Pork shoulder and slow cookers were made for each other. Slow cookers try to overcook everything; most meat dries out during the long cooking time. Pork shoulder gets better the longer it is cooked; it needs long, slow cooking to melt all the fat and connective tissue it holds. Properly cooked pork shoulder is juicy, and shreds at the touch of a fork. It is the perfect cut for stews, braises, barbecue, and today's recipe, slow cooker Mexican shredded pork.
Shredded pork is a great weeknight dinner. I start it in the morning (on low heat) or at lunchtime (on high heat), and come dinnertime I have a roast that is tender and ready to be pulled apart. I use the shredded pork for taco night, and then I get creative with the leftovers. I've used it in soups and topped it with cornbread to make tamale pie. But, I usually serve it in cheap white hamburger buns. If I want Tex-Mex sandwiches, I top the pork with salsa and shredded cheese; If I want something more southern, I add barbecue sauce and dill pickles.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Pork (Pork Tinga)
Adapted From: Rick Bayless, Mexico One Plate At A Time
Cook time: 10 hours
Equipment:
brand is fine, but I like my fancy one from Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 5 lbs pork shoulder
- 3 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chipotle en adobo puree
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- Juice of 1 lime
Directions:
1. Brown the pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a 12 inch fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. While the pan is heating, sprinkle the pork roast evenly with 3 teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper. Put the roast in the pan, fatty side down. Sear the roast for 3 minutes, or until well browned. Flip the roast, and sear for another 3 minutes on the other side. Move the pork roast into the slow cooker.
2. Deglaze the pan: Reduce the heat in the fry pan to medium and add the ½ cup water. Heat for a minute, then scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up all the browned bits of pork into the water. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, bring to a simmer, then pour over the pork in the slow cooker.
3. Slow cook the pork: Cover and cook on low heat for 10 hours or high heat for 5 hours.
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4. Shred and serve: Remove the roast to a carving board. (It will probably break into pieces while you do this.) Let the roast cool for five minutes, then shred with two forks. Move the shredded pork to a serving platter, and spoon 1 cup of the sauce over the top of the pork. Serve, passing the rest of the sauce on the side. Serve with tortillas, salsa, and any other preferred taco toppings.
Notes:
*I find that browning meat adds a lot to the flavor of the finished dish. I timed myself while I took the pictures for this post. It only took fifteen minutes to brown the pork and get everything into the slow cooker. If you have the time, don't skip the browning!
...
That said, I know that sometimes life gets in the way. The recipe still tastes great if you skip the browning, dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker, and run out the door.
*My preferred taco toppings are: salsa (of course), thin-sliced red onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, and hot sauce
.
The perfect side dish, if you own a second slow cooker? Slow cooker beans in broth.
If I have more pork than I can use in the next couple of days, I freeze the leftovers. I use one quart zip-top bags - they freeze flat, and are easier to thaw out in the microwave.
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Slow Cooker Pork Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Dried Beans
Adapted from:
Mexico One Plate At A Time
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Leigh Morant says
No leftovers! Awesome recipe for a busy weeknight. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
PJ says
Thanks! I'll give it a try!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Brining is always a good idea. If you want more sauce flavor, try this one: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2012/05/slow-cooker-mexican-shredded-pork-with.html
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PJ says
Great recipe! Made a 7lb pork shoulder for a Friday lunch club @ work. More than a dozen people devoured it before even looking at the desserts. While delicious, the meat didn't pick up as much of the sauce flavor as I hoped - any suggestions? Brine before hand?
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome, Bill. I'm glad you're enjoying my blog!
Bill Curtin says
Honestly, I don't know where to start! I, like a number of other posters here, found your site after searching for rotisserie recipes. I have spent the past few weeks trying out different recipes and exploring all your site has to offer. WOW!
I came across the 'Pork Tinga' recipe and thought that it sounded just like the pork tacos that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed in Cozumel on a recent cruise we took. I followed your suggestions to the 'T' and the results were out of this world. I am 60 years old, reside in Los Angeles, and I am an ultra conservative in nature - a rare breed in this neck of the woods! So...with that said..."Duuuuude!!! Totally Awesome!!!" 🙂
Thanks so very much for sharing your passion of barbeque with the rest of us. I am off to Amazon to purchase your new cookbook. (I don't want to wait 'till it is IPad ready!)
God Bless,
Bill Curtin
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
I don't have a recipe for that...yet. Thank you for the suggestion!
If you want to try it for yourself, I would use the basic technique from this recipe: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2011/10/slow-cooker-chicken-legs-with-herb-rub.html ...replace the herbes de provence with 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin...cook the legs as directed (6 hours on low), then remove from the crock pot, peel the skin off, and shred the meat.
Michael Blough says
Mike: This is really great and my family loved it with tacos. Do you have anything similar with chicken, or could you post?
MichaelB
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Great! I'm glad the boys liked it - my boys can be my toughest customers.
Mf01 says
Made this today for the family. It was awesome! The boys asked for it again in the near future, which I will be happy to do... It was an easy dinner (or two).
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
A brine is even better - go for it!
matthew cummings says
This sounds awesome, Im gonna try a brine the day before.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Go for it. Rotel works great in place of (or in addition to) the diced tomatoes.
Valshane2011 says
I'm going to try this sounds super yummy!!! I think I will add some rol tel my family loves about anything with a can added.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Good job improvising on my idea - I love when someone takes my recipe and adapts it to their tastes!
Aimladris says
this was fantastic! thanks for posting. i made only one change: i used a small can of fire roasted chilies in place of the chipotle since my husband can't stand it.
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Anonymous:
Five pounds of pork will serve a lot of people. I think it will fill 20 to 30 tacos, depending on how much other fillings you serve with it.
Anonymous says
How many servings does this recipe make?