Foodie Friday: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

marthastewart.com

The weather in New England has cooled down and fall is in the air, so it’s time to break out the crock pot. I really should use it more often, but seem to have used it mostly to make pulled pork. The recipe I make is from an old issue of Everyday Food and is quite yummy. If you want to make it during the week, I recommend setting out all the ingredients on your kitchen counter the night before and putting it all together in the morning. Set your crock pot to low and you’ll have dinner ready by the time you get home from work. The recipe says that it serves six, but I think it actually serves more than that. It’s a great dish to make if you’re having a group over to watch football or if you like having leftovers; pulled pork tastes even better after a day or two.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• Tangy Red Cabbage, for serving (see above; optional)
• 6 crusty white rolls, split in half horizontally

Directions:

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together 1/2 cup ketchup, sugar, garlic, sage, oregano, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cut pork in half lengthwise; add to slow cooker, turning to coat. Cover, and cook on low until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 8 hours (or on high for 6 hours). Meanwhile, prepare Tangy Red Cabbage, if desired.
2. Transfer pork to a large bowl. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard any fat from surface of cooking liquid. With two forks, pull meat apart until shredded. Pour any juices from slow cooker over pork, add remaining cup ketchup, and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper. Spoon meat onto bottom half of rolls; add red cabbage, if desired, and top of roll.

The recipe is from the December 2006 issue of Everyday Food magazine and can be found online here.

My mom and I are skipping work today and heading out to the Brimfield Antique Fair. I’ve heard it can be quite overwhelming, but am hopeful that I’ll score some deals. I’m keeping an eye out for a bench for our foyer, side tables for the living room, and a bedside table for the guest room. I’ll have photos on Monday!