Recipe Monday: Slow-Cooker Open Face Pulled Pork (or beef) Sandwich

Dinnertime at our house seems to be the crazy time of day- I am tired, the girls wake up between 4pm and 5pm and usually want to snuggle or hang out, Milly usually needs to be fed then has a lot of wake time, etc... so dinner is usually not fun for me. Dave has been working late most nights, so it is a choice- ignore the kids and cook or throw on something easy like hummus and crackers...again. When my Real Simple magazine came in the mail and had several yummy slow cooker recipes, I decided to at least try one "out of my box" recipe per week. I buy the groceries on Saturday (or send Dave) and then cook it Saturday night or Sunday night (while Dave has the kids entertained). I am having so much fun with it. I have never really used a slow cooker but it is awesome to throw stuff in the pot in the mornings and have dinner done whenever we are ready. And there are great left-overs! So, I am going to start a new "series" on here: Recipe Mondays! If I like one, I will put it on here for you to enjoy! I have a picky family, so I assure you the recipe has to be good to be successful around here! Here is the first one from Real Simple:

Slow-Cooker Open-Face Pulled-Pork Sandwiches With Tangy Broccoli Slaw

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 8hr 15m

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 8 tablespoons cider vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 12-ounce package broccoli slaw (4 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2 pieces
• * (JM NOTE: I used Lean Beef- just ask the butcher if you want to switch)
• 4 thick slices sandwich bread, toasted (JM NOTE: We used Whole Wheat Buns)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the red onion, 4 tablespoons of the vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the remaining vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fold in the broccoli slaw and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
3. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix together the yellow onion, tomato paste, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Cajun seasoning, the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and turn to coat.
4. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time). Using 2 forks, shred the pork and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve the pork and onions on the toast with the broccoli slaw.