Crisp this under the broiler to make low sodium carnitas, or mix it with barbecue sauce for a savory, tangy low sodium pulled pork sandwich.
Servings: Makes about 3-4 pounds
Sodium: 75 mg per 4 ounces
Time: 30 minutes active, 6-10 hours in the slow cooker
Ingredients:
4-5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon unsalted mustard (or 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
1 medium apple, peeled and diced small
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced small
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1) Combine all spices. Trim any excess fat off the pork shoulder and rub spice mix into the pork. Put the pork and remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 6 hours.
This is a really flexible recipe. I've added chunks of various fruits (apples, pears, pineapples), used lime, lemon, and orange juice in place of the vinegar, apple juice and pineapple juice in place of the water, shallots instead of onions, various types of peppers . . . you get what I'm saying.
2) The pork will be juicy and tender after cooking. To crisp the edges and make it more like carnitas, spread the meat out on a roasting pan and put under a broiler for 5 minutes. Pour a bit of the juice from the slow cooker over the pork before serving so it's not too dry.