Slow Cooker Salsa Pork
If you're on the lookout for a simple recipe, yielding a lot of food, with virtually no effort, look no further!
This recipe is literally intended to take 5 minutes. As long as you've got some salsa (really any salsa will do), the only process is to heavily season a large piece of pork shoulder (also called pork butt, or Boston butt), sear the surface in a really hot pan and then place it in a crock pot filled with salsa. Nothing else needs done!
There is MORE than enough liquid in the pork and the salsa to not need anything "extra". As the pork cooks, the fat and any connective tissues break down, melt and help the actual "muscle" of the meat become soft, tender and juicy!
Seasoning Note: I really wanted to keep this recipe "pure" and simple, which accounts for no real seasoning. I also suggest using any salsa, be it fresh and homemade, or purchased in a jar. The idea is to create something easy and with a "set it and forget it" idea. However, I would suggest using the spice blend in my soft and shreddy pork recipe for this, prior to searing. It's a good way to add a little more character to this dish, and really doesn't take more than an extra minute.
Serving Suggestion: I HIGHLY recommend serving this with a side of my grits/polenta recipe. A big chunk of soft pork butt and the salsa juices cascading down the sides of a big dollop of grits just gives me the warm fuzzies.
This recipe is literally intended to take 5 minutes. As long as you've got some salsa (really any salsa will do), the only process is to heavily season a large piece of pork shoulder (also called pork butt, or Boston butt), sear the surface in a really hot pan and then place it in a crock pot filled with salsa. Nothing else needs done!
There is MORE than enough liquid in the pork and the salsa to not need anything "extra". As the pork cooks, the fat and any connective tissues break down, melt and help the actual "muscle" of the meat become soft, tender and juicy!
Seasoning Note: I really wanted to keep this recipe "pure" and simple, which accounts for no real seasoning. I also suggest using any salsa, be it fresh and homemade, or purchased in a jar. The idea is to create something easy and with a "set it and forget it" idea. However, I would suggest using the spice blend in my soft and shreddy pork recipe for this, prior to searing. It's a good way to add a little more character to this dish, and really doesn't take more than an extra minute.
Serving Suggestion: I HIGHLY recommend serving this with a side of my grits/polenta recipe. A big chunk of soft pork butt and the salsa juices cascading down the sides of a big dollop of grits just gives me the warm fuzzies.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 865.285kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups salsa mexicana
- 1 each pork butt bone-in (also known as "shoulder" or "boston butt" ... about 5 to 6 lbs)
- 2 tbsp light oil (for sautéing ... such as coconut olive or ghee)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn on your slow cooker and set it to low.
- Add half of your salsa to the cooker and cover.
- Pre-heat a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat.
- Season your pork with a heavy layer of salt and pepper. Remember, it's a large piece of meat, so it needs an appropriate amount of salt.
- Add your oil to the pan and swirl it around. When you see it ripple, add your pork to the pan and let it sear. When one side is nice and golden brown, turn it and sear another side. Continue this process until the entire surface area has been nicely browned.
- Remove the pork from the pan and place it in the slow cooker.
- Cover the pork with the remaining salsa.
- Cover and let cook for 8 hours.
- Be careful when removing from the cooker. Place in a large bowl, or serve straight from the slow cooker.
- With a large spoon, or ladle, scoop the layer of fat off the top. This can be used as cooking fat, or discarded. Some fat in the juices is more than acceptable, however.
- Drizzle the remaining flavorful liquid over your pork and serve!
Nutrition
Serving: 8g | Calories: 865.285kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.475g | Protein: 60.08g | Fat: 64.58g | Fiber: 1.68g