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Balsamic vinegar is probably my all-time favorite condiment (certainly my all-time favorite AIP-friendly condiment). I put it in everything. Salads, marinades, even ice cream. There’s just nothing like it and the flavor’s so versatile! Pork, on the other hand, rarely shows up in my diet because it can be so darn expensive. But every now and then I’ll find a good price on a roast and you just know that baby’s going in the slow cooker for some perfectly tender shredded meat.
If you happen to have an Instant Pot, you don’t even have to transfer the liquid to the stove to reduce it – just take out the meat, switch the pot to saute, and let it reduce! This entree pairs particularly well with root vegetables and mashed cauliflower.
- 4-lb pork roast
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- ½ tablespoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until the meat is easily shredded with a fork.
- Strain the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Reduce the liquid by half, about 15 minutes.
- Serve the sliced or shredded pork topped with the sauce.
19 comments
I really like the combination of balsamic and maple. I’ve definitely pinned this for the next time I see a pork roast on sale.
I read somewhere that wheat paste is used on the barrels to make balsamic vinegar – is that true? I know that I’ve always reacted really badly to balsamic vinegar, and also white and malt vinegars, but not to cider vinegar, so I’m not really sure why?
Hi Raven! Yes this is true, although I think finding a vinegar that is truly barrel aged is rare. I would stick to brands that have a gluten free label, or can assure you their product is gluten free when you inquire with them. There also might be another reason, unrelated to that why you react to balsamic–many of us have these befuddling reactions, sometimes without being able to pinpoint the source! Hope it helps 🙂
How long and what setting would you use if you put this in the Instant Pot? Would this meat be good in a lettuce wrap?
I made it tonight with a 4.5 pound loin (not tenderloin). I did it for 45 minutes on high and then seared it while the sauce was sauté. It turned out really wel.
Making this for the second time tonight. Such a delicious, easy and affordable recipe. Thank you!
This was so easy and tasted fantastic! Thank you!
Hi! Do you happen to have instructions for cooking this in an Instant Pot?
Way to go, Christina! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. My husband and I have been following an autoimmune protocol for a year and a half. I was in great need of some new recipes and found this one over the weekend. It was really flavorful and a nice change from our regular, boring menu. It was easy to prepare, too, and made my house smell good while it was in the slow cooker. I used a bone-in pork shoulder roast and it was perfect. I like the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup combo…it is perfect. Anyway, this recipe has been added to my rotation. I appreciate your hard work in creating this recipe!
Hi! Sounds great! You mention the Instant Pot- do you have recommended times for making the recipe that way? Thanks!
Do you think this recipe would work with a pork chop instead of pork roast? Id love to make this – just cooking for one person, so trying to figure out a great way to make this an easy single dinner 🙂
Hi Caroline, I don’t think a chop would work great as the cuts don’t behave similarly, but why not make extras for leftovers, either to keep in the fridge or the freezer? Then you don’t have to cook as much!
Thanks very much for this delicious recipe! I used my InstantPot and because I only had a 2 lb pork roast, I altered the liquids to 1/2 c broth, 1/4 c balsamic vinegar and set it to manual for 60min. then natural release. You can make the sauce in the same pot by using the Sauté button.
I shredded it on a cookie sheet, added a bit of sauce, and put it under the broiler for just a few minutes, it adds crunchy and delicious bits.
Thank you Angie for a GREAT recipe, and Thank you Elle for the Instant Pot conversion! The only problem I had was that as I shredded the meat, the the yummy bits kept falling in my mouth, so they never made it to the broiler. 😉
Oops! Thank you CHRISTINA, for a great recipe….
not sure what I did wrong, but my loin turned out so dry it wasn’t edible (used instapot at reduced time, but clearly still too much time). but the balsamic reduction was amazing!
Hi Jennifer, this isn’t my recipe, but if you alter the cooking method on any of our recipes you may not get what you intend! The Instant Pot is tricky to work with and braises don’t always convert seamlessly. I would suggest if you are looking for IP recipes to find the ones that specifically call for that cooking method, we have tons of them on the site!
Sorry for the dumb question, but is a pork roast the same thing as a tenderloin? I bought a tenderloin. Can I use that? Sorry I don’t know my meats that well.
Hi Mickey and Christina, I wanted to thank you for sharing this delicious recipe online. I made my first Boston Butt Pork with this recipe. I have always been intimidated to cook huge portions of meat but I will now be experimenting more! I knew it would be fully cooked after 8 hours in the crock pot so I had no worries. I bought the pork (8lbs); cut it in half and froze half. I am detailing my process for others. I tweaked the recipe slightly due to what was in the pantry. I did not have sage, and I switched out maple syrup for agave. My family and I really enjoyed this.