This 4-ingredient slow cooker vintage jubilee roast takes me right back to the kind of easy, celebratory suppers we’d pull together for summer holidays on the farm—Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or a small-town jubilee down at the park. You tuck a pork top roast into the slow cooker in the cool of the morning, pour over a simple sweet-and-tangy mixture, and by evening you’ve got a glossy, tender roast falling into amber juices, ready whenever everyone wanders in from the heat. It’s the kind of no-fuss, dependable recipe that lets you enjoy the day instead of hovering over the stove, but still tastes like you’ve been tending it all afternoon.
Serve thick slices of the pork roast spooned with plenty of the glossy cooking juices over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or on soft sandwich buns. A simple side like coleslaw, sliced garden tomatoes, corn on the cob, or a cucumber-and-onion salad fits the old-fashioned Midwestern spirit of the dish. If it’s a holiday weekend, set the slow cooker on warm and let guests help themselves, adding a green salad and maybe a pan of baked beans to round out the meal. Leftovers are wonderful piled on toast or stirred into cooked rice with some of the juice for an easy second-night supper.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Jubilee Pork RoastServings: 6-8
Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds boneless pork top roast
1 cup apple juice or apple cider
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (mild, tomato-based)
1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
Directions
Pat the pork top roast dry with paper towels. Trim any very thick or hard pieces of exterior fat, but leave a modest layer for flavor and moisture.
Place the pork roast into the slow cooker, fat side up, so the melting fat bastes the meat as it cooks.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the apple juice (or cider), barbecue sauce, and dry onion soup mix until the soup mix is mostly dissolved and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
Pour the mixture evenly over and around the pork roast in the slow cooker. The roast should be nestled in a shallow pool of amber liquid; it does not need to be completely submerged, as it will release more juices while cooking.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. The liquid will become a rich, glossy amber sauce and the edges of the roast may look a bit gelatinous and soft—that’s the collagen turning silky and flavorful.
Once done, carefully lift the roast onto a cutting board, letting excess juices drip back into the slow cooker. Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to slice or shred.
Skim excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker with a spoon. Taste the juices and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt or a splash more barbecue sauce if desired.
Slice the pork roast into thick slices or pull it into large, rustic chunks with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and gently stir to coat with the warm amber juices, then switch the slow cooker to WARM until you are ready to serve.
Serve the pork hot, spooning plenty of the glossy cooking liquid over each portion.
Variations & Tips
For a little more sweetness, you can swap half of the apple juice for cola or ginger ale, a trick that showed up at many a Midwestern church potluck in the 1970s and 80s. If you like a smokier flavor, choose a smoky barbecue sauce or add a few drops of liquid smoke to the apple juice mixture. For a bit of heat, stir in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful of hot sauce before pouring the mixture over the roast. If you prefer a thicker gravy-style sauce, remove 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid near the end, whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth, then return it to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened. You can also make this recipe with a pork shoulder or Boston butt if that’s what you have on hand; just be prepared for a bit more fat to skim from the top of the juices. For food safety, always start with fully thawed pork, keep the lid on the slow cooker as much as possible, and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the roast reaches at least 145°F, though for pull-apart tenderness 190–200°F is more typical. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating to steaming hot before serving. If you’re cooking overnight or while you’re away on a busy holiday weekend, set the slow cooker to LOW, and when the roast is done, switch it to WARM so your effortless feast is ready whenever everyone is.
