Chinese-style pork roast.

Here's a great recipe for some Chinese-style pork roast.The Ingredients...Of course this recipe starts with the pork! In any budget cooking recipe, the meat is going to be your biggest expense, so you'll need to choose your cut wisely.Thankfully, pork is pretty cheap, and the cuts that are good for roasts are the most economical of all. Your best bet is to go for pork shoulder. It is delicious, tender when cooked right, and sometimes only costs ONE dollar per pound! It is fatty, but you can trim that off or avoid it if you want.


Once you've picked out a good 5-6 pound hunk of pork shoulder, you'll need a few other ingredients for this budget cooking recipe. Of main importance are the sauces and spices that are going to flavor the meat. You'll need :

soy sauce,
ginger,
garlic,
Chinese five-spice,
red pepper,
brown sugar,
and salt.

Most of these things you'll already have on hand!Next, you'll probably want some veggies and rice to go with your roast. Since your meat is going to be so flavorful, you'll want to keep everything else simple. Pick up some jasmine or basmati white rice and some carrots, mushrooms, and scallions for garnish.Prepping the PorkLike most budget cooking recipes, this is going to be pretty easy and simple. Coat the entire roast generously with five-spice and salt. In your crock pot, pour some water, stock, or broth, and add the sugar, soy sauce, and pepper, ginger, and garlic.

Next, you can sear the meat for extra flavor if you want. To do this, put a cast-iron skillet on super high heat and cook the sides of the raw pork shoulder until they are golden brown. THEN, add the meat to the mixture in the crock pot. That golden brown crust will add a great depth of flavor!Cook and Serve!Cooking the roast couldn't be simpler.

Once everything is in the pot, turn it to low and cook for 8-10 hours. You may need to check to make sure the roast is done, and you can also cook it on high if you want it to get done faster.To serve, prepare some rice and serve the hot, fresh roast with some raw or slightly cooked carrots, mushrooms, and scallions for garnish. If you've got some fresh cilantro on hand, that also makes a great addition to this budget cooking recipe