Spicy Shredded Pork with Not Quite Mole Sauce

Here is another fine recipe from the weekend of superior home dining while my sister was in town. This one was inspired by a new crockpot cookbook I bought called Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes for Entertaining. It contains a few Early Adaptations of course for a fun new recipe. I had planned to serve this on tortillas with some leftover shredded cabbage. However, on a last minute whim we decided it would be better on some sliced challa bread we had bought from Great Harvest Bakery that morning. HUGE SUCCESS! The sweet bread was a great compliment to the the smokey spicy pork.

Spicy Shredded Pork with Not Quite Mole Sauce

2.5 Pound Salmon Creek Farms Pork Butt Roast
2 T Peanut Oil
1 Yellow Onion Diced
3 cloves Minced Garlic
2 to 3 Fingerling Potatoes, peeled and diced
8 ounces canned Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Chipotle Chili Powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Anaheim Chile, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
1 Tablespoon Maranatha Organic Peanut Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Sliced Great Harvest Challa Bread
1/2 cup shredded Medium Tillamook Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Pat meat dry with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil until very hot. Add the roast and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to roast to the slow cooker. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.

Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add to the slow cooker along with diced potato, tomato sauce, chipotle chili powder, oregano, cumin, and anaheim chili. Add just enough water to cover roast. Cover and cook on LOW until the pork shreds easily when pressed with a spoon, 8 to 10 hours.

Transfer the meat to a platter and shred with a fork. Pour off excess broth until you are left with about 2 cups of liquid in the slow cooker. Add chocolate and peanut butter and stir to combine until the chocolate melts. Season with salt and pepper, return the meat to the slow cooker, and stir to blend. Serve over slices of sweet challa bread from Great Harvest Bakery. Sprinkle shredded medium Tillamook Cheddar over the top if desired.

And the results from the peanut gallery are....