Slow Cooked Pulled Pork (crock pot)

My slow cooked pulled pork recipe is a mildly spicy hybrid between a barbecue pulled pork and a Kalua pork. It is slightly sweeter than the Kalua pig, but without the overwhelmingly sweetness of a barbecue sauce.

This mouth-watering dish can be prepared in under 5 minutes and it is a great party or potluck dish. It can be prepared a day or two ahead and stored in the refrigerator, or it can even be frozen. The trick to keeping it moist and flavorful is to store the already shredded pork with some of the remaining juices from the slow cooker.

I often get asked for a recommendation on slow cookers, since there have been reports of ceramic pot slow cookers leaching lead into the food. I currently own an old Crock Pot that I purchased at Costco and it has done a great job for many years, but on my wish list (subtle hint for my friends and relatives) I have an “InstantPot“, this is a 6-in-1 cooking device with a stainless steel insert, that  allows you to brown, sauté, steam, pressure cook, slow cook or even cook rice with it. Imagine if you could brown, deglaze and braise a dish in the same pot? This cooking device is just brilliant.

Another alternative is a VitaClay which has an unglazed clay pot, but since the biggest one they make is only 8 cups, I wouldn’t be able to make my favorite roasted chicken in it.

I know what you are going to ask me next… Is that a grain-free bun? and what’s the recipe for it? Well, it is a grain free bun, that is both crispy on the outside and gooey in the inside. But I am not ready to share that recipe yet. These buns are worth money and I am hoping to either sell them some day or put the recipe in the book that I am SLOOOOOWLY working on. If someone has any ideas of how I can get it published please share them with me.

For similar ideas try my roast beef cucumber sandwich, balsamic roast or slow cooked ropa vieja

 

 

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of pork shoulder
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
¼ to ½ cup of maple syrup
½ medium onion, sliced (optional)
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of chili powder
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of ground cumin
½ tsp of smoked paprika

Preparation:

• Slice the pork shoulder into 2 inch slices following the grain of the meat. This step is optional but it ensures that the flavors and spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
• Place the meat into a slow cooker (crock pot)
• Add the rest of the ingredients. I only use ¼ cup of maple syrup because I don’t like it to be too sweet, but you can add as much as you like.
• Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat falls apart easily.
• Place the meat in a large plate or cutting board and shred using two forks to pull the pieces apart.
• Serve and enjoy

 

Tip: to store the leftover meat, place it in an air tight container, pour some of the juices from the crock pot over to prevent drying and refrigerate or freeze.

 

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork (crock pot)

Recipe Type: Entree

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 5 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs of pork shoulder
• ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
• ¼ to ½ cup of maple syrup
• ½ medium onion, sliced (optional)
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of ground cumin
• ½ tsp of smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Slice the pork shoulder into 2 inch slices following the grain of the meat. This step is optional but it ensures that the flavors and spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
2. Place the meat into a slow cooker (crock pot)
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. I only use ¼ cup of maple syrup because I don’t like it to be too sweet, but you can add as much as you like.
4. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat falls apart easily.
5. Place the meat in a large plate or cutting board and shred using two forks to pull the pieces apart.
6. Serve and enjoy

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