Crock Pot Italian Braised Pork

Crock-Pot Italian Braised Pork

If you've read my blog for any given amount of time you know that I love my crock-pot. My weekdays tend to be busy and with two boys they are often chaotic. There are many great recipes that take hours to cook and are well worth it. However, oftentimes I need recipes that taste good while still being quick to prepare. I love that with the slow cooker all I have to do is add the ingredients in the morning and by dinner it is done without much fuss. Pork is one of my favorite crock-pot meals. It almost always turns out tender and makes enough for multiple meals. This week I tried a new recipe for Italian Braised Pork from the Everyday Food insert of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 4 hours 20 minutes of total time, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I was unable to find a 2 1/2 pound pork shoulder so instead I bought a 7 pound roast and cut it to the correct size. Instead of using couscous, I substituted basmati rice. At the table I added chopped parsley.

I found that this recipe made way more than the 4 servings suggested by the recipe. There was enough for dinner for my family of four plus leftovers for two more lunches. The flavor of this dish is subtle so it would work well for people that love pork but aren't fans of a lot of spice in their dishes. My husband wished that it had had more of a kick. For similar people wanting a little more kick a small amount, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, of crushed red pepper would create a little more heat.

For the recipe go to Italian Braised Pork.