Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Pulled Pork
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
This is another great recipe for those days where minimal effort is desired. Dump everything into the slow cooker, wait a few hours, and it comes out flavorful and delicious. Pulled pork is incredibly versatile. Fry it up with some eggs for breakfast; tuck it into enchiladas or sandwiches for lunch or dinner; put it on top of a salad or baked potato, or inside a tortilla with some American or Oaxacan cheese for a quesadilla. Pulled pork freezes beautifully, so if you want to make a big batch on Sunday, you can have it ready to go for the rest of the week or be prepared for if/when a migraine attack strikes. For barbecue pork sandwiches, serve this on burger buns with the Barbecue Sauce on page 75. You can use bone-in pork shoulder; it will just take a little bit longer to cook.
3 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1–2 cups Chicken Stock (page 81) or Vegetable Broth (page 80)
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3½–4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, netting removed
Kosher salt
To cook with a slow cooker: Place the shallots and garlic in the slow cooker, then add 1 cup stock. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar or maple syrup, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then pat on all sides of the pork. Place it on top of the shallots and garlic. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork on high for 6 to 8 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. The meat should shred easily with a fork when done. Remove the meat from the liquid and use a fat skimmer or separator to remove the fat from the sauce. You can return the shredded meat and de-fatted sauce to the slow cooker and keep on warm. Season with salt.
To cook with an Instant Pot: Cut the pork shoulder into 4 large chunks. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar or maple syrup, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then pat on all sides of the pork. Add the pork to the Instant Pot and add 2 cups of stock. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, lock the lid and set to pressure cook for 50 minutes. Once time is up, allow the pot to release naturally by not touching it for another 15 minutes. Release the valve to allow any excess steam to escape and open the lid. You can turn on the sauté option to reduce some of the liquid. Season with salt.
