My grandmother passed down this sweet and savory dinner. Just 4 ingredients for the most tender meat and perfectly caramelized sides you will ever eat.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish pork and sweet potatoes is the kind of sweet-and-savory dinner that feels like it came straight from a farmhouse kitchen. My grandmother made a version of this on Sundays, long before slow cookers were trendy, relying on simple pantry staples to turn an inexpensive pork roast and sweet potatoes into something deeply comforting. The magic here is in how the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar melt into the pork juices, creating a glossy, caramelized glaze that soaks into the vegetables while the meat turns fork-tender. It’s a practical, set-it-and-forget-it recipe that rewards you with the most tender meat and perfectly caramelized sides using just four ingredients.

Serve the pork and sweet potatoes straight from the slow cooker, spooning plenty of the rich brown sugar glaze over each portion. I like to pair this with something green and crisp for contrast—simple steamed green beans, sautéed cabbage, or a crunchy slaw dressed with a light vinaigrette. A slice of soft dinner roll or a piece of crusty bread is perfect for mopping up the savory-sweet juices. If you want to stretch the meal, pile the shredded pork and sweet potatoes over plain rice or buttered egg noodles, letting the sauce act as a built-in gravy.

Servings: 6

3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed of excess hard fat

Place the sweet potato chunks in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. This gives them direct contact with the heat so they soften and caramelize in the cooking juices.

Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and place it directly on top of the sweet potatoes in the center of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar until the sugar is evenly moistened. It will be thick and syrupy rather than fully dissolved, which is fine.

Pour the brown sugar–vinegar mixture evenly over the pork and sweet potatoes, using a spatula to scrape out every bit. Try to coat the top of the roast so the glaze can drip down as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork and the sweet potatoes are soft and glossy around the edges.

Once cooked, carefully transfer the pork to a cutting board. Skim off any visible excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker, if needed.

Shred the pork into large, tender pieces using two forks, discarding any remaining gristle or large fat pieces. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, nestling it gently into the sweet potatoes and juices.

Stir gently to combine the pork and sweet potatoes, being careful not to mash the potatoes completely. Let the mixture sit on the WARM setting for 10 to 15 minutes so the meat can soak up some of the thick, sweet-savory glaze.

Taste a small piece of pork and sweet potato with some of the juices. If you prefer a bit more tang, stir in an extra splash of apple cider vinegar; for more sweetness, sprinkle over a tablespoon or two of brown sugar and stir gently.

Serve the pork and sweet potatoes hot, spooning plenty of the caramelized brown sugar glaze and juices over each portion.

Use this recipe as a flexible framework while keeping the four-ingredient spirit intact. For a slightly smokier, more savory profile, choose dark brown sugar, which has more molasses and will deepen both color and flavor of the glaze. If you prefer a leaner cut, you can substitute pork loin for the shoulder, but reduce the cooking time slightly (check at 6 to 7 hours on LOW) since it can dry out more quickly; the result will be a bit less rich but still tender if not overcooked. For a more pronounced tang, swap part of the apple cider vinegar for apple cider or unsweetened apple juice—use 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup cider to keep the liquid level similar while softening the acidity. You can also cut the sweet potatoes into slightly larger chunks (2 inches) if you like them to hold their shape more firmly against the very soft, shreddy pork. To make ahead, cook fully, cool, and refrigerate in the slow cooker insert if your model allows; reheat gently on LOW or WARM, adding a tablespoon or two of water only if the glaze seems overly thick. Leftovers are excellent piled into soft rolls as a sweet-and-savory sandwich filling or spooned over rice for an easy next-day dinner.