We started “Slow Cooker October” with a giant cut of beef (pot roast) and we are going to finish it off with a giant cut of pork. I LOVE this recipe! I originally made this mustard and sage pork shoulder when it first appeared in Bon Appétit magazine about 4½ years ago. You slather a mustard mixture all over the pork shoulder and slow roast it in the oven for like 5 hours. It was heaven. When coming up with recipes for this theme month I thought, why can’t I just make this in the slow cooker? So that is exactly what I did. I didn’t change the ingredients at all, I just swapped out roasting in the oven for the slow cooker.
For the original recipe, you roast the pork on a rack and baste it every so often. The slow cooker takes care of the basting but how to deal with the rack? I didn’t want the bottom of the roast just sitting there getting all soggy. So, I made my own rack. This is a great trick (for a slow cooker or a regular oven):
Pull a long piece of aluminum foil.
Scrunch it up.
Twist it around so the roast can sit on it then put the “rack” in the slow cooker.
Now, the super easy recipe…
Season the pork liberally with salt and pepper.
Mix mustard, herbs and garlic in a bowl.
Slather the mustard mixture all over the pork; put it in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
Let it rest for 15 minutes then use two forks to shred the pork.
I like to serve this just like Bon Appétit recommended when they first published the recipe, over a bed of polenta with the juices drizzled over the top.
If you are worried the juices are mixed with fat there are a couple of things you can do.
1. If you have the time, you can pour the juice into a bowl and put it in the fridge. The fat will float to the top and harden then, you can scrape it off with a spoon.
2. If you don’t have the time, tilt the pot of the slow cooker so the juices are gathered to one side. Use a turkey baster and suck up the juice from the bottom of the pot then drizzle over the pork and polenta.
I added some broccoli to the plate and dinner was served. Ahhhh…
Another benefit to this recipe is that it will feed you for days! We love having the leftovers. We have turned them into bbq pulled pork sandwiches, Cuban sandwiches, nachos, bbq pork nachos, quesadillas… so many options. What will you do with the leftovers?
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Mustard and Sage
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
5-6 lb Bone-In Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)
Salt & Pepper
½ c Dijon Mustard
¼ c finely chopped Sage
2 T finely chopped Marjoram
4 cloves Garlic, minced
Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Get a long sheet of tin foil (about 1½ – 2 feet), scrunch it up and curve it into a rack.
Place “rack” in the slow cooker.
Liberally season pork all over with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix mustard, sage, marjoram and garlic together.
Use your clean hands to spread all over the pork (on all sides, and working it into the crevices).
Place pork on the “rack” in the slow cooker (fat side up if possible).
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Remove from slow cooker, let stand for 15 minutes then shred with two forks.
Serve over polenta.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Mustard and Sage
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb Bone-In Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ c Dijon Mustard
- ¼ c finely chopped Sage
- 2 T finely chopped Marjoram
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Get a long sheet of tin foil (about 1½ - 2 feet), scrunch it up and curve it into a rack. Place "rack" in the slow cooker.
- Liberally season pork all over with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix mustard, sage, marjoram and garlic together.
- Use your clean hands to spread all over the pork (on all sides, and working it into the crevices).
- Place pork on the “rack” in the slow cooker (fat side up if possible).
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove from slow cooker, let stand for 15 minutes then shred with two forks.
- Serve over polenta.