Slow Cooker Fall-Apart Braised Pork with Cabbage and Apples

5 from 10 votes

This crockpot pork loin recipe is delicious, and it’s cheap, and that’s just the facts.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Resting Time20

Total Time4 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: People

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet. Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown the pork on all sides, about 8 minutes in all. Remove the pork to a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes, until they start to become tender, then add the cabbage, cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the vinegar and the white wine, bring to a simmer, and stir for a couple of minutes to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the vegetable mixture with the liquid to a slow cooker. Add the cider and tuck the pork into the mixture; in the pork; the liquid and vegetables should come up about 2/3 quarters of the way around the meat. Set the slow cooker on High for 4 hours (until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 F if you are using a meat thermometer). After 3 hours, tuck the apples into the cabbage mixture and continue cooking in the slow cooker for the remaining hour.
Remove the pork from the pot and allow it to sit on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. Slice the pork. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the apples, cabbage, and onion mixture into a shallow serving bowl, lay the sliced pork over the top, and drizzle over some of the liquid from the slow cooker.

As you do with many slow cooker recipes, you’ll want to start by browning the meat, in this case pork, in a skillet. This will ensure a nice variety of textures in the finished dish and add a layer of flavor from the browning.
When you remove the pork from the slow cooker, you want to allow it to sit on a cutting board for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the meat to reclaim its juices.
Don’t expect the slices to slice perfectly. The gorgeousness of low and slow cooking is that the meat will become fall-apart tender. Even a leaner cut like a pork loin.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat leftovers in a pot over low heat, covered in the oven, or in the crock pot. The leftover sliced pork is great in sandwiches! Try it in a pork banh mi!