I live in Texas, y’all, which means that the art of slow cooking meat isn’t so much a hobby, but more like a religion. And if you’re a member of the church of delicious, fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth protein, then the recipe I’m about to share with you is akin to the Hallelujah Chorus: a complete showstopper that’s sure to make you BELIEVE.
Made in a crock pot with just 20 minutes of prep, followed by 6-8 hours of cooking time while you’re at work, watching kids, or running 
errands, the base meat can then be used in multiple meals over the week.
For example, my slow-cooked pork became a take on Hawaiian plate lunch, sweet & salty pizza, pork enchiladas with verde sauce, and pulled pork macaroni and cheese. Here’s how to feed your family all week on one recipe:
Ingredients: (click “Continue Reading” to see more!)
Bone-in pork or beef shoulder or butt (Get 1-1.5 lbs per person you’ll be feeding, in order to make the meat last all week.)
One large white onion
3 cloves of garlic
Fresh herbs (your choice, I used oregano, thyme, and chives)
Dark Brown Sugar
Ground Cumin
Chili Powder
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
8 oz or orange juice
Directions:
1. Chop your onion and lay it in the bottom of your slow cooker. Dice your garlic, and then mix it in with the onion. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place your herbs directly on top of your onions – no need to chop them, you can just place them in as you cut them from your garden.
3. Pat meat dry with paper towels. In a seperate bowl, mix together one part dark brown sugar, one part cumin, and one part chili powder. (The amount you’ll need depends on how big your piece of meat is – for a 3.5 lbs piece of pork, I used 2 tbsp of each. As long as you keep the ration the same, it’ll be fine.) Season spice mixture liberally with salt and pepper. Then, pour orange juice so that it just covers the onions.
4. Drizzle olive oil onto your meat, then massage it in, making sure all surface areas are covered. Pat your spice mixture onto the meat until completely covered. Flip the meat to get the bottom side as well. Then place the meat right on top of your herbs in the slow cooker.
5. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, then put the lid on your crock pot, then set it to “low” for 6-8 hours.
When it’s finished, the bone will fall right out (you can keep it to make stock, or do what we do, and make your dog’s day) and you’ll have some of the most tender, delicious meat you’ve ever experienced. Fork it apart, and then use in the following meals:
Variations:
Hawaiian-Style Plate Lunch: Over a bed of white rice, serve a heaping helping of your shredded meat as well as some of the juice it cooked in & onions. Top with a sunny side up egg, chopped tomatoes, and fresh chives.
Salty & Sweet Pizza: Using a refrigerated pizza dough, top with olive oil, garlic powder, shredded meat, crumbled feta, spoonfuls of peach preserves (fig preserves work also), and mozzarella cheese. Cook according to dough instructions.
Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce: Combine your meat with mozzarella cheese and jarred green chili sauce then wrap in fresh corn or flour tortillas and place in a baking dish. Cover with more sauce, and top with cheese, then bake until bubbly.
Hearty Macaroni & Cheese: You can either go the super-easy route (use the boxed stuff – I like Annie’s Organic White Cheddar Shells & Cheese) or make homemade mac and cheese (I’ll share my recipe sometime soon), and then stir in plenty of your shredded meat and onions. A delicious recipe especially loved by husbands.
So there ya have it! I’ve also used this recipe in migas, tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, pasta stroganoff, etc. The sky’s the limit when you have a delicious base recipe and plenty of leftover meat for creative meals. Enjoy!
