Pork - Sweet & Sour Slow Cooker

I don't cook pork very often. I'm not sure why because we used to eat a lot of it when I was a kid. I can't help but notice, however, that pulled pork is the new kale. I've recently had some awesome shoulder cut meals - at a Cuban sandwich joint in a gas station in D.C. and Michael's amazing Chili Verdi in Sacramento. 

It's not surprising then, that when  the shoulder blade steaks went on sale last week, I bought the family pack. That's a lot of pork. With nothing special in mind, I fired up the slow cooker, and started chopping an onion hoping for inspiration. This recipe was the result. 

Word of caution: Don't use the tenderloin in the slow cooker. It's too lean. Tenderloin is a quick broil with lime and ginger. But that's another recipe. 

While it's totally o.k. to throw everything in the slow cooker and walk away, meat does benefit from being seared first. Il faut la peine. The pork was very tender, fell off the bone, and was as good as any pulled pork I've ever had. 

I rolled mine up with cole slaw in taftoon bread. There's probably a rule about not putting pork in Persian bread, but Canada is mutli-cultural, and it was delicious! I feel like this is exactly what Trudeau had in mind in 1971.

Sweet & Sour Pork
3 pork shoulder blade steaks 
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
4 tbsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar is yummy, but white vinegar will do)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 carrots, in chunks
2 onions, sliced

Sear the pork on both sides, if you've got the time.

Nestle the pork into the bottom of a slow cooker

Mix together the water, ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Pour over the pork.

Cover the pork with sliced onions and carrot chunks.
I also added some giant garlic cloves.
Cook on high for 3 hours and reduce to low for one more hour.

 

 

Serve with rice or potatoes so you can spoon the delicious sauce over top.

It's also really good the next day.