Tomato and Spice Pulled Pork with Roasted Green Beans

May 30, 2013August 21, 2014paleoinpdx

Holy cow, it’s Thursday and I’m just now doing my first post for the week! This is so unlike me, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Actually, I’m just trying to keep my stress to a minimum and manage my priorities accordingly. Sometimes, as you know, that means putting my blog on hold.

Anyway, I’m finally within the one week window of being done with this term. Next week is it, and exactly one week from today, I’ll be about to embark on one last thing: my exercise science final exam. I think it’s safe to say that the worst is the last. Then, that night, family arrives and two days later, I’ll be Mrs. Fairbanks. What a whirlwind, right? I’m just hoping that time slows down a little bit once I finish this term. I really, really want to enjoy my wedding weekend and family being here to the fullest.

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Meanwhile, this was a lovely meal to come home to the other day. All I had to do when I got home was roast the green beans. Easy. Overall, the recipe is not much of a hassle, but you do need to plan in advance for the slow cooker.

For the Tomato and Spice Pulled Pork:

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 slices quality beef or pork bacon, chopped
1.5 lb pork shoulder
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1-1/4 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 medjool date, pitted and chopped

Directions:

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon; stir. After a minute, add the onion and garlic and continue to saute with the bacon. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Once bacon is cooked through and onions are soft, stir in tomato paste. Remove mixture from heat and stir in the broth, apple cider vinegar and chopped date. Then, add to the bottom of your slow cooker.
Meanwhile, season the pork shoulder with sea salt and pepper. Place the same pan back over medium heat and add the pork shoulder. If there’s not enough bacon grease leftover, add a little fat of choice for searing the meat. Sear the roast 3 minutes per side. Then, remove from heat and place in the slow cooker.
Mix cinnamon, cumin, chili powder and sea salt to taste together, and pour into the slow cooker. Give everything a good stir and then place the lid on top. Let cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8. Once the meat is done, shred with two forks. Add a bit more broth to the meat if necessary before serving.
Serve with roasted green beans (recipe below) or vegetable of choice. Garnish with avocado and cilantro, if desired.

Yields: 3-4 servings

For the roasted green beans:

1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or butter, melted
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, place the green beans on a baking sheet and pour melted ghee on top. Season with sea salt, pepper and chili powder, and toss. Roast beans in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Yields: 2 servings