Ingredients:
2 1/4 lb boneless pork roast
1 onion, cut into half-moon slices
4 cloves garlic
1 cup roasted acorn squash pulp (from 1 acorn squash)
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon allspice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
to serve:
brioche slider rolls
Directions:
Pour everything into a four or two quart slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred it. Set aside. Mash the contents of the slow cooker until fairly smooth. Return the pork to the slow cooker. Toss to evenly distribute the sauce. Serve on rolls.
My thoughts:
I have a love-hate relationship with acorn squash. On one hand–yay local produce in the late fall! On the other–acorn squash is kind of boring. I guess it isn’t its own fault, tomatoes and other summer vegetables are so much more attractive. Still, I sometimes struggle to include as often as I feel like I should. That’s the beauty of this recipe. You get all of the benefits of squash (vitamins!) but while it adds some depth to the flavor of the pulled pork, it isn’t the star of the show. It also creates a natural, thick sauce which is awesome and eliminates any need to make, buy or steal barbecue or chili sauce.
Note: I made this with ingredients I bought at Aldi. If you’d like to see an “Aldi-fied” version that lists exactly which Aldi products I used, click here to view it on my new Aldi fan site.
