• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Honey Ghee and Me
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
    • My Faves

Slow-Cooked Pork w/Butternut Squash, Garlic, & Kale {Whole30 Optional}

December 20, 2014 by Natalie

I honestly don’t cook with pork all too often- no particular reason- just didn’t grow up eating it much (except bacon, of course I like me some bacon), but every now and then, I get an itch to switch things up.  This was one of those itches, and man, was it a good one.  You could easily swap out the pork for beef if you wanted, but I really loved this dish exactly as is.  It’s comforting, it’s savory, it’s a bit sweet, and it’s easy to boot.  All things I’m a fan of.  ðŸ™‚

P1150634

I adapted this recipe from a Williams-Sonoma one I’d seen a while back (it’s here for those who want to take a peep).  I took the general list of ingredients from the W.S. recipe, revised them to suit my needs, added some butternut squash for added heartiness, health, and taste, and then turned it into a slow-cooked concoction instead.  It was delish.  I imagine it tastes nothing like the original actually- who knows- but I have to give credit where credit is due. 😉

P1150637

The only thing I think I’d do different is double this recipe next time.  I wanted more.  It was gone quickly, and I was so so sad.  Next time I’ll double it, and maybe serve it with some mashed potatoes.  Drool.

P1150639

You may be thinking 10 garlic cloves sounds like a lot, but nope, it’s not too much at all.  Once slow-cooked for hours, the cloves take on a slightly sweet flavor, not over-garlicky at all.  I actually love whole garlic cloves… roasted, slow-cooked, cooked however.  They add just the right flavor to this dish.  And, extra bonus, they’re super healthy too… gotta like that.

 P1150642

makes approx 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1-1.5 lb pork shoulder

1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped, approx 2 cups

1 medium yellow onion, approx 1 cup chopped

10 garlic cloves

3 cups chopped fresh kale

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary, approx 2 inch

1/3 cup chicken broth, homemade or good quality store-bought

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

P1150598

DIRECTIONS

To prep squash…

Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler

P1150602

Cut off ends and then slice the squash in half vertically

P1150603

Scoop any seeds and goop out with a spoon

P1150604

With the flat side down (to make chopping easier and keep that squash in place),

chop it into about 1 inch cubes

Set aside for now

P1150605

Chop pork into large bite-size cubes, approx 2 inches long

Mix the salt and pepper together in palm of your hand and then sprinkle over the pork

(or sprinkle each directly on the pork instead- I sometimes premix for even coating- not necessary though) 🙂

P1150599

Toss meat to distribute seasoning

P1150600

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat

Add the pork

P1150601

Cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned

 P1150607

Scoop pork onto a plate and set aside for now

You want approx 1 tbsp grease left in the pan, return pan to heat

P1150608

Chop onion and peel garlic cloves

(Instead of individual sprigs of thyme, I had one big stem with multiple sprigs- either works)

P1150609

Add the onion and herbs to the pan

Cook for about minutes, stirring often to prevent burning

P1150613

Add peeled garlic cloves

P1150615

Cook for a few minutes more, until lightly browned, stirring frequently

P1150616

Add wine- scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze

Let it cook down for 3-4 minutes

P1150618

Liquid will evaporate by about half

P1150619

Add the sauce (along with all herbs, onions, and garlic) to the Crock Pot

with the chicken broth, kale, squash, and pork

Toss everything together

P1150623

Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours

  P1150626

Once done, remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs

Season with extra salt and pepper, to taste, if desired

P1150629

Serve over rice, zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes, or whatever else you may want…

Enjoy!

P1150634

[seo_recipe id=”6600″]

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Beef, Pork, Bison, & Lamb, Comfort Food, Fall & Winter, Gluten Free, Paleo & Primal, Recipes + More, Slow-Cooker & Crock Pot Tagged With: autumn, crock pot, garlic, holiday, kale, paleo, pork, slow-cooker, squash

Previous Post: « 70+ Fall & Winter Real Food Recipe Roundup
Next Post: Roasted Cornish Game Hens {Paleo, Whole30} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tinakg2@gmail.com'Tina

    September 14, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Could I freezer before putting it in the crockpot?

    • Natalie

      September 18, 2015 at 9:29 am

      Hi Tina! That’s a great question. I personally haven’t tried, though I would think so. One potential issue I can imagine is it turning out a bit more liquidy due to the ice thawing, but it’s worth a try! If you do, let me know how it goes. 🙂

  2. pianogal919@gmail.com'Christina

    January 30, 2016 at 5:55 pm

    This looks amazing! But Whole30 doesn’t allow for wine in cooking – what can I substitute for that instead?

    • Natalie

      January 30, 2016 at 6:01 pm

      Hi Christina!

      Great question- I actually just remade something very similar to this (will be posting soon) that’s Whole30 compliant and used all chicken broth instead. Hope that helps! Enjoy!!

      • pianogal919@gmail.com'Christina

        January 31, 2016 at 2:08 pm

        Thanks! Also, is there any risk if I were to cook it for only 2.5 hours or 3 hours?

Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Hi, I’m Natalie!  I’m so happy you’re here!!
    Find me on Instagram @honeygheeme for more up-to-date recipes + info!

    By Category

    Come and get it!

    Subscribe to get the scoop on all the latest juicy bits.

    Footer

    Find More Recipes here

    Copyright © 2023 Honey Ghee and Me on the Foodie Pro Theme