Slow-Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork
Published Sept. 19, 2024
- Total Time
- About 6½ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 6½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 2½ to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
- Salt
- 1(12-ounce) jar pickled jalapeño slices
- 2tablespoons fish sauce
- ½cup brown sugar
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
895 calories; 63 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 55 grams protein; 1002 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt. Add to the pot, in batches if necessary to keep from crowding, and sear until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Pour off any excess fat from the pot, then reserve and don’t wash the pot.
- Step 2
Hold the pickled jalapeños back with your fingers and pour the brine into the slow cooker (about ¾ cup). Add the fish sauce. Cover and cook on low until the meat shreds easily when pulled with a fork, 4 to 6 hours.
- Step 3
Spoon off the layer of fat from the liquid in the slow cooker, then pour 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker into the reserved Dutch oven. Add the brown sugar and 2 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeño slices, depending on heat preference. Simmer over medium-high, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the mixture reduces by half and resembles maple syrup, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Step 4
Working right in the slow cooker, use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Stir the sauce into the pork.
Private Notes
Comments
@carolyn — Pepperoncini are a decent sub here - they bring less heat and some of same vinegary brine @JSON - soy sauce has some of the same umami without the fish. Worcestershire would be a little better, but also has fish in it, so I’m assuming that’s a no go. Made this with the sweet jalepenos you can get at Trader Joe’s and their brine made a real difference - yum!
3 pounds of meat = 4 servings. I like the way you think, Ali Slagle. Any favorite brand of pickled jalapenos?
My changes to make it easier (and more flavorful) with only 3 ingredients: 1. Sear pork as instructed then put in instant pot. 2. Add 1 jar of TJ pickled jalapenos - brine and jalapenos. 3. Double the fish sauce amount. Omit brown sugar. 4. Set high pressure for 30min (or 4-6 hours in crockpot). Once done, shred pork in sauce.
Use 4 Tbsp of fish sauce Omit sugar Dice the jalapenos -- the brine of Jeff's Garden Jalapeno Slices (Whole Foods) was great. Brown the cubes of pulled pork in a fry pan to get a really nice color and that will provide the sweetness, and also render out much of the fat in the frying process. Delicious!
Cut the brown sugar in half and added all the jalapenos. Tasty.
I didn't have fish sauce, so I used 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of Worcestershire (some reviews mentioned those as substitutes so I split the difference) and it was amazing! My son didn't care for the sauce because it was too sweet for him so some people may want to use less brown sugar.