A single gal buying a big Boston Butt may sound a little weird, but you don’t have to cook for an army to buy a big cut of meat. This roast gave me about 5-6 portions, so between dinners and lunches, I didn’t need to freeze any leftovers.

As you can see, at $1.47 per pound, this cheap cut that was on sale is an excellent bargain. A good rule of thumb for pork, beef and chicken is: the longer it needs to cook, the more fat it has in it, and the cheaper it is.

I’m using my awesome slow cooker to cook this roast. What makes it awesome? I can sear the meat on the stove in the same pot it’s going to be cooking in all day. No transferring to different pots. If you don’t have one of these pans, you can either sear the meat in a skillet and transfer to a slow-cooker, or use a cast iron pot and use the oven to slow roast it.

Whatever pan you’re using, heat up some vegetable oil in a very hot pan. Once it starts to just barely smoke, drop the butt in with the fattiest side down.

 Sear on all sides.

Once all sides are seared, drop in 2 chopped onions, 1/2 head of garlic, and fill the pot right above the meat with water (or stock, if you have some).

Pop the lid on and cook. How long? At LEAST 4-5 hours, if not longer. I believe this cooked for about 8-9 hours, and that’s okay because that slow heat over time renders the fat and it just falls apart when you’re done.

 I got a little impatient after hour 6. But either way, it should be falling apart. 

 Once you just can’t take it anymore, take it out of the pan to rest while you prepare your sauce.

Curry Mustard Sauce

I stole this idea from an amazing fast food Cuban joint in Orlando, Florida called Pollo Tropical. Curry and mustard didn’t strike me as compatible flavors, but it really, really works.

In a bowl, mix equal parts sour cream, mayo and mustard. Add salt, pepper, curry powder, onion powder and garlic powder to taste. 

 This is the consistency and color that I like, but season it to your taste preference.

 I recommend adding black beans and cilantro to this dish to really get the full experience, but I didn’t have any.

 No-Flour Gravy

What’s left in your pan is so full of flavor, I don’t think you need flour in your “gravy”. This is a healthier method of getting flavor on your plate without the calories.  

Drop the juices and onions in a food processor or bullet and pulverize. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 Isn’t that beautiful? So smooth and creamy.

 If you’d rather thicken up your gravy a bit more, feel free to do so. Get a bowl with equal parts flour and cold water (1-2 T.). Whisk very well and drop back into the gravy pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring as you go, until it thickens to your preference.

It may not be beautiful, but it tastes amazing.

• Boston Butt Roast – $4.22
• 2 Onions – $1.08
• 5 servings – $5.30
• 1 serving roast – $1.06
• 1 serving rice – $.15
• 1 serving total – $1.21