Name: Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork
Ingredients: 3-4 pound pork shoulder (also called pork butt – and yes, I giggle every time I say it); 1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks (or 2 cans pineapple chunks if you’re not up for wrestling with a fresh one); 1 red onion, sliced (yellow works too, but red looks prettier); 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 6 if you’re like me and measure garlic with your heart); 1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium if you’re watching your salt); 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed – we’re not playing around here); 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar works in a pinch); 2 tablespoons sriracha (adjust to your heat preference); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground if you forgot to buy fresh… again); 1 tablespoon sesame oil (don’t skip this – it’s where the magic happens); 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder (optional but seriously amazing); Cooked white rice (or cauliflower rice if you’re doing that whole healthy thing); Sliced green onions (the more the better); Cilantro leaves (unless you’re one of those “cilantro tastes like soap” people); Sesame seeds (mostly because they make it look fancy); Lime wedges (the hit of acid really brightens everything up); Extra sriracha for the brave souls

Description

So I stumbled across this recipe a few years ago when I was desperately trying to break out of my chicken dinner rut, and holy moly, it’s become a family favorite! Imagine tender, fall-apart pork shoulder slow-cooked with sweet pineapple, tangy soy sauce, and a hint of spice until everything melds into this incredible Hawaiian-inspired masterpiece. It’s basically a tropical vacation in your slow cooker. The best part? You just dump everything in the morning, forget about it, and come home to a house smelling so good you might actually cry a little.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pork:

3–4 pound pork shoulder (also called pork butt – and yes, I giggle every time I say it)
1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks (or 2 cans pineapple chunks if you’re not up for wrestling with a fresh one)
1 red onion, sliced (yellow works too, but red looks prettier)
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 6 if you’re like me and measure garlic with your heart)
1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium if you’re watching your salt)
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed – we’re not playing around here)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar works in a pinch)
2 tablespoons sriracha (adjust to your heat preference)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground if you forgot to buy fresh… again)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (don’t skip this – it’s where the magic happens)
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder (optional but seriously amazing)

For Serving:

Cooked white rice (or cauliflower rice if you’re doing that whole healthy thing)
Sliced green onions (the more the better)
Cilantro leaves (unless you’re one of those “cilantro tastes like soap” people)
Sesame seeds (mostly because they make it look fancy)
Lime wedges (the hit of acid really brightens everything up)
Extra sriracha for the brave souls