Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb pork shoulder (Cut into ½-inch slices; the instructions say to use the money muscle and reserve the tougher portion for another meal.)
• 2 tbsp butter (Optional, for searing the pork.)
• 0.75 cup pineapple juice
• 0.5 cup ketchup
• 0.333 cup brown sugar (Packed.)
• 0.333 cup rice vinegar
• 0.25 cup shoyu (Soy sauce.)
• 2 tbsp garlic (Minced.)
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 can pineapple chunks (Drained.)
• 1 red bell pepper (Cut into large pieces.)
• 1 green bell pepper (Cut into large pieces.)
• 1 onion (Cut into large pieces.)
• 1 onion (Sliced.)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water
• green onions (Sliced, for serving.)
• sesame seeds (For serving.)
• cooked white rice (For serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Pat the pork dry. Cut the pork butt in half and reserve the tougher portion for another meal; use the money muscle for this recipe, cutting it into ½-inch steaks.

2. 2

   For better color and flavor, heat the optional butter in a pan and sear the pork in small batches for 1–2 minutes per side. Searing is optional. Transfer the pork to the crockpot.

3. 3

   Whisk together the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, shoyu, minced garlic, and ground ginger.

4. 4

   Pour the sauce over the pork in the crockpot and stir to coat.

5. 5

   Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 2½–3½ hours. Start checking early; the pork should be tender but still hold its shape. The source gives a doneness range of about 195–200°F.

6. 6

   When the pork is done, remove it from the crockpot and slice it.

7. 7

   Add the drained pineapple chunks, red and green bell peppers, and onion to the crockpot.

8. 8

   Mix the cornstarch with the cold water to make a slurry.

9. 9

   Remove about 1 cup of broth from the crockpot and bring it to a boil in a saucepan on the stovetop.

10. 10

    Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling broth and stir until thickened.

11. 11

    Stir the thickened slurry into the crockpot. Return the pork to the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy.

12. 12

    Serve over cooked white rice and finish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

The ingredient list includes two onions in different cuts (one in large pieces and one sliced); the method does not clearly distinguish when to add each. Cooked rice and garnish amounts are not specified. The stated total time varies with the selected slow-cooker setting.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• slow-cooker
• crockpot
• sweet-and-sour
• pork
• gluten-containing
• dairy-optional