Slow-cooked dinners are a popular way for a busy cook to prepare a meal that takes little time to prepare. Although the brand is so well-known that many people confuse the two terms, a Crock-pot® is a specific type of slow cooker. To make a Crock-pot® pork shoulder, put the ingredients in the cooker first thing in the morning, usually a pork shoulder and vegetables, and leave it to cook all day until dinner time.
A Crock-pot® pork shoulder meal can be a good choice for cooks who are going to be gone all day but need a filling meal ready quickly in the evening because it is so easy to prepare. The meat and vegetables can be placed in the slow cooker and then cooked on low heat for the entire day. By the evening, the various flavors have melded together, and both the meat and the vegetables have become extremely tender. Potatoes, onions, and carrots can be cooked alongside the meat and are ready to eat once the meat is done. x000D_
Aside from the convenience of preparing and cooking a meal in a slow cooker, the method also allows cooks to get better results from less expensive meat cuts. Meats like chuck roast and pork shoulder would be extremely tough if prepared in a hurry. When cooked in a slow cooker, these cuts are usually tender and juicy.
Pork shoulder cooked in the Crock-pot® can be prepared in a variety of ways, making it a versatile meal option. The most traditional method is to layer meat and vegetables in a slow cooker, then cook all day. However, there are other options. Barbecue enthusiasts may prefer to cook the pork without the vegetables, using only water and salt until it is tender.
Any bones are usually removed once the Crock-pot® pork shoulder is thoroughly cooked and can be pulled apart with a fork, which usually takes all day or all night in the slow cooker. The pork shoulder from the Crock-pot® is then pulled into small pieces or cut, and returned to the slow cooker after the liquid has been drained. Instead, the pork is flavored with barbecue sauce or any other flavoring the cook prefers. It’s cooked in this until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the meat, then served with bread or mashed potatoes.