This means that I need to experiment quite a bit to find slow-cooker meals he loves.
Why The Slow-Cooker?
Being able to toss a few things in, turn it on, and forget about it until it's ready is my idea of a perfect meal. (of course, as long as it tastes good too) I've been working on recipes that are able to be tossed in, with little to no prep, and can cook all day. Unlike chicken which can only cook for a few hours (except whole chicken), some cuts of pork and beef are able to cook for the length of a workday or more.
Why Pork Butt?
I also seek out recipes where I can use inexpensive cuts of meat that will turn into a delicious and fulfilling meal. Pork butt is one of those cuts. Because it's just two of us, and only my husband eats meat, I can take one whole boneless pork butt (we bought our most recent from Costco for only a couple dollars per pound), cut it up into many pieces that will each be 2 or 3 servings, cook it and serve him 2 to 3 meals that week from it.
I've made pulled pork in the slow-cooker a few times. While my husband has always liked the flavor, he's just never liked the texture. He has also tried pulled pork at our favorite BBQ place and the same thing - he likes the flavor but not the texture. Wanting to find a slow-cooker pork butt recipe that he likes I began experimenting with other recipes. They were ok but none were great.
Then I had an idea. He loves Mississippi Pot Roast which is made with a chuck roast, what if I used the same concept (minus the mounds of butter) and made a pork butt in a similar way?
Ta Da!!
It was a winner. He loves the flavor and the texture, and I love the simplicity and the fact that it will cook most of the day. And it makes great leftovers! I serve them either as is, as a sandwich, or pull it slightly and tuck it into a tortilla shell with veggies & cheese.
Pork Roast with BBQ Rub Before Cooking
Cooked Pork Roast (you can see it has made it's own liquid)
Why This Recipe Is A Winner
- It is moist, flavorful, and doesn't have a mushy texture
- It has 3 ingredients
- There is very little prep (and no pre-cooking at all)
- I can throw it together in 7 minutes in the morning
- It cooks for 5-6 hours
- It makes great leftovers
- It makes 2-3 inexpensive dinners
Simple & Delicious Slow-Cooker BBQ Pork Butt
1 Two to Four pound Boneless Pork Butt Roast (sometimes called Boston Pork Butt)
3 Tablespoons BBQ Rub (my recipe is here)
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce
Rub the BBQ rub all over the meat, working it into any creases. Place pork roast into slow-cooker and drizzle with BBQ sauce. **It is correct that there is no liquid. Keep the sauce on the roast, don't drizzle on the crock.** Cover and cook until pork is tender, 5-6 hours on low (use 6 hours for 3 and 4 pound roasts) or 3-4 hours on high.
Remove pork and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into strips and serve.
*alternatively, if you prefer, when you remove the pork you can place it on a baking sheet and broil until sauce is lightly caramelized, 6-12 minutes. Watch closely.*
Additional Slow-Cooker Recipes He Loves:
Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Pub Inspired Short Ribs
Honey Sesame Slow-Cooker Chicken - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Pork & Beans - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Bourbon 5-Spice Chicken - *Freezer Meal*
The BEST Whole Slow-Cooker Chicken
Slow-Cooker Sausage & Peppers Sandwich - *Freezer Meal*
1 Two to Four pound Boneless Pork Butt Roast (sometimes called Boston Pork Butt)
3 Tablespoons BBQ Rub (my recipe is here)
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce
Rub the BBQ rub all over the meat, working it into any creases. Place pork roast into slow-cooker and drizzle with BBQ sauce. **It is correct that there is no liquid. Keep the sauce on the roast, don't drizzle on the crock.** Cover and cook until pork is tender, 5-6 hours on low (use 6 hours for 3 and 4 pound roasts) or 3-4 hours on high.
Remove pork and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into strips and serve.
*alternatively, if you prefer, when you remove the pork you can place it on a baking sheet and broil until sauce is lightly caramelized, 6-12 minutes. Watch closely.*
Additional Slow-Cooker Recipes He Loves:
Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Pub Inspired Short Ribs
Honey Sesame Slow-Cooker Chicken - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Pork & Beans - *Freezer Meal*
Slow-Cooker Bourbon 5-Spice Chicken - *Freezer Meal*
The BEST Whole Slow-Cooker Chicken
Slow-Cooker Sausage & Peppers Sandwich - *Freezer Meal*