Easy Hawaiian Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps (Slow Cooker!)
Make flavorful Hawaiian Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps! This easy slow cooker recipe features tender shredded pork cooked with pineapple and ginger, served in crisp lettuce cups.
Ingredients
(Original recipe yields 6 servings)
Hawaiian Pulled Pork:
- ▢ 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 to 4 pounds)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, divided (½ tsp for rub, ½ tsp for finishing)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ▢ 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
- ▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
For Serving:
- ▢ 18 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves (approx. 3 per serving)
- ▢ Thinly sliced green onions (optional garnish)
Instructions
1. Prepare and Season Pork for Slow Cooker:
- Pat the boneless pork shoulder butt roast dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the rubbed sage, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Rub this seasoning mixture all over the surface of the pork roast.
- Place the seasoned pork roast into a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Add Pineapple and Ginger; Slow Cook:
- Pour the entire can of undrained crushed pineapple over and around the pork roast in the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the minced fresh gingerroot evenly over the top of the pineapple and pork.
- Cover the slow cooker securely with its lid.
- Cook on the LOW setting for 6-8 hours. The pork is done when it is very tender and easily shreds or falls apart with a fork.
3. Shred Pork and Prepare Juices:
- Once the pork is fall-apart tender, carefully remove the roast from the slow cooker using large forks or tongs. Transfer it to a large bowl or cutting board, leaving the cooking liquid and pineapple solids in the slow cooker.
- Strain the cooking juices remaining in the slow cooker through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl or a fat separator. This will separate the liquid from the cooked pineapple pieces.
- From the strained solids in the sieve, reserve all the cooked pineapple pieces. Discard any other solids if desired.
- Allow the strained cooking juices to sit for a few minutes. Then, carefully skim off as much visible fat from the surface as possible using a fat separator or a large, shallow spoon. After skimming, reserve 1 cup of these flavorful, skimmed cooking juices. Discard any remaining excess juices.
4. Combine Shredded Pork, Juices, and Pineapple:
- Using two forks, shred the cooked pork. Discard any large pieces of fat or gristle you may encounter during shredding.
- Return the shredded pork to the (now empty or wiped clean) slow cooker insert.
- Add the reserved 1 cup of skimmed cooking juices and all the reserved cooked pineapple pieces to the shredded pork.
- Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt (or adjust to your taste).
- Stir everything together well to combine. Cover the slow cooker and let the mixture heat through on the LOW or WARM setting for about 15-20 minutes, allowing the shredded pork to absorb the juices and flavors.
5. Serve in Lettuce Wraps:
- While the pork mixture reheats, wash and thoroughly dry the Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves, keeping them whole to use as fresh, crisp cups.
- To serve, spoon a generous portion of the warm Hawaiian Pulled Pork mixture into each lettuce leaf.
- If desired, garnish the filled lettuce wraps with thinly sliced green onions.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your fresh and flavorful wraps!