Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder

January 22, 2013March 5, 2014paleoinpdx

Some of you already know this by now, but I don’t care for pork. I’m just not fond of the taste, unless it’s bacon. You may recall though, that on New Year’s Eve, I ordered a shredded pork dish for dinner. I mainly ordered it because it was the least complicated thing for me to paleoize, but also thought I might like it since I love shredded meat, specifically chicken and beef. Well, I did like it … a lot! Since then, I’ve been thinking about trying out a shredded pork recipe myself. This past weekend, it finally happened.

It was a spur of the moment decision and completely unplanned. I really value moments like that. Anyway, I was in Food Front Co-op in NW Portland after work on Sunday, and spotted one small and lonely pork shoulder roast. At that moment, I decided it was time, and threw it in my basket. For the recipe, I flew by the seat of my pants and used what I had on hand.

The recipe turned out phenomenal. It tasted so good, that I didn’t want the last bite to come. To compensate, I very slowly savored every last morsel. I usually do well with eating slowly, but I especially did well this time.

If you’re not much of a pork person, like me, this recipe may surprise you. I can’t wait to make it again.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
2 tsp grass-fed ghee
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 head cabbage, chopped (use more if serving more than 2 people)
Avocado slices, optional

Directions:

Combine spices, sea salt and pepper, and coat all sides of the roast. If you have extra spice mixture leftover, set it aside. You will use it later. If you use it all, that’s fine too.
Melt 1 tsp of ghee (or fat of choice) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork shoulder, and brown a couple minutes on each side. Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of ghee (add more if needed) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes, until softened. Once done, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Add carrots to the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the veggies. Add the chicken broth, lime juice and any remaining spice mixture.
Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10.
Once done, turn the slow cooker off or to warm. Then, remove the pork roast and cut off the twine. Shred meat with two forks and add back to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
In a pan over medium heat, melt a little fat of choice. Add the chopped cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, or until softened.
Serve the shredded pork mixture over the cabbage and serve with avocado slices, if desired.

Yields: 3-4 servings