Maple bacon balsamic pulled pork

Some weeks the most supportive thing you can do for your Autoimmune work is take dinner off your list of decisions. This is a one pot pork shoulder you season, walk away from, and shred into a pot of warm, savory sweet meat that feeds a family or fills your fridge for the week. A small amount of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar round out the glaze, so the sweetness stays modest and the flavor still runs deep.

Pork shoulder is a strong source of B12 and zinc, both involved in immune function and the energy your nervous system runs on, and of selenium, which supports thyroid hormone conversion. The fattier cut keeps the meat moist through a long, slow cook, so it turns tender rather than dry, and it delivers steady protein without asking anything complicated of you in the kitchen.

It is worth remembering what is on the plate. A whole shoulder is a real animal and a real provision, and cooking it slow and unhurried, then sharing it, is an honest way to meet that. Set some aside to freeze, and you have given your future self a kindness too.

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 6 bacon slices (clean-label, no added sugar or nightshade spice)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp fish sauce (clean-label, AIP Core; or omit and use 1 tsp blackstrap molasses)
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

All ingredients are AIP Core compliant as written. No swaps needed. The cinnamon and garlic stand in for the pepper a standard pork rub would use, so the dish stays nightshade-free. Fish sauce can be omitted or replaced with 1 teaspoon of blackstrap molasses if you prefer.

Method

• Rub the pork all over with the sea salt, cinnamon, and garlic powder. Set it in the Instant Pot insert.
• Lay the bacon slices over the roast. Pour the balsamic vinegar and fish sauce over the top, then scatter the sliced onion across it.
• Seal and pressure cook on high for 100 minutes. A fatty shoulder usually releases enough of its own liquid, though if you run an 8-quart pot or see a burn warning, add 3/4 cup broth around the sides (verify for your model).
• Release the pressure, then shred the pork, bacon, and onion together right in the pot.
• Whisk 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid with the maple syrup and toss it through the shredded meat.

Instant Pot variation

The recipe above is already the Instant Pot path: high pressure for 100 minutes, then shred. If you want it faster than a slow cooker but with less hands-off time than 100 minutes feels, this is the route to take.

Slow cooker variation

Build it the same way in the slow cooker insert: rub the pork, layer the bacon, pour the balsamic and fish sauce, top with onion. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours until the meat shreds easily (author's range, verify). Shred in the pot, then whisk 1/2 cup of the liquid with the maple syrup and fold it through. Reheat leftovers in a skillet to crisp the edges.

*Adapted from grazed-and-enthused*