Slow Cooker Kalua Pulled Pork

I went to Hawaii a few years back and got to eat Kalua pork for the first time at a luau. It is so fantastic and so tender.  They have a place in Utah that has amazing kalua pork, but I was excited to make my own.  You guys.  This cooks in your slow cooker for 16 hours!  I put it in the night before and when it was ready the next day, it peeled apart.  The salt and liquid smoke rub keeps it extremely tender and moist.  I don't think I have ever experienced pork that was so tender and moist.  I served them with some coleslaw and drizzled BBQ sauce on top.  But you could really serve this however you want to!  Over rice, use teriyaki sauce, it tacos, the possibilities of this delicious pork is endless.  The flavor was perfect and I felt like I was in a Hawaii luau in my kitchen...  haha I wish!  

Rating: 4 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars

Slow Cooker Kalua Pulled Pork

• 1 6 pound Pork Butt Roast
• 3 Tbsp Hawaiian sea salt (or regular sea salt works great)
• 3 Tbsp Liquid Smoke

1.  Mix the sea salt and liquid smoke together in a small bowl.  Place the pork into your slow cooker and run the mixture all over the roast.

2.  Cook on low 16-20 hours.  Turn your roast over at least once half way through.

3.  Once finished remove roast from crockpot and juices and shred.

Recipe Adapted from Plain Chicken

You might also enjoy:

Slow Cooker Skinny Pulled Pork Barbacoa

Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork

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Honey Orange Pork

It has been a little chaotic at our house.  I am getting a brand new kitchen!  I have been so excited that I will have a new kitchen to cook in!  But it has been crazy around here.  I was cooking this delicious pork while they were working on my new kitchen.  They were dying over how amazing it smelled and begged me to let me try some.  This pork turned out awesome!  The outside had a crust of pepper and spices and the sweet glaze over this made it amazing.  And the pork was oh so tender.This is a meal to make if you want to impress your friends, neighbors, family, or yourself!  It is absolutely delicious!  I have been on a roll lately with awesome dinners!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 3 stars

Review:  This turned out fantastic.  I was worried that the orange and honey would make it to sweet, but mixed with the other ingredients made it perfect.  We will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 3 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 1 pound pork tenderloin
• Salt and Pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare your sauce by whisking together in a bowl the marmalade, cider, soy sauce, minced garlic, and honey. 

2.  Heat the oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium high heat.  Rub the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

3.  Add the pork to the skillet and brown each side for 1-2 minutes until it forms a crust.

4.  Remove the pork from the skillet and place in a pan.  Cover with about 1/2 of the sauce and place in oven for 10 minutes.  

5.  Remove the pan and carefully flip the pork to the other side. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the sauce but pour the remaining on top of the pork.  You will use the reserved sauce for the end to pour over the sliced pork.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

6.  Depending on the size of pork, oven times will vary.  Mine was a little bigger so it took about 40 minutes.  Just make sure the thermometer reads 155 degrees.

7.  Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices and drizzle with remaining sauce.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

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Slow Cooker Skinny Pulled Pork Barbacoa

I am majorly {obsessed} with Cafe Rio.  My Cafe Rio Recipe that I make tastes just like the real deal.  Well this recipe that I found I think gives my other recipe a run for the money.  It tasted just like Cafe Rio, but with reduced calories.  Do you know what they say is the secret ingredient?  Coca Cola.  This recipe is made with Coke Zero.  It makes the meat literally just melt in your mouth because it is so moist and tender.  It is so easy to shred this and just falls apart.  The flavor is out of this world with a little bit of sweet to it.  I had my pork over a delicious salad tonight and the whole family loved it... well except for the picky one.  He wouldn't try it.  He had a quesadilla.  Totally missed out! This was amazing!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 3 stars
Review:  I think my other recipe just got replaced.  The flavor was still just as great and so close to Cafe Rio's but with reduced calories.  We loved it.  We will definitely make this again and again!

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
2.5 pounds pork loin roast, fat trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 ounce coke zero
1/4 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
1/4 cup water

Step two:
8 ounce coke zero
6 oz can sliced green chilies
8 ounce tomato sauce
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/3 cup unpacked brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix together the salt, pepper, coke zero, and brown sugar.  You can place the roast with this marinade into the crockpot or gallon size bag and let it marinate overnight or for at least two hours.
2. Take the pork out of the fridge and add 1/4 cup water to the marinade.  Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 3-4.  The pork should be able to shred very easily with fork.
3.  Drain all liquids and shred the pork with two forks.  Mix ingredients for step 2.  The coke zero, green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle chili, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with the shredded pork and continue cooking for an hour.
4. You can serve with black beans, cilantro lime rice, or whatever your heart desires.  :)
Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste

Servings: about 10 • Serving Size: 3 oz • Old Points: 4.5 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 202.5 • Fat: 6.3 g • Protein: 26.2 g • Carb: 11.5 g • Fiber: 0.6 g

You might also enjoy:

The Best and Easy Sweet Pork Tacos

Cafe Rio Copycat Sweet Pulled Pork

Cafe Rio Copycat Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Petite Lasagnes

I still like to enjoy my favorite foods while I am watching what I eat.  I just have to enjoy them in mini size!  I am ok with that!  These only came out to being 191 calories for each one.  Put it with a side salad and a whole wheat baguette slice, and you have yourself a delicious meal!

Rating: 4 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 3 stars
Review:  I thought these were going to be a lot harder to make but they were pretty simple to assemble.  Once they were assembled they only took 10 minutes to cook!  I left the onion and mushroom out just because I didn't want to risk the kids not eating them.  These were delicious and we will be making them again.

Ingredients:
12 oz raw ground turkey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
24 small square wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 375.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the turkey, mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Cook the turkey until it is cooked through.
2.  Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.  Add the can of crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp oregano.  Bring the pan to a gentle boil.  Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil.  Combine and set aside.
4. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  Place one wonton wrapper into the bottom of each cup pressing firmly on the bottom and sides.
5.  Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups.  Spoon it so it is on the bottom.  Then using half of the turkey meat mixture, spoon it evenly over the ricotta filled cups.  Sprinkle each cup with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
6. Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.  Repeat the process distributing the remaining ricotta mixture and turkey mixture.  Top with mozzarella.
7.  Bake for 10 minutes of until the cheese has melted.
8.  Let the cups cool for a few minutes, remove from the pan and serve!
Recipe From Six Sisters Stuff
  
Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna:
Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein 14.1g

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Mini Mexican Pizzas

Mac and Cheese Cups

Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork

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This meal is going to go down in history as one of my favorite meals ever.  This was so delicious I couldn't get enough of it.  My family loved it just as much and my little 9 year old kept sneaking some from the crockpot.  The flavor of the sauce was amazing and the pork just pulled apart because it was so tender.  Definitely one that we will be making again and again!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars

Things that I changed:  I doubled sauce that gets dumped in at the end.

Things that I would do differently next time: I am going to try it with chicken too!

Will I make it again?  Yes

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds of pork roast 

1 cup water

1/2 tsp Shirley J Chicken bouillon or 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules

1 onion, cut into large chunky slices

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and place the pork on the bottom.  Pour the water and bouillon.  Place onions around the roast.  Cover and cook on low 7-10 hours.  The pork should be tender and easy to shred.

3. When pork is finished drain the juices and discard onions.  Shred the meat.

4.  Combine soy sauce, Worchestershire, garllic, brown sugar and oyster sauce.  Pour over the meat and stir.

5.  Let it cook for another 30 minutes so that the flavors are blended.

6. Serve over hot rice or ramen noodles.

Recipe from: 365 days of Slow Cooking