Crock Pot Shredded Pork

Shredded Pork is a staple in our house. I love making something that sets me up for meals for nearly the rest of the week or that can be frozen and used for fast meals.  I usually cook a large amount of pork in the crock pot and then use it throughout the week.  Here are a few ideas

-Shredded pork tacos (pork with corn tortillas, cheese, salsa, avocados, black beans and cilantro)

-Shredded pork burritos (pork with cheese and salsa in a flour tortilla *Love the Tortilla Land raw tortillas*),

-Teriyaki pork (pork with Yoshida’s Teriyaki Sauce over steamed white or brown rice – maybe some garlic green beans on the side),

-Shredded pork enchiladas (pork in flour tortillas with green chiles, enchilada sauce, olives and cheese),

-Pork and mashed potatoes and gravy (This is usually what I make the first night out of the crock pot.  I whip up some mashed potatoes and pork gravy with the oodles of juice this pork produces)

-Pork and cheese quesadillas (my boys love these for lunch)

-Lettuce Wraps (You will want a recipe for this one.  There are many great ones out there.)

-Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches (Mix pork with your favorite BBQ sauce and put on buns.)

I’m sure there are many different options but these are the ones we usually turn to. The great thing about it is, you can literally make meals for 3-5 nights in a row and you don’t feel like you are eating the same thing every night.  It is really versatile.

Let’s get started:

Ingredients:

Pork Loin Roast – You have a few choices here.  I love using the loin cuts as they are really lean and don’t require so much time picking out all of the fat.  I am extremely picky when it comes to meat (if you haven’t noticed already). There are several other roasts that you can use but most contain a lot more fat which is great for flavor and texture but not as healthy.  If you use a loin cut, you just need to be careful not to over-cook it as it does dry out much faster than the fattier cuts.

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Crock Pot

Directions:

Sprinkle a good amount of garlic salt and ground black pepper on all sides of your roast.  Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan.  Sear roast on all sides til it’s nice and brown and crusty.  (This step is optional.  I really like the flavor it produces but I have made it many times by just plopping the raw roast in my crockpot with the seasonings and sailing out the door.) It will still be great, just won’t have that yummy salty crust on the outside.

 

Cook on high heat for approximately 3-5 hours depending on size (I cooked 6 lbs for 4 hours and it was perfect) or low heat for 6-8 hours. If possible, check often with a fork.  As soon as it starts shredding easily, remove it from the crock pot. Again, with the fattier cuts, you will have a bit more leeway here because it won’t dry out as fast.  Shred Pork with 2 forks (if desired).  Store in an airtight container or freeze in a Freezer Ziploc.

Now you choose your dinner options for the week  🙂 Enjoy!

(pictured – Teriyaki Pork and Garlic Green Beans)