Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous, merry, merry Christmas! Now, the next few days are going to be a brief respite in between holiday celebrations, the calm before the New Year's Eve storm if you will...so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to just relax, enjoy the last weekend of the NFL regular season, and get excited for the playoffs. (Are you kidding me? Playoffs?!)It's been a very long time since I've posted a game day recipe, and I'm very excited to share this one! Adobo Pulled Pork is inspired by the classic Filipino dish. It uses the same typical pantry ingredients as the original, but everything is cooked low-and-slow in a Crockpot.
First, season the pork shoulder (often labeled as pork "butt") with a little bit of salt and a generous amount of ground black pepper. Sear both sides until browned, about 3 minutes each. (This step is definitely optional if you're in a crunch for prep time, but that seared crust really adds so much more flavor!)
While the meat is sizzling away, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients that'll get nice and cozy with the pork for a few hours...
Spread the vegetables into an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker pot, then pour in the cooking liquid.
Place the pork right on top of everything. Finally, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker, and set aside on a platter to cool completely before pulling apart and shredding. Reserve the cooking liquid by straining it into a separate container. (A trick to remove excess fat: chill the liquid in the refrigerator until the layer of fat at the top becomes solid. Simply scoop it out and discard!) You can pour as much liquid over the pork as needed/desired, and serve it immediately!
What I actually did, though, was make mine the night before and chilled the pork whole in the refrigerator. The next day, when I was ready to serve, I shredded the pork, added it to a small pot with some of the sauce, and easily reheated it on the stovetop! (Makes entertaining guests so much easier, right?? I love when there's less work on the day-of!)
While I'd be a perfectly happy girl eating some pulled pork on top of a bowl of rice...this Adobo Pulled Pork is so easy to transform into tasty party dishes! You can sandwich it in between rolls to make sliders (even serving it with more sauce on the side a-la-French-dip-style!), serve it alongside tortillas and all of the fixings for tacos, or make your own homemade pulled pork pizzas!
After six hours of simmering away in the Crockpot, the pork is incredibly moist and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The flavors of the hearty garlic and onions, the tangy vinegar, and savory soy sauce are in every rich bite. Try this twist on a Filipino classic for your next game day get-together! It's simple, easy, and delicious! :)
Adobo Pulled Pork
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2 1/4 - 2 1/2 lbs Pork Shoulder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
3/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled & smashed
1/2 Small Onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 Roma Tomato, diced (about 1/2 cup)
3-4 Dried Bay Leaves
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup White or Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
- Season the pork with salt & pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Then, sear both sides of the pork until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
- In the bottom of a slow cooker pot, evenly spread the onions, garlic cloves, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and water in a measuring cup or small bowl, then pour the mixture into the pot. Place the seared pork right on top of the vegetables.
- Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker, and set aside on a platter to cool completely. Reserve the cooking liquid by straining into a separate bowl. (To discard excess fat, chill in the refrigerator until the layer of fat at the top becomes solid. Discard the solid fat, and reserve the liquid.)
- To serve, shred the pork using two forks. Pour in as much of the reserved cooking liquid as needed/desired. The pork can be used in tacos, on pizza, or in sliders! Enjoy!
