Pork has been nicknamed The Other White Meat. It is a healthy alternative to fattier cuts of beef and chicken. It is flavorful and versatile as a substitute in dishes that once called for only chicken and/or beef. Pull out your slow cooker and take that pork for a spin.
Pork provides many different cuts of meat: bacon, ground sausage, ham, pork butt steaks, ribs, loin, and chops. Each has its own characteristics and provides different options for how it can be cooked. In the slow cooker you can use just about all of those cuts if you like. The leaner cuts will give you the least fat if you are watching your diet.
Boneless pork chops and pork tenderloin will not take as long to cook. Your slow cooker should be set on four hours instead of eight. Pork can be bought seasoned from the store. If yours is not, try a trick I like to use for pork and poultry. Add a packet of onion soup mix to the meat. It can be regular onion or golden onion, whichever you prefer.
If you are following a recipe you won’t want to add the onion soup mix, just use the spices called for in the recipe. Your recipe should also tell you to add some liquid. If you aren’t following a recipe you will need to add about a cup of liquid, whether it’s water or stock. You also want to add any vegetables you will be using in this dish. Whether you use fresh or frozen doesn’t matter. They will both work just fine.
Pork sausage balls are excellent in the crock pot, and very simple. You can go home made and get ground pork sausage, or you can get frozen pre-made suasage balls. Either will work just fine. Once you have the balls made or taken out of the package simply add them to the crock pot. Add some water and your favorite sauce. Depending whether you are using fresh or frozen you will need to cook them from 2 to 4 hours. It will also depend a little on how hot your crock pot cooks. After 2 hours check them to see if they are done, if not, leave them to cook a while longer.
Most people think about ribs on the grill or in the smoker, but if you want the most tender ribs you’ve ever tasted try them in the crock pot! You will be pleasantly surprised. You can choose any type of seasoning or rub to use on them, just as you would on the smoker. You don’t need to parboil on the stove before you get started, just make sure you’ve marinated them overnight for the best flavor and stick them in the crock pot. You will need to cook them for 6 to 8 hours.
You have to make sure you add some liquid to the ribs in the crock pot. The crock pot uses moist heat, and you have to provide the moisture. About an hour or two before the cooking time is up go ahead and add your favorite BBQ suace. The sauce will permeate the meat creating delicious ribs. When your cooking time is up you will find the most tender, fall off the bone ribs you’ve ever eaten. Delicious.
You can create special family or even holiday dinners in your crock pot. It frees up the stove and oven and allows you to actually enjoy the day with your family or company. A ham is perfect for the crock pot. Simply glaze with honey or brown sugar about an hour before you want to cook it. Don’t forget to add the pineapple too. If your ham package says it should cook from 50 minutes to 3 hours in the oven you are looking at 8 to 18 hours in the crock pot on low, or you could do 4 to 6 hours on high.
Pork is a great meat to use in the slow cooker. Just be aware of your cooking times for boneless meat as opposed to bone-in varieties. The last thing you want is a dried out piece of meat that no one enjoys. How do I know that you might be asking? Take my word for it its not delicious by any stretch of the imagination.






