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Why I Love This Sandwich
There’s something so satisfying about a slow cooker recipe that actually does what we all want it to do: create lots of flavor with very little fuss. This pork shoulder cooks low and slow with spices, a whole head of garlic, and a full jar of giardiniera until it’s tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
The result is rich, savory pork with just enough briny brightness to keep every bite balanced, especially when it’s made into a sandwich.
This is the kind of meal that works on so many occasions: Sunday afternoon, a family get-together, or a cold evening when everyone needs something warm and hearty. It reminds me that simple ingredients can be made into something super tasty and memorable. A good cut of pork, pantry spices, pickled vegetables, and bread become a sandwich that feels comforting and full of flavor.
Here’s why you’ll love this sandwich recipe:
- The slow cooker does all of the work. Seriously, the pork is shreddable after cooking for 6-8 hours.
- Giardiniera adds instant flavor that you’ll love with the pork.
- It’s perfect when you need to serve a crowd. Cut it into however many pieces you need!
- You’ll hope for leftovers so you can enjoy the extra pork in sandwiches, wraps, or frozen for another meal.
Italian Pork Sandwiches Ingredients
An easy combination of ingredients makes for one of the best-tasting sandwiches you’ll have:
- Fennel seed – Grind whole fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder for the best texture and Italian flavor.
- Dried thyme and dried oregano – Two spices that flavor the meat and the greens.
- Kosher salt and black pepper – Season multiple components of the recipe.
- Garlic – A whole head softens in the slow cooker, then gets squeezed into the shredded pork.
- Pork shoulder – A flavorful, marbled cut that becomes tender and juicy with a long, slow cooking time.
- Worcestershire sauce – The secret ingredient for lots of flavor!
- Giardiniera – The brine’s sharpness helps cut through the fatty meat and adds a bright flavor that complements it; the reserved brine is used to season the greens.
- French bread – Toasting the bread helps it hold up to the juicy pork. You can make your own homemade version using my French bread recipe, or use smaller store-bought buns for a quick option.
- Olive oil – Helps the bread crisp in the oven; also used in the dressing.
- Fontina cheese – Melts beautifully and adds creamy richness. Provolone or mozzarella can also work.
- Pepperoncini – Adds a nice crunch and a little bit of additional spice.
- Red pepper flakes – Just a little heat in the greens.
- Loose greens – You can use arugula, a spring mix, or another tender green.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Italian Pork Sandwiches
This sandwich comes together in a few steps, with the slow cooker doing most of the work:
Step 1: Prepare the pork – In a small bowl, combine the ground fennel, dried thyme, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and rub the seasoning mixture all over the meat. Add the head of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and giardiniera with its brine. Cover and cook on low until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily, 6-8 hours.
Step 2: Shred the pork – Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it into small pieces, discarding any excess fat. Remove the garlic head, squeeze the softened cloves into the shredded pork, and discard the papery skin. Return the pork and garlic to the slow cooker and stir them into the cooking liquid.
Step 3: Make the dressed greens – In a bowl, whisk together the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, some giardiniera brine, and olive oil. Add the greens and toss until lightly coated.
Step 4: Prepare the sandwich – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the French bread in half horizontally and place both halves cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Toast until the bread is beginning to brown and dry slightly, 6-8 minutes.
Step 5: Build the sandwich – Spoon the desired amount of shredded pork onto the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle half of the shredded fontina over the pork and the remaining fontina over the top half of the bread. Return the bread to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 6-8 minutes.
Step 6: Finish and serve – Top the pork with the dressed greens and sliced pepperoncini. Place the top half of the bread over the filling, slice into portions, and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Use pork shoulder, not pork loin – Pork shoulder has the fat and connective tissue needed for slow cooking. Pork loin is much leaner and can turn dry before it becomes shreddable.
- When shredding the meat, remove and discard any fat – Some cuts of pork can have a fat cap, which can be removed before cooking. But once cooked, the fat cap can be extremely easy to remove and separate from the meat.
- Prep ahead – The pork can be prepared the night before or the morning of the day it will be served. Simply load up the slow cooker with the meat ingredients and choose the time of day when you want to cook it.
- Cook on low for the best texture – Low heat gives the pork time to become tender and juicy. High heat can work in a pinch, but low is the better choice for shreddable pork shoulder.
- Make sure to toast the bread – The pork is juicy, so toasted bread helps the sandwich hold together instead of becoming soggy.
- Assemble right before serving – The pork can stay warm in the slow cooker, but the finished sandwich is best when the bread is crisp, the cheese is melted, and the greens are fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shoulder and butt pork roasts both benefit from a long cooking time. These cuts of meat are tough, with a higher fat ratio that needs a long time to break down. Pork loin is not the best choice for this recipe. It is too lean and can become dry in the slow cooker.
Yes, you could use a cast-iron skillet (or something else substantially heavy) and crush the fennel seed on a wooden cutting board. A spice grinder can also be used to achieve the same result.
Fontina is creamy and mild, but provolone or mozzarella are good substitutes. For a sharper sandwich, use provolone.
Yes! Cook and shred the pork up to 2 days in advance, then refrigerate it in the cooking liquid. Reheat before assembling the sandwiches.
Yes. Soft sandwich rolls, hoagie rolls, or Italian rolls all work well. It’s a good idea to toast them before filling so they can stand up to the juicy pork.
This recipe is inspired by Italian-style pork sandwich flavors, but it is not a traditional Philly version. Instead of broccoli rabe and sharp provolone, this sandwich uses giardiniera, fontina, dressed greens, and pepperoncini.
Follow These Tips
Serving & Storage
Serving – Once these sandwiches come out of the oven, let them cool just slightly, and add the pepperoncini and greens. Once assembled, the sandwich should be sliced and served immediately. The juices from the meat will slowly soak into the bread over time and are best enjoyed fresh.
If you’re hosting a party, keep the shredded pork warm in the slow cooker and set out toasted bread, cheese, dressed greens, and pepperoncini so everyone can build their own sandwich. The cheese won’t get fully melted, but some of the heat from the meat will soften it.
Refrigerate – Store leftover pork separately from the bread, cheese, and greens. Place the pork and cooking liquid in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store dressed greens separately and use them within 1-2 days for the best texture. This sandwich is delicious when also enjoyed cold, but the leftover meat can be heated and then assembled.
Freeze – Freeze the shredded pork with some of the cooking liquid in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Do not freeze the assembled sandwiches or dressed greens.
More Game Day Recipes
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Slow Cooker Italian Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the pork shoulder
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seed ground
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 head garlic top sliced off to expose the cloves
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 12-oz jar giardiniera (reserve 2 tbsp for dressing)
For the sandwich
- 1 loaf French bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz fontina cheese shredded
- sliced pepperoncini
For the dressed greens
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp giardiniera brine
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cups loose greens
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: In a small bowl, combine the ground fennel, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Set the prepared shoulder in a 4-quart slow cooker and rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. To the slow cooker, add the head of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and the giardiniera with the brine, reserving 2 tbsp of the brine for the dressing. Set the slow cooker to low and cook until the meat is tender and falls apart easily, 6-8 hours.1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 head garlic, 2 lbs pork shoulder, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 12-oz jar giardiniera (reserve 2 tbsp for dressing), 1 ½ tsp fennel seed
- Shred the pork: Once the meat is cooked, remove the pork and shred it into small pieces, discarding any excess fat. Remove the garlic head from the slow cooker, squeeze the softened cloves into the shredded meat, and discard the papery skin. Return the meat and garlic to the slow cooker with the liquid.
- Prepare the greens: In a medium bowl, whisk the dried oregano, red chili flakes, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, reserved giardiniera brine, and olive oil. Add the greens and toss to combine.½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp giardiniera brine, ¼ cup olive oil, 3 cups loose greens
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the sandwich: Slice the loaf of French bread in half horizontally. Place the halves cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the bread with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toast in the preheated oven until the bread is beginning to brown and slightly dry, 6-8 minutes.2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 loaf French bread
- Assemble: Once toasted, remove the bread from the oven and add the desired amount of meat to the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle the meat with half of the shredded cheese and sprinkle the top half loaf of the bread with the remaining shredded cheese. Return the sandwich to the oven until the cheese is melted, 6-8 minutes.6 oz fontina cheese
- Serve: Remove the sandwich from the oven and top it with the dressed greens and sliced pepperoncini. Place the top half of the loaf on top, creating the sandwich. Then slice and serve immediately.sliced pepperoncini
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson
A stellar recipe. The spice rub makes it so yummy. What’s better than a day with dinner in the crockpot!
I have made this for my very picky family and for parties! It is always a huge hit and everyone wants the recipe! So delicious and so easy!
I started watching your videos about 3 weeks ago and enjoy them. I decided to make this sandwich today. I also made French bread from your website. The pork sandwich is delicious. And the French bread recipe is a keeper. I’m looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Outstanding. Best sandwich we have eaten for a long time. So easy and delicious. People at my husband’s work were going, “What smells so good!” when it brought leftovers to work.
Just made this last night and it is incredible. Quick and easy to assemble in the slow cooker. The flavors are amazing. Great with shredded cabbage on top. Betting it will feeeze well too. Going to put this into my rotation.
My slow cooker is not working. I’m going to cook it in the oven in my le creuset cookware. What temp and how long? My shoulder is abut 4lbs
We made this tonight for our supper bowl party. Everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hi Kaleb, just made this and we LOVED it! Super easy and have left overs that I intend to make barbecue with. Thanks!
Good morning
I love you.
You are sunshine.
Gonna stop drooling, and make the Italian slow cooker roast pork. Looks scrumptious.
So good! Made without fennel as that’s not my favorite, but otherwise as written. I cook for just my husband and me, so we have lots to freeze for other meals. Fontina – yes!roasted garlic – yes! I wasn’t sure about putting the whole garlic in with the skins, but it was intact and easy to squeeze out at the end of the cooking time. I also had extra greens left after putting the sandwich together, but I ate that as a salad with the sandwich. Love this recipe!
I didn’t have fennel seeds at the time, so I used caraway seeds, and it was still outstanding.