pulling an overnighter

by request...drum roll please...pulled pork! the most tender pulled pork that requires almost zero prep time. i cook this overnight- on low heat for 12 hours, in my slow cooker and when it's finished, the meat is so tender it falls apart as i'm removing it from the pot. it's fantastically delicious.

maggie's apple- balsamic pulled pork with caramelized onions

1 pork shoulder- my grocery store has a label that says "great for pulled pork"- look for marbling!
apple juice
balsamic vinegar
about 1 tablespoon of honey
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
salt and ground black pepper and garlic powder- use as much or as little as you want
2 chicken bouillon cubes
bouquet garni- thyme, rosemary, and basil
or 1 tsp each of your favorite dried herbs.

for the bouquet garni-

cheesecloth
butcher's twine
preferred herbs- dried or fresh
kitchen shears

cut a two layers of cheesecloth into small square. put in 1 tsp each of your preferred herbs. i love the combination of thyme, rosemary, and basil. gather the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie tightly with the butcher's twine. cut off excess cheesecloth and twine. put aside for later.

you can make the broth in a separate pot and simmer it together first if you want to taste the finished broth before pouring it over the pork. the ratio of apple juice to balsamic vinegar is 3 parts apple juice to 2 parts balsamic vinegar. pour the liquids into your slow cooker or pot. add the brown sugar, honey, garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper and stir to combine. 

if you're making this in a pot first, bring the broth to a simmer and add the bouillon cubes and bouquet garni. simmer until the cubes are dissolved and taste. re-season if needed. the broth should taste sweet from the apple juice, honey, and brown sugar, slightly acidic from the vinegar, then savory from the bouillon cubes.

if you're making this directly into your slow cooker, you can still taste the broth. the savory taste will not be there because the bouillon cubes won't have dissolved yet, but don't worry, once your slow cooker is on the cubes will dissolve and balance out the flavors. oh, and throw the bouquet garni in with everything else at the same time.

place your pork in your slow cooker. if you're making the broth in a separate pot first, allow to cool and pour over the pork. you'll notice i don't sear the sides or season the pork before. that's because the pork is going to sit in the broth, in the slow cooker, marinading, until you turn on your slow cooker. there should be enough liquid to cover most of the pork.

see the bouquet garni? it just floats:)

as i mentioned before, i make this overnight- low heat for 12 hours. sometime in the afternoon, i'll put this all together and the pork marinades until i turn the slow cooker on, about 7 in the evening. in the morning, the house smells of apple-y, balsamic-y, meat-y goodness. if the meat falls apart with a fork, it's ready. i turn off the slow cooker and let the pork sit some more until i'm home from sending everyone to school. then i'll shred the pork into a microwave safe casserole dish and cover it in the cooked broth. this helps to keep the meat from drying out when i reheat it later for dinner. then i use any remaining broth to make an au jus for dipping pulled pork sandwiches in- i just pour the broth into a small pot and reduce it. viola! pulled pork!

why do i use a bouquet garni instead of just putting herbs in? you could just put dried herbs into the stock, but i like the broth to be smooth. i save the broth and use it to flavor the caramelized onions and i don't like caramelized onions when they're speckled with herbs.

for the caramelized onions-

2 large onions, finely sliced in half- moons- i like to use sweet onions and red onions

2 tsp of olive oil

salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder

broth from the pulled pork- start with about 1 1/2 cups

i used the broth from after the pulled pork is cooked because it contains the yummy meat flavor. it adds another layer of flavor to the onions

in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. add the onions. season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. cook until onions are caramelized. add the stock and simmer together until the stock has thickened. use more if needed.

my family loves this version of pulled pork. the pork is so tender and falls to pieces with a fork. we eat this with homemade applesauce, or stuffed inside quesadillas with homemade guacamole and salsa, or rolled into homemade tortilla dough and baked into taquitos. my favorite way to eat this dish is with soft buns and some havarti cheese. i drizzle some au jus onto the inside of a bun, layer the pulled pork with some of the onions and shredded havarti, and savor each bite.

until next post- maggie