Herb-Infused Honey Garlic Pork Roast

Why This Herb-Infused Honey Garlic Pork Roast Works

As the pork sits in the honey, garlic, and herbs, the sticky paste clings to the outside and forms a thin coating. During the long time in the crock pot, that coating slowly melts and soaks into the surface of the meat. Honey and vinegar keep the outside from drying out, so the pork stays moist instead of going stringy.

While everything cooks on low heat, the tough parts in the pork shoulder slowly break down. Over several hours, the fat and connective tissue soften and turn almost jelly-like, which is why the meat ends up so tender it can be shredded with a fork. With gentle heat, the juices stay inside the pork instead of rushing out.

Onions sitting under the pork cook in the broth and meat drippings. They soften, lose their sharp bite, and their sweetness spreads into the liquid. By the time it finishes, the crock pot is full of a light, tasty cooking liquid, and the pork is soft, juicy, and coated with the mellow honey-garlic-herb taste.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pork cook on high heat instead of low makes the outside tighten up and squeeze out its juices before the inside has time to slowly soften. The roast ends up stringy and dry instead of tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

Putting the pork straight into the crock pot without really rubbing in the salt, pepper, and honey-herb paste leaves big areas of plain meat. Those spots don’t pick up much from the broth while cooking, so some slices taste flat and a bit bland compared to the rest.

Pouring the chicken broth directly over the top of the pork washes off a lot of the honey, garlic, and herbs. During the long cook, most of that flavor ends up in the liquid at the bottom, and the meat surface stays pale and less caramelized.

Skipping the rest at the end and slicing the roast right away lets the hot juices run straight out onto the cutting board. The slices look wet at first but quickly turn dry and a little tough as they sit.