Sunny Anderson's Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Features An Unexpected Ingredient

Making truly delicious, succulent, and fork-tender pulled pork might intimidate some cooks. Without being a veritable barbecue pit master, how can you pull off all that melting, flavor-packed meat right at home?

Fortunately, celebrity chef and TV host Sunny Anderson has an answer that requires only a minimal amount of active time, and — believe it or not — just four ingredients. The secret to this massively flavorful pork hack is a pantry staple you probably only pull out at lunch time — peanut butter.

With Anderson's recipe, which she shared on a Food Network segment, not only does peanut butter offer that nutty taste you know and love, but a rich, creamy quality that coats your pork as it cooks down. Combining this multi-purpose ingredient with another — salsa — means prep time is streamlined (no chopping up those tomatoes, peppers, onions, or other elements). And while it might sound unusual, you may already know that peanut butter takes store-bought salsa up a notch by adding body and toasty flavors that complement tomato-y umami and spice. Plus, because you'll be putting your slow cooker to work for you, the hardest part about making this dish is having a little patience.

To pull off this protein perfection, you simply start by seasoning your pork shoulder with a rub. Sunny Anderson uses salt, pepper, and cumin, but you can also sub in fennel or similar for cumin, or even use your favorite store-bought or homemade rub to give a base of flavor — just be sure to get it well coated on all sides.

The rub adds a good foundation, but the core of this recipe will be that combination of peanut butter and salsa. Here, you'll whisk them together in a bowl (Anderson recommends two 15.5 ounce jars of your favorite salsa to about ½ cup of peanut butter), then pour into the pot and set your slow cooker to high. Sit tight for about 8 hours, and what you'll find at the end is an unctuous, practically-falling-apart pork that has massive flavor permeating throughout.

After you remove the meat, be sure to whisk up the remaining sauce. Once your pork is pulled and ready to go, serve it over mashed potatoes that taste like heaven thanks to a simple swap, or layered into your favorite tacos, using that reserved sauce to finish things off. No matter what, if you've been convinced that your favorite nutty spread only pairs with jelly, that's one peanut butter myth you can stop believing — and this four-ingredient go-to recipe is proof.