Slow Cook
Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder With Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glaze
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39 Reviews
Connie
October 4, 2019
I made this with a 4# bone-in piece of meat and followed the directions exactly. It smelled wonderful while cooking. It was not "fall apart tender" but was well cooked and tender - That may be because the butt was bone-in and needed more than 5 hours to cook. The sauce was good, but too sweet for me. I would cut the sugar by 1/2 if I were to make it again. I also expected the sauce to be thicker than it was (since it had contained cornstarch). I am looking forward to having the leftovers in a few days, to see if the flavor is different.
Megan N.
August 30, 2019
In the photo, there’s a creamy-looking sauce beneath the roast. What is that?
Little P.
August 30, 2019
That is just the sauce from the meat and marinade.. it's the result of all the cooking and glazing, etc.
Eric K.
September 12, 2019
Hi! Sorry for the delay; the sauce is Dorie Greenspan's here: https://food52.com/recipes/78083-sweet-smoky-roasted-carrots
MTDavids
August 16, 2019
Excellent! A great winter option when it's too cold to grill or smoke outside and you have that "Q" craving. Leftovers make a great ingredient in Cowboy Cocktails.
Lazyretirementgirl
July 22, 2019
Truly excellent. I had a few challenges- a five pound bone in shoulder, no dry mustard. Subbed 3 T of Kozlowski date fig mustard for the dry, reduced the sugar to a third of a cup of demara, used half a cup of cheap port instead of water; all worked fine. I added an hour to the cooking time because of the extra weight - mistake. Small carrots and tiny new potatoes needed more than an hour in the slow cooker, so I put them with some sauce in the oven for 20 minutes. All told, a really delicious meal, and a forgiving recipe. Plus, easy!! Definitely in the rotation. Thanks.
Grace
July 17, 2019
Delicious and easy! I used a 2 lbs pork loin. I added carrots for the last hour. Next time, I will cut the carrots up into thick slices as they were a bit too undercooked/crunchy for my taste. I served the pork with some of the sauce drizzled over it.
Pam S.
June 17, 2019
I made this Saturday with a pork shoulder as suggested, a 2-lb one with the bone in, and it was delicious! My husband and I agree it is one of the best sauces EVER. Is it bad that I actually ate the sauce with a spoon? I served it with buttermilk mashed potatoes (smothered in sauce) and buttered cabbage with whole grain mustard. This is going in my regular rotation.
Eleanor G.
June 10, 2019
Terrific recipe. I am from the South and just have to move more slowly-250 degrees for 8 hours and it was divine. I used an iron camp cooker, but in the oven.
Linda D.
June 4, 2019
Thank you for this delicious slow cooker meal! I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of balsamic. I served this dish with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. Yum!
Mel
May 24, 2019
This looked to me like a riff on Chinese red cooked pork, and after reading all the comments and knowing the my husband detests stringy meat, aka pulled pork, I made the following changes:
1. No water (there was plenty of fat and juice)
2. Reduced the preliminary cook time to 2 hours (it was just short of falling apart
3. Bagged the meat, poured the juice into a container, chilled.
4. Next day, strained the juices on to the meat on a rack in a pan, made the glaze with 1/2 the amount of sugar, thickened it on the stove, poured it over the meat
5. Roasted @ 250 for the final hour, basting with glaze and juice.
The end result was perfect, juicy tender, deeply flavored roast slices with a velvety texture. The next day my husband asked for the leftovers for his dinner. A little fussy, but worth it if you have time.
1. No water (there was plenty of fat and juice)
2. Reduced the preliminary cook time to 2 hours (it was just short of falling apart
3. Bagged the meat, poured the juice into a container, chilled.
4. Next day, strained the juices on to the meat on a rack in a pan, made the glaze with 1/2 the amount of sugar, thickened it on the stove, poured it over the meat
5. Roasted @ 250 for the final hour, basting with glaze and juice.
The end result was perfect, juicy tender, deeply flavored roast slices with a velvety texture. The next day my husband asked for the leftovers for his dinner. A little fussy, but worth it if you have time.
Little P.
May 20, 2019
I made this with 2lbs cut of meat. I think the cooking time was too long. The meat fell apart and was super tender, but it wasn't "sliceable" like it looks in your picture. How long should I cooked a smaller piece of meat? Please let me know!
rider5
May 17, 2019
I made this recently and the glaze was very sweet. Has anyone else found that it was too sweet? Did I do something wrong?
HappyHugs
May 12, 2019
My roast pork was amazing. People asked for seconds and thirds! Since the piece of meat was large, (4.8 lbs) I used 1.5 cups of water to start and it was swimming in liquid. I cooked it for 4.5 hours then added the sugar/vinegar glaze and cooked it another 90 minutes. Still swimming in liquid but fall-apart tender and so very delicious (the liquid sauce was full of flavor and very good on rice). We've christened it "fusion adobo" and it has made me a slow-cooker fan!
jh
May 13, 2019
Loved the flavor but also found it had way too much liquid; anyone have good idea about more realistic proportions? Also, because of the fattier cut, tons of fat floating on the liquid. Suggestions? Perhaps next time a make-ahead the day before, to skim off fat? (We served farro on the side, as a rice alternative...lovely.) Carrot chunks per reader below was also terrific in the pot. Speaking of which: Instantpot pressure cooker directions, anyone?
Laina R.
May 17, 2019
My usual recipe for pork shoulder in the slow cooker uses absolutely zero water to start, and there is plenty of liquid & rendered fat in the crock by the time it's finished. I'm making this recipe this weekend and will try it with no liquid.
Mary
May 19, 2019
Please let me know how it turns out starting with no liquid. I love gravy but you could have the trick.
I’ll check back on Monday 5/20. Thanks.
I’ll check back on Monday 5/20. Thanks.
Laura D.
May 10, 2019
Erik,
Any thoughts on an Instantpot conversion? I would prefer to use the pressure cooker function, not the slow cooker function.
Any thoughts on an Instantpot conversion? I would prefer to use the pressure cooker function, not the slow cooker function.
miamineymo
May 4, 2019
How would I cook this in a conventional oven or on the stove?
mudd
May 5, 2019
If you have a heavy cast iron or other Dutch oven you could do in a low temp oven. Heat oven to 300. Take all the step
one stuff, bring to a low simmer, cover and put in oven for about 2 hours. Mix all the glaze things well add to pan rolling the pork around in the liquid put back in oven lid off until it looks glazed That’ how I would do it
one stuff, bring to a low simmer, cover and put in oven for about 2 hours. Mix all the glaze things well add to pan rolling the pork around in the liquid put back in oven lid off until it looks glazed That’ how I would do it
Gwen F.
May 3, 2019
has anyone modified this for Instapot?
Cynthia P.
May 5, 2019
Gwen, do you mean using the Instantpot as a slow cooker, or as a pressure cooker?
Gwen F.
May 10, 2019
either would be fine. i guess the pressure cooker method is of more interest since I could just use low heat in the oven as you suggested above. Im also wondering if the liquids need to be adjusted. thanks.
Rachael W.
May 17, 2019
Just to forewarn, the slow cooking function on many versions of the Instapot is not consistent. I would strongly suggest not using it for meats, since their temperature readings are known to be finicky.
swayzine
August 30, 2019
Gwen F. This could allow the Instant pot's main work of pressure cooking for roasting, overwhelming amd a incapability. The use of Roasting devices in cast iron or slow cooking in Stoneware is a method of Extracting Juices. A slow Heat is superior for tenderizing. Glazing meats selected, will not remain glazzed on your top portion of the meat. Foil wrapped over the meat that is placed on cast iron rackes in a BBQ grill for either smoking or slowly grilling outdoors. To roast meats, just place in foil by wrapping the meat completely. Now set the wrap meat above a hot grill's burning Bisquits, that are now white underneath rackes. This is a fast roasting method.
Tashie
May 2, 2019
So apparently I am out of balsamic vinegar. My options are apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Which would be better?
Eric K.
May 2, 2019
I’d go with apple cider (I imagine the sugar content is closer to balsamic), but frankly both would taste great! There’s plenty of brown sugar in here to offset the poke.
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