Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Seared First Recipes

PEPPER PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, and then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the brine and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the chops from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle on both sides with the remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt and set aside.
• Place the apples in a 5 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, followed by the onions, and saute until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Transfer this to the slow cooker, set to high, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Decrease the heat to low and continue cooking until the pork is tender and falling away from the bone, another 4 hours and 30 minutes.

ULTIMATE SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Rub the pork with salt and pepper, and then set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (See notes below if you plan to sear the pork first).
• Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic then cook, occasionally stirring, until they are sweet and browned around the edges. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring until the tomato paste turns from bright red to orange in color; about 3 minutes. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Rest the seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker then pour the onion and spice mixture on top. Wiggle the pork around the bottom of the slow cooker so that some of the onion and spice mixture slides underneath. Cover with lid and cook until the pork can be easily shredded; LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6.
• Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone in it, remove and discard it. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any connective tissue, and large clumps of fat.
• Remove the cooking liquid and skim most of the fat from its surface. Discard the fat then set the cooking liquid aside.
• If using barbecue sauce, add it to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded pork. For even more flavor, add back some of the reserved cooking liquid. If you're not using barbecue sauce, add the shredded pork and the cooking liquid back to the slow cooker. Taste and season with salt, additional vinegar, or hot sauce as needed.

SLOW-COOKER PEPPER PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the mixture and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season on both sides with the kosher salt and set aside
• Place the apples in the slow cooker.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples.
• Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan followed by the onions and saute until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Transfer this to the slow cooker, set to high, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Decrease the heat to low and continue cooking for another 4 hours and 30 minutes or until the pork is tender and falling away from the bone.

SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. If you have time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. If you don't, no worries; proceed to Step 2.
• Lightly grease the crock of a slow cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes each side. Add onion, if using, to the slow cooker. Add the pork on top of the onion. Pour soda over the pork and set the slow cooker to low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat has collapsed and shreds easily.
• Drain most of the liquid from the slow cooker and shred the meat directly in the pot. Add about 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. (At this point, if you like crisp bits in your pulled pork, you can spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan and place under a broiler for a couple minutes then return to the slow cooker.) Taste and add more barbecue sauce, hot sauce, salt or pepper, if desired. Serve with soft rolls and extra sauce on the side.

SLOW COOKER PEPPER PORK (SEARED FIRST)

Steps:

• Heat broth, salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns on the stove until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Transfer liquid to a pourable container, and add ice. Stir and cool until room temperature or slightly lukewarm.
• Pour liquid over pork in a ziploc bag, and refrigerate 3-8 hours.
• Remove pork from the brine, and pat dry.
• Place potatoes (if using) and apples in the crock pot.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch stainless steel pan over medium heat. Place pork in the pan and cover with a splatter screen (makes a bit of a mess without one). Saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side (you might start checking the second side after 3 minutes for browning).
• Place pork into crock pot over apples.
• Add onion to saute pan, stir well, and cook about 2 minutes.
• Deglaze with chicken broth, add pepper and thyme, and stir to scrape up brown bits off of pan. Transfer to crock pot. If using cabbage, add it on top at this time as well. Let pan soak for ease of cleaning.
• Cook in crock pot for 1 1/2 hours on high, then 4 1/2 hours on low. Alternately, you can cook this for 4 hours on high for equivalent results. You might want to gently stir the cabbage and onions together about an hour before it is finished cooking. I like to serve this over brown rice (if I am not using the potatoes).

SLOW COOKER THAI PORK WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• Place the chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, red bell peppers, and pork chops into a slow cooker, stir together, and set the cooker on Low. Cook for 5 to 6 hours until the pork is tender, and remove the pork from the sauce. Shred the pork, return to the sauce, let cook until hot, and serve.