Crock Pot Pork Al Pastor
Smgross1947
You all know how much I love pork al pastor. In a taco, on an arepa, heck, straight out of a bowl are some of my favorite ways to eat it. I always try it at different restaurants to see what the next great al pastor place locally to us might be, but in the meantime, I wanted to see how good I could make it at home in a crockpot! Introducing our recipe for Crockpot Pork al Pastor!! Check out more on us testing out recipes to get to this one in our blog here.
- Prep Time: 12m
- Cook Time: 5h
- Total Time: 5h 12m
- Serves: 8 people
- Yield: 9-11 two taco/medium tortilla sized scoops of filling per serving
- Category: Crock Pot Meals, Meal Prep
Ingredients
For the Spice Rub:
- 1 tbsp. Onion powder (or dried onion flakes)
- 2 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
- 2 tsp. Dried oregano
- 1 tsp. Cumin powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Ancho chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. Chipotle powder
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 Pineapple, skin on and ends trimmed
- 3 1/2 lb Pork butt (or shoulder), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 Small Vidalia onion, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 c Chicken stock
- 1/4 c White vinegar
Instructions
- Start by spraying crock-pot with Pam or non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the spice rub ingredients.
- Start by washing the pineapple and cutting the top and bottom off to create a flat base. Stand the pineapple up on one end and halve the pineapple lengthwise. Core (throwing out cores afterwards) and dice two pineapple halves into ½-inch pieces. Using a large knife, slice the remaining skins into 2-inch-wide strips and set aside.
- Cut the pork butt into two-inch chunks, adding to the spice mix and tossing to coat evenly, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the diced pineapple, onion, and garlic. Add the chicken stock and white vinegar, and top with the reserved pineapple peels, cut/fruit-side down.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook until the meat falls apart with a fork, 5 to 5½ hours.
- To serve: In a separate bowl, pull apart the pork with a fork and transfer to a large platter with the pineapple and onions. Serve with tortillas or brown rice, cilantro, or lime wedges.
Notes:
- We tried to make this easier on ourselves by taking the pork out of the crock pot and shredding in a bowl since this recipe turns out so juicy. We then transferred in back into the crock pot to let the pork soak up the rest of the flavors for about 10-15 more minutes!
- It lasts about two weeks in the fridge too, and has great potential to be added to burritos, tacos, on arepas, on nachos, you name it!
- The coolest thing about this recipe is utilizing the rinds of the pineapple as almost a blanket between the pork, pineapple chunks, and the lid. As the meat, fruit, and veggies steam, the juices that are left in the rind fall back down onto the meat, making it even more flavorful and juicy!
