Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw

With cooking every meal at home, and grocery bills seeming to increase lately, I wanted to share an affordable meal idea. Pork and cabbage are both less expensive ingredients, and they go further than some other types of meat and vegetables. I had a pork shoulder in the freezer, and wanted to use it this week. I cooked it in the crock pot/slow cooker, and then made a simple cole slaw. With the amount of leftovers we had, this worked for two meals!

The first night, we had the pulled pork and slaw on a Scharr gluten free baguette. I cut the baguette into smaller portions, so that it would be more like sliders. I added a little Miyokos butter and broiled the bread to toast it a bit. On the side we had pickles, cantaloupe, and watermelon.

Pulled pork tacos were on the menu last night, and I have to say, they were delicious! My brother, Patrick, lives with us, and we all eat dinner as a family most nights. He and Todd helped me put this meal together, but it was quick, because the pork and slaw were already prepped! You’ve got to love it when dinners come together quickly! We added cilantro, fresh jalapeño, pineapple, avocado, and lime.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I used this recipe from Kim’s Cravings as a base. I will definitely make this again!

Because I didn’t want there to be too much heat, I did not use any cayenne or red pepper flakes, but you could certainly add some to the rub. We added some Frank’s hot sauce to our individual plates. 

• 4 lb pork shoulder (I used boneless)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground dry mustard
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Rinse the pork shoulder, then pat dry with paper towels. Place on a plate.

Mix all of the dry spices together. Rub the spice mix all over the pork.

Heat a large enough pot or pan over medium/medium-high heat. Add some olive oil or avocado oil to the pan. Sear the pork on all sides.

Remove from the pan, and place in the crock pot or slow cooker, fat side up. Place the onions around the pork. Add the vinegar and worcestershire to the crock pot.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Remove the fat layer from the top as best as you can.

Strain the juices in the crock pot through a fine mesh strainer. The fat will rise to the top, and you should be able to remove most of it with a ladle.

Place the pork in a large bowl and shred with two forks. Then add the juices (fat removed) to the pork, and it will be ready to serve!

I placed half of the pork and half of the juices in the refrigerator and used it the following night for tacos.

Cole Slaw

This recipe was inspired by Kim’s Cravings as well, but I made it my own.

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1/4 head red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• small handful cilantro
• 1/2 small lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp mustard (I used yellow, but dijon would be great!)
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• sea salt as needed

You’ll want around 7 cups of shredded cabbage, so it depends on how large your heads of cabbage are to achieve these amounts.

Wash and cut the cabbage into large chunks. Shred it in a food processor in batches. If you do not have a food processor, you can certainly chop it by hand.

Place the amount of cabbage you’d like to use, plus the carrots and cilantro, in a large bowl. Add any leftover cabbage to a container and keep in the refrigerator. This is a great thing to sauté and add to a veggie bowl for lunch, or use as a side dish for dinner.

In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, mustard, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, and sea salt. Adjust the seasonings if desired.

Pour some of the dressing over the cabbage and mix together. If more is needed, add it and stir well. I don’t like to add it all at once, just in case there is too much dressing.

Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. When you’re ready to serve, taste the slaw and add a little extra salt or lime juice if needed!