Pulled Pork Sandwiches - $10 a day!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches - $10 a day!

origin - Lisa Lou
difficulty - easy
health meter - medium

When trying to cook on a budget, one rule I go by is to shop what is on sale. The grocery stores run specials on meats every week and it is absolutely the way to go on a budget. Arming yourself with 'stand by' recipes for each category of meat will take the pressure off of planning. That way you just wait to see what's on sale and what looks good when you're shopping and go from there. This week pork tenderloins were on sale for $4.99/lb. Two tenderloins per package are very common so I try to use one and freeze one. Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat and an excellent slow cooker candidate. I decided to change it up a bit and try a different type of barbecue sauce to cook the pork in - it's much more on the 'vinegar' side than the sweet, thick sauce you are most likely used to. I'm sure all of you have Heinz Tomato Ketchup in your pantry already - that's half the battle! I served this with a simple cole slaw and roasted yukon potatoes to round off the meal (Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins K and C and very low in calories). This meal makes great leftovers for lunch the next day (pork $4.99, pre shredded cole slaw $2.00, yukon potatoes $3.00).

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1-1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple juice
3/4 chopped onion
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons yellow or dijon mustard
3/4 cup Heinz ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Saute onion in olive oil until soft approximately 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Place tenderloin in slow cooker and cover with half the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4). Using two forks, separate and shred the meat. Add more sauce to desired consistency and taste. Leaving the cover off let simmer on high (in the slow cooker) to reduce sauce slightly. Serve over sandwich rolls with extra sauce on the side.

Easy Creamy Cole Slaw

1 package pre shredded cole slaw mix
2/3 cup low fat mayo (or regular)
1/3 cup low fat sour cream (not fat free - this has a funny taste)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp celery salt (omit if necessary)
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except cole slaw. Fold into the cole slaw mix and refrigerate for 15 minutes - or all day! Enjoy.