Slow Cooker Italian Roasted Pork Sandwiches
Made in a slow cooker, this roasted pork sandwich is a hearty recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight meal or a big Game Day. Flavored with a quick homemade Italian style and topped with greens and cheese, the sandwich comes together quickly. And the best part is that the slow cooker does most of the work, so you can simply set it and finish it up later.
Servings: 12 servings
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
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 12-oz jar giardiniera (reserve 2 tbsp brine 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 and cook until the meat is tender and falls apart easily, 6-8 hours. Once the meat is cooked, shred it into small pieces and return to the slow cooker with the liquid.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 brine for dressing), 1 ½ tsp fennel seed
- Prepare the greens: In a medium bowl, combine the dried oregano, red chili flakes, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, reserved giardiniera brine, and olive oil. Whisk to combine and add the greens, tossing 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
When adding the spice rub to the pork shoulder, make sure to use your hands to really massage the granules into the meat. The most flavor will be achieved when all four sides of the meat are coated, and the spices are worked into the crevices as well.
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.
While 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 549kcal