Slow Cooker Cheater Pork Stew

Here’s a quick and satisfying slow cooker pork stew that I throw together when I’m super lazy and tired. In other words, this is a dish I cook on a typical day in my life. I don’t brown anything and all the ingredients are dumped into the slow cooker to simmer on low for 8-10 hours. Poof! Dinner is ready in less than 10  minutes of prep time!

Important caveat: Try to use the best ingredients you can find because when you’re just chucking stuff into the slow cooker, you’ll end up with crap if you start with bad ingredients.

Here’s what I toss into the slow cooker to feed 6 people:

• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• ½ pound baby carrots
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into 1.5 inch cubes or a 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 1 tablespoon Sunny Paris seasoning (or your favorite seasoning blend)
• 1 tablespoon Red Boat Fish sauce
• 1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup Rao’s marinara sauce (or any other Paleo-friendly marinara sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Here’s how you make it:

Slice up the onions and smash the garlic cloves…

…and add them with the carrots to the slow cooker liner. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Grab some high quality pork…

…cube it (if you’re so inclined)…

…and toss with Sunny Paris seasoning and fish sauce.

(No Sunny Paris? No problem. Just use an herb blend you like.)

Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Pile the seasoned pork on top of the onions and carrots…

…and tuck the cabbage wedges on top.

Drizzle on the marinara sauce and some more salt and pepper.

Put on the lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the pork and veggies are fork-tender, adjust the stew for seasoning with  balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. If you’re feeling fancy, top the stew with fresh Italian parsley.

I love it when meals cook themselves!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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Slow Cooker Cheater Pork Stew

Prep 10 mins

Cook 8 hours

Total 8 hours, 10 mins

Author Michelle Tam

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• ½ pound baby carrots
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into 1.5 inch cubes or a 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 1 tablespoon Sunny Paris seasoning (or your favorite seasoning blend)
• 1 tablespoon Red Boat Fish sauce
• 1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup Rao’s marinara sauce (or any other Paleo-friendly marinara sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Slice up the onions and smash the garlic cloves. Add them with the carrots to the slow cooker liner, and season liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Cube the pork and toss with Sunny Paris seasoning and fish sauce. (No Sunny Paris? No problem. Just use an herb blend you like.) Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
3. Pile the seasoned pork on top of the onions and carrots, and tuck the cabbage wedges on top. Drizzle on the marinara sauce and some more salt and pepper.
4. Put on the lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. When the pork and veggies are fork-tender, adjust the stew for seasoning with  balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Top the stew with fresh Italian parsley.