- Prep10 min
- Cook20 min
Pulled pork sweet potato hash, and the slow cooker does the pork. Rub it with salt, switch it on and walk away. Grate the sweet potato the night before, so the next day is one frying pan and a spatula.
Easier still? Buy cooked pulled pork and skip the slow cooker altogether. Either way you get crisp-edged hash and plenty of leftovers, with eggs on top if you’re keen.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low Spoons
- Hands-on time: about 30 minutes in total, split across two days, plus 12 to 14 hours hands-off in the slow cooker
- Main effort: grating 600 g of sweet potato and rubbing raw pork shoulder with salt
- Chopping: a little. One brown onion (about 100 g), finely chopped. There’s a swap below
- Standing and attention: about 20 minutes at the stove, stirring, browning and flipping in sections. The pork needs no attention
- Washing up: the slow cooker pot, one frying pan and one board, plus a grater, a spatula and two forks
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: reheat a portion of leftover pork and hash until steaming hot all the way through (you’ll need leftovers first)
- Low-spoon version: cooked pulled pork from the supermarket, frozen chopped onion and a food processor to grate the sweet potato. Then it’s just the frying pan
- As written: slow cooker pork, sweet potato grated and chilled overnight, onion chopped by hand
Kerry’s notes
This one’s a two-day job, but the days are easy. Rub the pork with salt, switch the slow cooker on and leave it for 12 to 14 hours. Grate the sweet potato, pop it in the fridge overnight, and you’re ready for the morning.
You can prep it in stages and cook whenever your spoons turn up. Add a spice to the pork if you want more flavour. Add a handful of wilted spinach if it’s going to be lunch.
Yes, there’s sweet potato in here. Leigh has opinions about where that sits with keto and low carb, so I put the kettle on before she could start.
What’s that ingredient?
Ghee: clarified butter, which is butter with the milk solids taken out. It copes with a hot frying pan. You’ll find it in the butter or oils aisle, or you can order it from Low Carb Emporium. Store it the way the label says. Easiest swap: butter, but it browns quicker, so keep an eye on the pan.
Boston butt: the American name for a pork shoulder roast. Here, ask for a boneless pork shoulder.
Why this recipe works
- The slow cooker does the long part. No browning, no watching.
- The pork shreds with two forks, so there’s no carving.
- Grating the sweet potato the night before moves the biggest job off cooking day.
- The hash and the eggs share one frying pan.
- It makes six serves, so it’s a batch cook for the week.
Ingredients at a glance
- Pork shoulder: shreds easily after the long, slow cook.
- Salt: the only seasoning on the pork.
- Sweet potato: grated for the hash base, and it browns at the edges in the pan.
- Ghee: for softening the onion and browning the hash.
- Brown onion: softened first, for flavour through the hash.
- Eggs (optional): cooked in wells in the hash.
No Spoon Swaps
- Cooked pulled pork: skips the slow cooker. Check the label for salt and flavourings, and add it at the end.
- Frozen chopped onion: no knife work. It holds more water, so it may need a little longer in the pan.
- Food processor grater: grates 600 g of sweet potato in moments. One more thing to wash.
- Leave out the eggs: one less step. You still get a full dish.
Substitutions and allergens
- Boston butt: a boneless pork shoulder roast is what you’re after.
- Himalayan salt: any fine salt works for the rub.
- Ghee: butter works. It browns quicker, so watch the heat.
- Eggs: leave them out. They’re optional.
Allergen notes
- Egg: in the optional eggs.
- Milk: ghee is made from butter. Check the label if you avoid dairy.
- Other labels: check the labels on ghee, any spice you add to the pork and any cooked pulled pork.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Frying pan or BBQ flat plate: both have been used for the hash.
- Grater: a food processor with a grater attachment does the job faster.
- Standing: the stove is the only part that needs it, about 20 minutes. Browse more in Kitchen & Equipment.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool within 2 hours, then keep in an airtight container at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days.
- Freezer: freezer suitability hasn’t been tested yet. If you do freeze leftovers, use them within 3 months, thaw in the fridge, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze.
- Reheating: heat until steaming hot all the way through, and reheat once only.
Serving ideas
- Top the hash with eggs, cooked in the wells.
- Add wilted spinach to make it a lunch.
- Planning ahead? The lemongrass and five-spice brisket is another slow cooker dinner that makes plenty.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use the eggs?
No. They’re optional, and the hash works without them.
Can I make pulled pork sweet potato hash with cooked pork?
Yes. Skip the slow cooker, check the label for salt and flavourings, and stir the pork through at the end until it’s steaming hot.
Why grate the sweet potato the night before?
That’s how we tested it, so cooking day is just frying.
How long do leftovers keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge, once they’ve cooled within 2 hours. See the storage lines above.
Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Hash (Set It, Forget It)
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Frying Pan (or BBQ)
- Grater
- Chopping board and knife
- Spatula
- 2 forks
- Airtight container
Ingredients
Slow cooked pork
- 1 kg boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt roast
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
Hash
- 600 g sweet potato
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 100 g brown onion
- Salt and pepper, ½ tsp salt for the onion, then ¼ tsp salt and a pinch of pepper for the hash
- 8 large eggs, optional
Instructions
Cook the pork
- Rub the pork shoulder all over with ½ tsp salt.
- Put the pork in the slow cooker and put the lid on.
- Cook on low for 12 to 14 hours, until it shreds easily with two forks.
Prepare the sweet potato
- Grate the sweet potato.
- Put the grated sweet potato in a container in the fridge overnight.
Shred the pork
- Lift the cooked pork out of the slow cooker.
- Shred it with two forks.
Cook the hash
- Finely chop the onion.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Melt 1 tbsp ghee in the pan.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add salt as it cooks: ½ tsp.
- Add the sweet potato and the remaining 1 tbsp ghee.
- Season with salt and pepper: ¼ tsp salt and a pinch of pepper.
- Optional eggs: make 8 wells in the hash, crack an egg into each, cover and cook for a few minutes, until the eggs are how you like them.
- Leave the hash over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until the underside is browned.
- Flip the hash in sections with a spatula and brown the other side for 5 minutes.
Finish
- Top with the pulled pork and stir it through until the pork is steaming hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Put the pork on, grate the sweet potato, and leave the easy bit for tomorrow-you. Cook it in stages, whenever your spoons turn up, and eat the leftovers within three days. Give it a go.
