Slow Cooker Honey-Balsamic Pulled Pork plus Asian Slaw

When we were growing up, New Year’s Eve was never a huge “going out” holiday for our parents. They always spent it with us, sometimes at home, at our grandma’s, or, some years, with friends of theirs and their kids. Around the time we were 11, our parents started throwing annual New Year’s Eve parties at our house, which included their friends, their friends’ kids, some family, etc. Most years there were upwards of 50 people and the kids would play in the basement while the adults were upstairs. We loved it!

Our mom always had a huge spread of appetizers and snacks for folks to nibble on all night, and then once the clock struck midnight and everyone cheered with glasses of champagne and hugs and kisses, she would roll out the real food. Tucked away in her laundry room was her electric roaster, which had been slow roasting a pork loin and sauerkraut for the better part of the day. Our mom always served at midnight as the first meal of the new year, since pork and sauerkraut are supposed to be good luck.

The thing is… we've never, ever been a fan of pork roasts or sauerkraut. This year, our Chief Culinary Consultant and we invited our parents and siblings over on New Year’s Day to relax, watch the Winter Classic, and, of course, eat. We made pork and sauerkraut, but we made it our way.

While we've never taken to a pork roast of any kind, we love pulled pork, so we decided that’s what we would make for New Year’s Day. We ran across the recipe over the holidays and could not stop thinking about it! It took us all of five seconds to finalize our menu, and about five minutes total to get this prepped and into the crock-pot in the morning. It smelled memorable as it cooked was even better once shredded and doused in sauce.

We substituted this Asian slaw for sauerkraut, because, it’s still cabbage! We think that counts! The combination of the flavors was tremendous, and the color of the slaw was so incredibly vibrant. When something is rich and pretty, it gets bonus points. The slaw was such a hit, that after the leftovers were gone, our Chief Culinary Consultant asked if we could make another batch for him to put on his regular ol’ turkey and cheese sandwiches. Now that is some good slaw!

You definitely do not need a special occasion to make this recipe; it’s a reliable weeknight dinner that can do its thing in the slow cooker all day, and it would make a great game-day menu option if you’re pondering what to make for the Bowl.

While we generally eschew superstitious things relating to good luck or bad luck, we love embracing tradition. Pork and sauerkraut has been a New Year’s tradition in our family for as long as we can remember, so we're happy to keep the tradition going, even if we put our own twist on it.

One year ago: Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies
Two years ago: Minestrone Soup and Chubby Hubby Rice Krispies Treats
Three years ago: Maple-Bacon Kettle Popcorn
Six years ago: From-scratch Gnocchi

Balsamic-Honey Pulled Pork with Asian Slaw

Yield: 4 to 6 servings A straightforward slow cooker pulled pork recipe tossed in a honey-balsamic sauce and topped with from-scratch slaw made with purple cabbage.

For the Pulled Pork

• 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock
• ½ cup (169.5 ml) honey
• ½ cup (127.5 ml) balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup (68.75 ml) hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup (85 g) blackberry jam
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup (80 g) small diced yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Asian Slaw:

• ½ pound (226.8 g) purple cabbage, cored and finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (25 g) thinly sliced green onions, green parts only

• 1. Prepare the Pulled Pork: Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, honey, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, blackberry jam, garlic, and onion, and pour the sauce evenly over the pork shoulder. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or until the pork registers 165 degrees F on a thermometer, or is no longer pink.
• 2. Prepare the Asian Slaw: Meanwhile, place the cabbage in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar, then drizzle over the cabbage. Toss to combine, making sure all of the cabbage is evenly moistened. Gently stir in the green onions. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• 3. Finish the Pulled Pork: When the pork is done cooking, use tongs to remove it from the slow cooker and place on a large plate. Using two forks, shred the pork.
• 4. Pour the reserved cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch, then slowly whisk the mixture into the reserved cooking liquid. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• 5. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over top, tossing to combine. Keep the slow cooker on low to keep the meat warm as sandwiches are assembled. The pulled pork and Asian slaw should be stored in separate air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving

• Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 8 hours 20 minutes
• Total: 8 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Pulled Pork

• 2.5 pounds ( 1.13 kg ) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• ½ cup ( 120 ml ) chicken stock
• ½ cup ( 169.5 ml ) honey
• ½ cup ( 127.5 ml ) balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup ( 68.75 ml ) hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup ( 85 g ) blackberry jam
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup ( 80 g ) small diced yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Asian Slaw:

• ½ pound ( 226.8 g ) purple cabbage, cored and finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup ( 25 g ) thinly sliced green onions, green parts only

Method

1. 1. Prepare the Pulled Pork: Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, honey, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, blackberry jam, garlic, and onion, and pour the sauce evenly over the pork shoulder. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or until the pork registers 165 degrees F on a thermometer, or is no longer pink.
2. 2. Prepare the Asian Slaw: Meanwhile, place the cabbage in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar, then drizzle over the cabbage. Toss to combine, making sure all of the cabbage is evenly moistened. Gently stir in the green onions. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. 3. Finish the Pulled Pork: When the pork is done cooking, use tongs to remove it from the slow cooker and place on a large plate. Using two forks, shred the pork.
4. 4. Pour the reserved cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch, then slowly whisk the mixture into the reserved cooking liquid. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. 5. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over top, tossing to combine. Keep the slow cooker on low to keep the meat warm as sandwiches are assembled. The pulled pork and Asian slaw should be stored in separate air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.