slow cooker recipe – #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This BBQ slow cooked sweet potato recipe cost me less than 50p per person
What are the benefits? This dish is an amazing vegan alternative, easily provides two of your five a day, and is very low in fat.

When I ate meat, one of my absolute favourite things to order was a succulent serving of smokey BBQ pulled pork. Tender, falling apart and slathered in sauce, I’d pile that stuff into or on top of pretty much anything!

Obviously that’s a no-go these days, but I had to find a substitute to fill that piggy-shaped hole in my life 🐷 I’ve tried pulled aubergine, which is pretty tasty – you can check out the recipe here – but its unique texture didn’t quite fool my brain (or tummy) into thinking pulled pork was back on the menu.

I continued searching for more alternatives to try and, guys, I don’t want to be overdramatic here; but I think I’ve found the holy grail of pulled pork substitutes.

Who knew grated sweet potato would soak up that rich, sweet, tangy taste of BBQ sauce so well?! Slow cooked for hours until ludicrously soft, it just falls to pieces and is simply divine. It’s also made totally from vegetables so it’s full of crazy health benefits too!

Just a little tip before you go ahead and try this recipe: don’t be afraid to experiment with sauces! A classic BBQ sauce will do just fine, but I used a combination – from sweet whiskey to bourbon to steakhouse, there are so many variations to try – to create my perfect flavour.

INGREDIENTS
4 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Grated
2 Large Bell Peppers, Sliced
2 Onions, Sliced
1 tbsp American Mustard
4 tbsp BBQ Sauce
1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Vegetable Stock Cube
1 Mug of Water

SEASONING
With this recipe it couldn’t be easier to season – you just chuck it all in the pot and go! I used a good helping of garlic (dried or fresh, whatever you have), smoked paprika, cumin, dried chilli flakes, black pepper and salt. Remember, you’re relying on vegetables and store-bought sauces here, so you want to inject as much flavour as possible.

HOW TO MAKE BBQ SLOW COOKED SWEET POTATO

1. Grate the sweet potato into your slow cooker (watch out for your fingers!) and throw in the onions and peppers too. If you don’t have a slow cooker or aren’t using one for this recipe, you can pretty much follow the same steps using a large pan on the hob and cooking on a medium heat for around 30 minutes.

2. Add the mustard, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, stock cube, water and seasoning, and leave according to your slow cooker timings. I left mine on the high heat setting for 5 hours and it was absolutely fine, but your slow cooker manual will tell you how best to cook yours.

3. Serve, and enjoy!

IMG_6627-2 — *Slow cooked BBQ sweet potato*

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe is high in protein, vitamins and iron.

Pulled pork blew up a few years ago and seemed any other fad, just the latest hipster trends that took food markets and burger joints by storm. But, luckily for us, it’s not going out of fashion anytime soon. Personally, I really love pulled pork and have wanted to cook it for aaaaages, thankfully I finally found the time!

I really hate fat on meat and always bin it, so was prepared to do the same as I trimmed away at the pork shoulder, until my boyfriend intercepted. “Are you going to make crackling with that?” “Er, no, I wasn’t. Why?” “I really love crackling.” “Oh, I don’t really like fat so I was just going to chuck it. Do you want me to make crackling with it?” …

So, of course, we made crackling too. I actually did eat some and, I gotta say, it was pretty good. I felt totally gross afterwards, mind you! If you’re trying to be healthy then definitely throw out the fat, but I’ve included how to make crackling here if you want to.

Usually I’d tell you how many calories are in a recipe per serving here, but I’ve decided to do away with that (and have since gone back and removed it from all of my recipe posts). Calories never tell the full story, they’re always an approximation, and there is way more to healthy, nutritious food than the calorie count.

For example, did you know pork is an excellent source of protein and iron? And this recipe uses a leaner cut of pork than, say, bacon or gammon so it’s lower in fat (um, except for the crackling… obviously).

INGREDIENTS
One Pork Shoulder Joint (the more people you’re feeding, the bigger shoulder you’ll need!)
900ml Cans of Cider
6 tbsp BBQ Sauce
1 tsp Honey

SEASONING
Okay, so to get the most out of this recipe you really need to ramp up the flavour. For the pork rub, mix together paprika, dried garlic, cumin, chilli flakes, dried thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl until all the herbs and spices are well combined. If you want something spicier, throw in some more chilli flakes and add a dash of hot sauce to the pot! On the same note, if you prefer your pulled pork on the sweeter side, add a teaspoon of sugar to the rub. Also, before the fat goes in the oven to become crackling, coat with another sprinkle of salt.

So, this is how I did it…

PULLED PORK

1. Coat the slow cooker (or casserole dish if you’re not using a slow cooker) with a very, very thin layer of oil or cooking spray. Plonk the pork shoulder in the middle and rub the mixed herbs and spices all over, including the fat (see “SEASONING” below!).

2. Pour in the cider, add four of the six tablespoons of BBQ sauce and the honey, and pop the lid on.

3. Depending on how you’re cooking this, cook on a medium heat (that’s the “Auto” setting on my slow cooker, but check your settings!) for 6-8 hours.

4. Remove the pork shoulder from the dish, transfer to a plate and cut the fat away (put to one side if you’re making crackling!). Shred the pork with two forks and pop this back into the slow cooker. Stir into the sauce, with the last two tablespoons of BBQ sauce, and allow to cook on a low heat for 30 minutes to an hour. Dish up and tip away the excess sauce.

CRACKLING

1. Take the fat trimmed away from the pork shoulder, cut into strips and lay on a rack over a baking tray. Season with salt and cook on 200 degrees for 50 minutes.

We made fajitas with our pulled pork, what are you gonna do with yours?!

Tag: slow cooker recipe

RECIPE: BBQ Slow Cooked Sweet Potato | #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork with Crackling | #ThisGirlEats