All right, time to start back in with fall cooking. This is one of my favorite go-tos lately. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, requires no searing (unlike most slow cooker meat recipes) and yields delicious, browned, caramelized, fall-apart meat, with a splash of rich juice to pour over the top.
The secret? No liquid in the slow cooker! I know, it seems strange, but there is enough moisture in the fat to break down the connective tissue in a pork shoulder without adding extra liquid. This intensifies the flavor of the meat. Enjoy!
Serves 4-6
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
1 sprig of fresh rosemary (or one teaspoon dried rosemary leaves)
1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder roast (also called picnic or butt roast)
Combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper and garlic in a food process and purée. Rub the mixture over the surface of the pork roast, then set it fat-side-up in a slow cooker. Set the rosemary on top of the roast, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until fork-tender. Meat will lift easily off the bone when ready to carve. Pour juices on top to serve.
Sounds delightful. Crock pots have various settings. Are you suggesting the highest heat, which would normally produce a vigorous simmer with liquid, or a lower setting that produces a gentle simmer?
Set it on low, Kris! hope you like it!
Thank you for posting this. Had a pork shoulder in the freezer and a 5 min prep is just the kind of meal I needed this week! Thank you again!