Best Paleo Crock Pot Pork Shoulder
We have developed a Paleo crock pot recipe that makes a perfectly tender and delicious pork shoulder. The recipe begins with a juicy cut of pasture-raised pork shoulder nicely marbled with fat – the lard is critical for flavor! Pasture-raised pork also tends to have a higher level of Vitamin D stored in its fat because its skin is similar to ours. The pork shoulder is seasoned well with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. The shoulder is simmered in a crock pot for 10 hours with chicken broth, fresh thyme, sage, and garlic. Towards the end of the cooking time, we have added carrots and cabbage and allowed them to meld in the pot with the pork.
How to Make It
Step 1
Dry the pork shoulder using paper towels. Dispose of the paper towels. Combine the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Season the pork shoulder all over with the dry seasoning. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add in the lard and allow it to melt, then swirl the pan to coat it. Add in the pork shoulder and cook on the first side for several minutes until the pork is browned nicely. Repeat on the other side until it is nicely browned.
Step 2
Then, remove the pork from the pan to the crock pot. Deglaze the pan with vinegar and scrape the pan to remove the browned bits. Pour it into the pan. Add the chicken broth, fresh thyme, and garlic cloves. Set the crock pot on low heat for 10 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.
Step 3
Peel the carrots and cut them on a bias into 2” pieces. Cut the cabbage into large chunks. Feel free to place the vegetables in when the pork goes into the pot. However, if you like your vegetables to retain some texture, add them during the last three hours of cook time. Shred the pork and serve hot.
Ingredients
- Pork roast, shoulder, fresh, no visible fat eaten
3.5 lb
- Coarse Kosher Salt
3 tsp
- Garlic powder
1 tsp
- Onion powder
1 tsp
- Black pepper
0.5 tsp
- Lard
1 tbsp
- Red wine vinegar
2.5 tbsp
- Chicken broth
14 fl oz
- Thyme, fresh
2 tbsp
- Garlic
6 clove
- Carrots
5 medium – 6″ to 7″ long
- Cabbage
0.5 large – head – approx 7″ diameter