Pulled Pork for less than $.45 per person per meal.
Protein can be quite inexpensive and very tasty. I buy pork sirloin for $1.69 for pulled pork.
Using a slow cooker, I cook all 8+ pounds at the same time. It only takes a half hour in the morning and it cooks all day. We have dinner that night and I put the rest in pint mason jars and freeze them. It generates 8 1/2 pints and each pint easily feeds 4 people. I also use two cans of chicken stock (about $1.00), although water would work just fine. Breaking down the cost, total input $14.16 + $1.00= $15.16. That is $1.78 per jar or at less than .45 per person. When you add a bun or a taco and all the fixing dinner will be less than $1.50 per person, and it is good.
It comes in four basically round roasts. I clean the meat and slice it about an inch thick.
I put some salt and pepper on it and brown it in a frying pan. I do use a couple of cans of chicken stock. I put chicken stock in the pan after each batch and clean the pan out, emptying the liquid into the crockpot.
This does take a little time when you are cooking 8 pounds.
When all the pork has been browned I add the balance of chicken stock. It will appear to have a lot of moisture, but it is all incorporated when you shred the pork.
If you like the smoky flavor just add a couple of drops of liquid smoke and it tastes like it was cooked on a BBQ. I cook it on high for the day.
Using two forks just pull it apart.
I use mason jars and store them in the freezer.
Just a tip, I seem to be in a hurry around dinner time so I put the frozen pulled pork in the microwave. A couple of times the jar has broken at the bottom. The reason is that microwave heats from the bottom up. The solution is to put the jar upside down in a bowl. Because the larger part of the jar and the opening are now at the bottom it thaws just fine.
I buy a an inexpensive cut of beef, with little fat on it, and prepare it the same way.
© 2016 T.K.Frawley.