Smokey Pulled Pork and The Slow Living Trend

A story about slowing down, a sister-in-law's Christmas gift, and a crockpot that made coming home feel like exhaling.

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Method · Yield · Time

Slow Cooker · Serves 6-8 · 10-12 hrs.

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Two forks, ten hours, and dinner is done.

I think it's interesting that even just 5 years ago, there was such a push for more. "Are you living your best life? Are you giving 110%?" seemed to be the questions of the day. To say your wish was to live a quiet, ordinary life was laughed at – you needed to push yourself to be your best, extraordinary self!

I love that this next generation is adopting the slow living trend. Homesteading, or even just a desire to have gardens like our grandparents, and living in a more frugal, intentional way just makes more sense than wearing yourself ragged trying to give 110% to a job that won't remember you once you leave.

When I went back to work full time, I was doing my own work plus parts of another job when someone else quit. I was working hours on weekends just to stay caught up at a Monday to Friday job. That was enough of the 110% work ethic for me. My marriage was imploding, work became too stressful, and the kids were still really busy with sports, lessons and club activities.

I left my job, and found another in a calmer family business, where office life often sounded like a big family dinner. 14 years later, I'm still with them, and my work family has supported me through the death of my marriage, of both my parents, and of my silly old German Shepherd dog.

Often, when working full-time, I would put a meal in the crockpot as I was getting ready in the morning. Coming home to the smell of a meal quietly cooking away was heavenly, and allowed for a gentle transition from work to home and a house filled with teenagers.

Smokey pulled pork on crusty buns — the kind of meal that makes a busy weeknight feel like a proper dinner.

My Mom had a huge thick cookbook that was pulled out from time to time for recipes made infrequently. I think most of her recipes were made from memory, though she loved looking through the Best of Bridge and Company's Coming books when they came out. When I was in high school she asked me to write out a number of recipes on cards, so she could avoid looking through the whole book to find the recipes she liked.

I opened my own recipe box the other day, and I realized that every recipe tells a story. And I think maybe that's the best part of having your own recipe collection!

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This recipe came to me via my sister-in-law in a collection she gave me one Christmas. I love how easy it is to put together. You can even chop the onions the night before to save a bit of time in the morning. The smell is just amazing even as you are prepping the sauce for the crockpot. On busy nights this is truly a welcome comfort. You only need to slice open some crusty buns to create a meal that tastes like it was made slowly, with love. And it was!

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• [1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp chili powder

• 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

• 1 cup tomato-based chili sauce

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ cup cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, about 3 lbs.

YOU’LL NEED

• Slow cooker

• Skillet

METHOD

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic, chili powder and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Already this smells amazing!

2. Place pork in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over. Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours. In a pinch you can cook on HIGH for 6 hours, but trust me, the slower, lower heat is the way to go.

3. Transfer pork to a cutting board and pull the meat apart in shreds, using two forks. Return to sauce and keep warm. Serve in crusty buns with a side salad.

The finished pot — ready to pile onto crusty buns and call it dinner.

If you're new here, the canning habit that started it all began with a crab-apple tree — and jars and jars of jelly.

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Sue:

Sue tends a kitchen garden in Alberta, growing as much of the family's food as the season allows. She writes about what comes out of the soil and what ends up on the table — honest, unfussy, and rooted in Canada.