Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder With Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glaze Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Made this as written and both my husband and I really enjoyed it. Sooo good! Thank you for a new go to recipe!

If you, like me, completely forget the sauce and just dive right in, it will be delicious anyway. This one is going in my regular rotation. Thanks!

MMS May 27, 2023

I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I do in 200 or 220 oven for same amount of time?

I've made this twice now, and enjoyed it both times, but the second time was a level up. Based on other comments below, on both occasions I reduced the sugar to half cup. The real change was in the cooking method--I used the slow cooker on high for 4 hours, but then let it rest for an hour. I then put the meat plus all the juices with 2 cups of parboiled carrots in a roasting pan, and cooked at 375 for another 45 minutes or so, occasionally basting. I had to add a little more water and a 1/4 cup of Xiaoxing wine (correct spelling is escaping me) to the pan at some point so the sauce did not burn or get too much like toffee. The result was delicious--a deeply flavored crust on the meat, and some thicker sauce to spoon over the rice with the roasted carrots (they were more like glazed carrots). I don't know if the resting time really mattered, since that was more a byproduct of my schedule, but figured I should report it. I served it with rice and sautéed bok choy, but other greens would be good, too.

What changed in this revised recipe, the glaze when it was posted on Laura’s Sweet Spot is applied to the pork after it is finished cooking and put under the broiler. It then forms a caramelized glaze and is delicious. For those not liking the sauce, missing that step could be why.

Pam October 1, 2020

Delicious! This recipe was super easy and the results were very tasty. I used a ~3lb pork shoulder butt, and the meat was very tender after five hours. I subbed coconut aminos for soy sauce, so next time I would decrease the sugar to compensate for the sweeter aminos. I also added some sliced carrots and chopped mushrooms with an hour to go. I would definitely make this again.

I ordered a 4# boneless pork shoulder from my butcher. It just came and I think it is bigger than this. He also tied it with string. Should I take the string off? If it is bigger than 4# I guess I will cook longer. Can anyone tell me what the proper internal temp should be for "fall apart tender?" Thanks!

I want to make double this recipe in my slow cooker with two separate pieces of 4-pound meat. Do you think I need to keep it in longer or stick to the four hours plus one?

I made this with a 4# bone-in piece of meat and followed the directions exactly. It smelled wonderful while cooking. It was not "fall apart tender" but was well cooked and tender - That may be because the butt was bone-in and needed more than 5 hours to cook. The sauce was good, but too sweet for me. I would cut the sugar by 1/2 if I were to make it again. I also expected the sauce to be thicker than it was (since it had contained cornstarch). I am looking forward to having the leftovers in a few days, to see if the flavor is different.

In the photo, there’s a creamy-looking sauce beneath the roast. What is that?

Excellent! A great winter option when it's too cold to grill or smoke outside and you have that "Q" craving. Leftovers make a great ingredient in Cowboy co*cktails.

Already in the comments. 😬

Truly excellent. I had a few challenges- a five pound bone in shoulder, no dry mustard. Subbed 3 T of Kozlowski date fig mustard for the dry, reduced the sugar to a third of a cup of demara, used half a cup of cheap port instead of water; all worked fine. I added an hour to the cooking time because of the extra weight - mistake. Small carrots and tiny new potatoes needed more than an hour in the slow cooker, so I put them with some sauce in the oven for 20 minutes. All told, a really delicious meal, and a forgiving recipe. Plus, easy!! Definitely in the rotation. Thanks.

Delicious and easy! I used a 2 lbs pork loin. I added carrots for the last hour. Next time, I will cut the carrots up into thick slices as they were a bit too undercooked/crunchy for my taste. I served the pork with some of the sauce drizzled over it.

I made this Saturday with a pork shoulder as suggested, a 2-lb one with the bone in, and it was delicious! My husband and I agree it is one of the best sauces EVER. Is it bad that I actually ate the sauce with a spoon? I served it with buttermilk mashed potatoes (smothered in sauce) and buttered cabbage with whole grain mustard. This is going in my regular rotation.

Terrific recipe. I am from the South and just have to move more slowly-250 degrees for 8 hours and it was divine. I used an iron camp cooker, but in the oven.

Thank you for this delicious slow cooker meal! I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of balsamic. I served this dish with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. Yum!

Mel May 24, 2019

I made this with 2lbs cut of meat. I think the cooking time was too long. The meat fell apart and was super tender, but it wasn't "sliceable" like it looks in your picture. How long should I cooked a smaller piece of meat? Please let me know!

what's your second most popular? Don't eat pork.