Slow Cooker Sweet & Savory Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pat dry 4 lb of raw pork shoulder with paper towels. Season all sides with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned pork shoulder for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a golden-brown crust forms. Transfer the seared pork to the slow cooker.

Core and slice 1 large Granny Smith apple into thick wedges. Mince 4 cloves of garlic.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of ketchup, 2 tbsp of yellow mustard, and the minced garlic.

Place the sliced Granny Smith apple wedges around the pork in the slow cooker. Pour the whisked sweet and savory sauce mixture directly over the pork and apples.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 5 hours) until the pork is fall-apart tender.

While the pork cooks, prepare the coleslaw. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Stir in 14 oz of raw coleslaw mix until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carefully transfer the cooked pork shoulder to a large cutting board. Using two forks, shred all of the pork. Measure out exactly half of the shredded pork (equivalent to 2 lb raw / about 1.5 lb cooked) along with some of the cooking juices, allow it to cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to reserve for Day 3's flatbread pizzas.

Toss the remaining half of the shredded pork back into the slow cooker with the remaining sweet and savory sauce and tender apple slices.

Lightly toast 4 hamburger buns. Assemble the sandwiches by dividing the warm, saucy pulled pork onto the bottom buns, topping with the chilled, creamy coleslaw, and closing with the top buns.