Slow Cooker Italian Roast Pork Sandwich Recipe
This Slow Cooker Italian Roast Pork is juicy, fall-apart tender, and packed with garlic, Italian herbs, and savory flavor. Pile the shredded pork onto seeded rolls with melted sharp provolone and garlicky spinach or broccoli rabe for a classic South Philly pork roast sandwich. Easy to make, perfect for game day, and great for feeding a crowd!
Servings: 12
Calories: 301kcal
Equipment
- Slow Cooker/Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 8 lb Bone-in pork shoulder (may also use boneless pork butt)
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly
- 1 bulb garlic, peeled*
- 1 cup red or white wine (red blend or Pinot Grigio preferred)
- 4 bay leaves
Spice Rub
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- ½ tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute*
For the sandwiches
- Hoagie rolls, seeded or unseeded
- Sliced Regular ot Sharp Provolone Cheese
- Sautéed garlic spinach or Broccoli Rabe
- Long hots, if desired
Instructions
- Set slow cooker to HIGH.
- Place sliced onions, peeled whole garlic cloves, wine, and bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- If the pork shoulder doesn't fit comfortably in your slow cooker (I used a 7-quart model for 8 lbs of pork shoulder), cut it into large pieces to fit.
- Mix together all dry rub ingredients and generously coat the pork on all sides.
- Place the spice-rubbed pork in the slow cooker on top of the onions, garlic, wine, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 8 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender and easily shreds with two forks. Smaller roasts may cook faster.
- Once tender, carefully remove the pork with tongs and transfer to a large cutting board or sheet pan.
- Skim excess fat from the top of the cooking juices in the slow cooker. Don't discard those juices!
- Shred the pork using two forks, discarding the bones and any excess fat.
- Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the reserved cooking juices. Switch to WARM and keep the pork hot until ready to serve.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Pile the warm Italian roast pork onto seeded Italian rolls with sharp provolone and garlicky sautéed spinach or broccoli rabe. Spoon on a little extra cooking juice if you like, but don't drown the roll! Add a long hot pepper if you like some heat, and dig in!
Notes
- Pork shoulder: I prefer bone-in pork shoulder for this recipe, but boneless pork butt works too. Don't substitute pork loin, which is too lean for this fall-apart shredded pork.
- Adjusting the recipe: If using less than 8 lbs of pork shoulder, scale down the spice rub accordingly. Smaller roasts may cook faster, but don't rely on a strict hour-per-pound rule. The pork is ready when it shreds easily with two forks. For an 8 lb shoulder, plan on approximately 8 hours on HIGH.
- Easy garlic-peeling trick: Hate peeling garlic? Separate the bulb into individual cloves and microwave for about 10 seconds. Let cool briefly, and the skins should slip right off!
- Trader Joe's seasoning: If you don't have Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute, leave it out. The pork will still be delicious!
- Wine substitute: Either dry red or white wine works here. If you'd rather skip the alcohol, substitute an equal amount of chicken broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 679mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg