Imagine coming home to the incredible aroma of pork that has been slow-cooking to perfection all day. This isn’t just any pulled pork; it’s a culinary masterpiece that’s deceptively simple to create. We’re pairing incredibly tender, fall-apart shredded pork with a vibrant, tangy blackberry balsamic sauce that cuts through the richness of the meat beautifully. It’s an elegant, restaurant-worthy dish that your slow cooker does most of the work for. Get ready to impress!
Ingredients
• Preparation Time: 10 minutesCooking Time: 8 hoursServings: 6For the Shredded Pork:• 3 lbs / 1.4 kg Pork Tenderloin• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste• Olive Oil, for searing• 1 cup / 240 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock• 1/2 tsp / 2.5 g Ground SageFor the Blackberry Balsamic Sauce:• 10 oz / 280 g Fresh Blackberries• 1/4 cup / 60 ml Balsamic Vinegar• 1/4 cup / 60 ml Olive Oil• Pinch of Salt
Instructions
1. Directions1. Generously season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan over high heat and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown. Lightly oil the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, transfer the seared pork to it, and pour in the stock and sprinkle with sage.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. The pork should be incredibly tender and falling apart. Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
3. While the pork is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add the fresh blackberries to a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the pulp. Discard the seeds left in the strainer.
4. In a 3.5-quart saucepan, combine the strained blackberry pulp, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking. For the final 2-3 minutes, whisk vigorously to help it emulsify and thicken.
6. Once the sauce has reached a syrupy consistency, remove it from the heat. Let it cool and thicken for about 10 minutes before drizzling over the shredded pork to serve.
Nutritional Information
• Nutrition InformationServing Size: 1/6th of recipeCalories: 188Fat: 11gProtein: 30g
Pro Tips
• For an even more tender and flavorful result, substitute the pork tenderloin with a 3 lb pork shoulder or pork butt.
• Don’t skip the searing step! It creates a deep, caramelized flavor base that you won’t get from just slow cooking.
• Frozen blackberries work just as well as fresh for the sauce; simply thaw them completely before blending.
• The blackberry balsamic sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before serving.
