Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

My slow cooker is something I just don't use often enough. I completely neglect it in the summer because I think of it as best suited to soups and stews and then in the winter I use it to make two or three things and never experiment. Now that our evenings are filling up with kid activities I am making a concerted effort to use it at least once a week. We'll see how long that lasts, but I'm hoping that necessity will keep me from falling out of the habit again.

This is pulled pork is a family favorite. We've eaten it on tacos, in buns, by itself and even as the topping for a barbecue pizza. It feeds a crowd or makes a lot of leftovers, so I try to make it early in the week when we can enjoy it for lunch or reuse it in another recipe later in the week. It also goes over very well as party food…sliders at a birthday party or as part of a big football party buffet.

The flavor falls into that not too spicy, not too sweet range and my children devour it in all forms. Since we have firmly hit the picky stage with my youngest, that makes this a regular in our dinner rotation. (What is it about age 4? The child will eat spicier foods than I will but give him a sandwich and you'd think he was being tortured. Ah, the joys of motherhood!)



Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
adapted from The Naptime Chef

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pound pork roast
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper

Place a saucepan on the stove over medium heat and pour the olive oil in. Sear the pork roast on all sides and then add it to the slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, place all the other ingredients and mix well. Add to the slow cooker and turn the roast so all sides are coated with the sauce. Cook on high for 5-6 hours in slow cooker (or 7-8 on low).

When the roast is done, shred the meat with two forks and mix the shredded meat with the sauce that's left in the slow cooker.

Serve in buns, tacos, etc. Garnish with cilantro or anything else you'd like. Also makes a fabulous pizza!