Slow-Cooked Pickled Pork

An easy pork roast delicious served hot or cold, with steaming mashed potatoes or a cold salad, for lunch or dinner. Whether you've got a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, here's how to nail the recipe down to a t.

Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 400 mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5

Ingredients

• 3 kg hand of pickled pork
• 2 tbsps brown malt vinegar
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsps dark brown sugar
• 1.5 litre (6 cups) water, approximately

PRESSURE COOKER

• 1.5 kg piece boneless rolled shoulder of pickled pork
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 8 black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 brown onion (150 g), chopped coarsely
• 1 celery stalk (150 g), trimmed, chopped coarsely
• 2 light brown sugar
• 2 malt vinegar
• 3 (12 cups) water, approximately

Steps

SLOW-COOKER METHOD

01. Place pork, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and sugar in 4.5 litre (18 cups) slow cooker; add enough of the water to barely cover pork. Cook, covered, on low, 8 hrs.

PRESSURE-COOKER METHOD

01. Combine pork, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, onion, celery, sugar, vinegar and enough of the water to barely cover pork in 8 litre (32 cups) pressure cooker; secure lid. Bring cooker to high pressure. Reduce heat to stabilise pressure; cook 30 mins.

02. Release pressure using the quick release method; remove lid. Cool pork, covered loosely in cooking liquid.

03. Serve warm or cold.

TIP

Cover and refrigerate overnight to make wonderful sandwiches, don't forget the mustard or a favourite pickle, chutney or relish. If you have an electric pressure cooker you won't need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure, your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer's instructions before using. Pickled pork is a little old-fashioned, it might be necessary to order it from the butcher. The shoulder cut used here is also called a "hand" of pickled pork.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au