The Crock Pot has long been hailed as a savior to working women. (And men. Hello. Men can prepare dinner too. Hrrrumph.) While it does require 20 minutes in the morning…just imagine walking in the door to this tender pork at night.
Especially on a chilly winter night. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
One word I like to talk to my clients about is “soothe.” So many of us have nervous systems on high alert…we’re stressed about a client meeting, worried about house repairs, chronically on edge over family issues…and often suffering with significant health consequences.
Soothing might mean putting on fuzzy slippers. Doing some gentle yoga. Anything to calm down a hyperactive stress response.
What’s soothing at 7pm when it’s 27 degrees outside and you’ve just got home?
Not salad. Salad ain’t soothing.
But soup is. Or stew. And anything that’s been slow cooked while you were at work? That’s pretty darn soothing too.
Don’t forget the fuzzy slippers. This dish is best served cozy.
- 2 lbs. organic pork shoulder
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dry
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
- 2 cups fresh sauerkraut*
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2-3 sweet apples of choice, cored and diced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp. ground pepper
- In a medium pan, warm the olive oil and sauté the onions, fresh thyme, and apples until the onions are translucent.
- While the onions are cooking, trim the big pieces of fat from the pork shoulder. Place the sauerkraut* in the bottom of the slow cooker and the pork shoulder on top of the sauerkraut. Rub the pork shoulder with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the apple onion mixture around the outside of the pork. Pour the white wine into the pan and scrape off any of the browned bits that are stuck at the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine into the slow cooker along with the maple syrup. Cover and let cook for 8-10 hours on low-medium, or until you can shred the pork easily with a fork. Serve as is, or over your choice of potatoes.
More soothing, comfort food that’s still wicked healthy:
Bone Broth Benefits & Easy Recipe
How To Cook a Whole Chicken & Make 3 Dinners