In our household I do more of the cooking than my partner, but the honest truth is that she is the better cook, however there are some dishes that I can cook pretty well. I don’t attribute this to skill though. It’s more due to the fact that I’ve practised lots and lots, and learned from my many mistakes!
One of the recipes that I have got down to a ‘t’ now is my Slow Cooker Pork dish. On a Sunday morning, I’ll prepare the pork, place it in the slow cooker and let it gently cook until late afternoon. It gives the two of us a tasty Sunday evening meal and two to three meals during the week, so it is not only easy to make, but practical for our busy lifestyles and very good value.
Below is my slow cooker pork recipe. It’s so simple and tasty so if you have a slow cooker give it a try!
Honey and Mustard Slow Cooker Pork
Ingredients
- Pork joint
- Clear honey
- Wholegrain mustard
- Pasata
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Mixed herbs
- Pimenton/paprika
- Ground black pepper
Method
-
- First things first, do you have a slow cooker? If not, get yourself one. They’re awesome! If you only have a tiny kitchen and are looking for a small slow cooker, read our 1.5 litre Slow Cooker comparison review article for some great choices.
- Next, buy a nice pork joint. I’m calculating the following ingredients and timings on a pork joint weighing approx. 1000 grams. Unpack it and wash it under cold running water. Place on a clean plate and pat dry with kitchen roll. If there is some fat on the top of the joint, lightly score it in a pretty criss-cross pattern like a TV chef might do.
- In a bowl, add 2 dessert spoons of honey, 1 dessert spoon of wholegrain mustard, 1 dessert spoon of pasata, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of soy sauce, a sprinkle of mixed herbs, a shake of pimenton/paprika and a few grinds of black pepper. These quantities do not have to be exact. Make it up a little. Add some other ingredients. Have fun!
- Mix up these ingredients in the bowl so that it makes a nice sticky liquid and smear a little all over the bottom of the slow cooker pot where the pork will be sitting.
- Next, place the pork joint into the slow cooker and pour and smear the ‘marinade’ all over the pork. Make sure that every part of the meat is covered. Some people say that when using a slow cooker one must always add some fluid to the bottom of the pot. I’ve found that this is not required in any dish that I make in our slow cooker. It is a pretty old slow cooker and perhaps I’m not doing it correctly, but I always find that the meat and marinade create more than enough fluid without adding more, therefore I never add any extra fluid. If the instructions that come with your slow cooker note that you must always add liquid then perhaps you had better do as they say.
- Lastly, put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for about 7 hours. Feel free to peek inside a couple of times and if possible gently splash the fluid at the bottom over the top of the pork, but it’s not entirely necessary. After 7 hours, remove the pork and place on a plate. Cover and leave to sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. Keep the juices from the pot and use it as a very flavoursome stock for gravy. It’s outstandingly good!
Et voilà, as they say in France. Succulent pork which is perfect with roasted vegetables or place it in the fridge and serve cold in sandwiches or with a salad. Whatever takes your fancy!
If you do try this slow cooker pork joint recipe, please let me know how you get on. Did you change the recipe? What experimental additions worked for you? I’d love to know.
Essential reading:
If you’d like some great pork recipes why not look at these three books available on Amazon. They all look excellent!
- Hog: Proper pork recipes from the snout to the squeak by Richard H. Turner
- Pigs & Pork: River Cottage Handbook No.14 by Gill Meller
- Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery by Jane Grigson
