My sister begs me to make these every spring. Just 3 ingredients wrapped in little foil parcels and let the magic happen. Everyone is always obsessed with the juicy surprise inside.

Every spring, when the pastures start greening up and the first robins show themselves, my sister calls and asks the same thing: “Are you making those little pork packets again?” She means these slow cooker salsa verde pork packets—just three humble ingredients, wrapped up in foil like tiny presents and tucked into the crock. By suppertime, you peel one open and there’s that juicy, fragrant surprise inside. This is the kind of recipe that fits right into our Midwestern way of cooking: simple pantry staples, a slow cooker doing the work while you’re out in the yard, and a meal that feels special without any fuss at all.

These packets are wonderful served right out of the foil on a plate with warm flour or corn tortillas, a scoop of rice, and a spoonful of beans. A crisp green salad or a simple cabbage slaw balances the richness nicely. Around here, we’ll often add some buttered corn or roasted potatoes on the side and call it a feast. If you’re serving a crowd, set the foil packets in the slow cooker on warm, put out extra salsa verde, lime wedges, and maybe a little shredded cheese, and let everyone build their own plates at the table.

Servings: 6

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 12 equal chunks

Lay out 12 squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil on your counter, shiny side in. Each square should be large enough to wrap around a small handful of meat and onions, about 10x10 inches.

Thinly slice the onion and divide the slices loosely among the center of each foil square, making a little bed for the pork in each one.

Cut the pork shoulder into 12 roughly equal chunks, trimming any extra-large pieces of fat but leaving some for flavor. Place one chunk of pork on top of the onions in the center of each foil square.

Stir the jar of salsa verde and spoon about 2 tablespoons over each piece of pork, letting some drip down onto the onions. Reserve any remaining salsa verde in the jar for later drizzling.

Fold each foil square up around the pork and salsa to form a snug packet: bring two opposite sides together and fold down tightly several times, then fold in the remaining sides so the juices stay inside. You should have 12 well-sealed little parcels.

Nestle the foil packets in a single, snug layer in the bottom of a large slow cooker (5- to 7-quart). It’s fine if they’re touching or slightly stacked, but try to keep them mostly in one layer so they cook evenly.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork inside the packets.

When the cooking time is up, carefully open one packet with tongs or oven mitts—the steam will be hot—and check a piece of pork with a fork. If it doesn’t pull apart easily, reseal and cook another 30 to 60 minutes.

Once the pork is tender, turn the slow cooker to WARM. Leave the packets in the slow cooker and gently open the tops of each one just enough to peek at the meat. Drizzle a spoonful of the reserved salsa verde over the exposed pork in each packet for a fresh, bright finish.

Serve the packets directly from the slow cooker: use tongs to lift each foil parcel onto a plate, then open it at the table so everyone gets that first puff of fragrant steam and the juicy surprise inside. Spoon any juices from the packet over the meat before eating.

You can easily tailor these little packets to suit your table. For a milder version, choose a mild salsa verde and use a sweeter onion, like Vidalia, which softens down beautifully in the foil. If you prefer a bit more heat, pick a medium or hot salsa verde or tuck a thin slice of jalapeño into each packet before sealing. Boneless country-style pork ribs also work nicely in place of pork shoulder; just cut them into smaller chunks and watch the cooking time, as they may become tender a bit sooner. For a lighter option, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of pork—reduce the LOW cooking time to about 5 to 6 hours and check early so they don’t dry out. If you want to stretch the meal, add a spoonful of cooked rice or a few canned, drained pinto or black beans into each packet with the onions before adding the pork and salsa; just keep in mind that more filling may need a little extra salsa so nothing dries out. For serving, these packets are wonderful piled into warm tortillas, over mashed potatoes, or on top of buttered egg noodles, which is how many Midwestern grandmothers would do it. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh, cold pork and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the packets. Use clean utensils and a clean cutting board, and wash your hands after handling raw meat. Make sure the foil packets are well sealed so raw juices don’t leak into the slow cooker and cross-contaminate other foods. Cook the pork until it reaches at least 145°F internally, though for shoulder you’ll usually be closer to 190–200°F when it’s fall-apart tender. Do not cook these on the WARM setting from the start; always begin on LOW or HIGH so the meat passes through the food “danger zone” (40–140°F) quickly. Once cooked, keep the slow cooker on WARM for serving no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot before eating.