I live in North Carolina, one of the few real homes of authentic barbecue. So I feel like I'm risking getting kicked out of the state for what I'm about to tell you.

I just cooked pork barbecue in a slow cooker... using liquid smoke. Please give me a chance to explain before you start hurling your hickory wood chips at me.

Any barbecue expert (and I'm definitely not one) will tell you that the biggest key to good barbecue is SMOKE. Low and slow with lots and lots of smoke to permeate the meat and make it into amazing-fall-off-the-bone goodness. I don't have the patience or the smoker for that. Blurg.

The other day I was listening to The Splendid Table on iTunes and heard a guy talk about cheating at barbecue by putting a big piece of pork in a slow-cooker with some spices and some liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is exactly that - smoke that's been concentrated and turned into a liquid. It smells like SUPER smoky barbecue sauce. Go figure. The husband is obsessed with pork barbecue, so I wanted to surprise him by trying it myself. And it actually turned out pretty good!!!

Slow-Cooker Barbecue

*Adapted from The Splendid Table's recipe

First, buy a BIG piece of pork. Shoulder, butt, or even ribs if you want. I got a Boston pork butt that was about seven pounds. Cut the one big piece into several 3-inch chunks, and put those in your slow-cooker. If you use ribs, don't worry about cutting them up.

Next, make a spice rub. Use 1/4 cup of paprika, 2 tbsp. each of salt and black pepper, and 1 tbsp. each of garlic powder and dry mustard. Mix all of that together and coat the pork on all sides with it. Then pour a 1/3 cup of liquid smoke into the cooker. I thought I'd have to search high and low, but I found mine at Wal-mart right next to the barbecue sauces.

Put the lid on, crank the level up to high, and cook for six hours. You could also cook it on low for 12 hours if you're going to be gone all day. And DON'T REMOVE THE LID. You'd be amazed at how much heat you lose, and it will definitely throw off your cooking time. Just trust it. Live in harmony with your slow-cooker.

When I pulled the pork out with tongs, it was SOOO tender and just fell apart like good barbecue is supposed to do. Then I just shredded it up a bit with a fork. Super easy.

A note. North Carolina barbecue uses vinegar in its sauce, and this pork needed a shot of vinegar to cut through the richness and smoke. So drizzle your freshly shredded pork with a good amount of regular vinegar (apple cider would probably be good, too) until it tastes like you want it.

I mean, I'm not going to be entering any barbecue contests anytime soon, but this was a nice change of pace, really easy, and a great way to satisfy the man's carnivor needs. Give it a shot, and taste it before you yell at me.

Is your money tight? Sorry... stupid question.

Sarah's Cucina Bella and Sweetnicks are hosting a little Monday challenge to help us stretch our dollars.

Dinner for four for less than $10.

Main course, and one serving of vegetables per person. Salt, pepper, one tablespoon of herbs, and 1/4 cup of oil are freebies. Sound good?

Red Beans and Coconut Rice with Lime Side Salad

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

 The beans:

• one small onion
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• two cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• one large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. each of red pepper flake and dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg
• two good pinches of salt

The rice:

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups white rice (short grain if you can)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 14 oz. can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (about a third of a bunch)

 The salad:

• one head of romaine lettuce, washed and dried well
• one lime
• 2 tbsp. fruity olive oil

The process:

Start your rice first.

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add your rice and spices. Stir that for about two minutes. Add the coconut milk and water, and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the rice to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the rice cooks, work on the beans. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the diced onions. Season with a little salt and pepper, and cook for about three minutes, stirring a couple of times throughout. Add the canned tomatoes, the drained beans, the red pepper flake, thyme, and nutmeg. Stir, cover, and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. The rice and beans will be done at about the same time. While those cook, chop the cilantro, and cut up the lettuce for a salad. Make your own vinaigrette with the juice of the lime and the oil, and toss the salad with the dressing. Then top the rice with the beans, sprinkle with cilantro, and go to town. Cheap and tasty meal.

The price breakdown (all from Wal-mart):

• coconut milk (1.29)
• tomatoes (1.29)
• beans (1.98)
• 1/4 bag of rice (0.58)
• small yellow onion (0.70)
• 1/3 bunch of cilanto (0.43)
• lettuce (1.99)
• lime (0.69)
• Total (incl. tax) - $9.13

Not gonna lie... I didn't think this dish would be totally great. I figured it'd get a "just okay." Boy, was I wrong. This dish is surprisingly tasty. Creamy, a little sweet, a nice lingering heat, comforting, and delicious. Please try it. It's worth it. Especially at less than ten bucks.

I love it when I don't need a recipe, and this is one of my favorite non-recipe cooking methods. EVER. Put cooked meat, vegetables, a can of tomatoes, some herbs, and some mostly cooked pasta in a bowl. Stir it together, pour it into a casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake it. Easy, tasty, and a great use for leftovers.

My leftovers? Half a sleeve thing of Italian sausage and half a can of crushed tomatoes. My kitchen staples? Roasted red peppers and frozen spinach. The only pasta I have left in the house because I haven't gone big time grocery shopping in weeks? Whole wheat rotini (that you might recognize from last week).

So I cooked the pasta in salted water for about a minute shy of being done. That way the noodles don't get mushy in the oven. I browned the sausage, cut up a couple of roasted red peppers, and thawed and squeezed out some frozen spinach. Add a small can or half a large can of crushed tomatoes, a good bit of salt and pepper, about a tablespoon of dried oregano (or basil or Italian seasoning or whatever you want), stir, and pour into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (parmesan and provolone would be good, too). And sorry about the obvious lighting difference in those two pictures; I was playing around with the white balance on my still-very-new-to-me camera. Bake at 375 for twenty-five minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the edges are a little bubbly.

Remember, this is a GREAT dinner idea where you can use ANYTHING you have. Have fun with it!