So I had two things:

*I had a temporary crown on a front tooth and strict instructions not to bite

*I had a big joint of pork in the freezer that screamed crackling but said it was perfect for pulled pork

I researched pulled pork and thought it sounded interesting, especially if I couldn’t eat crackling. As usual, I read a number of recipes and grasped the basic principles. All of them said it was the perfect dish for a slow cooker. (I love my slow cooker – it makes me feel all virtuous that I’ve prepped a meal in the morning and then I have nothing to do at dinner time except switch it off.)

The steps were:

*Rub the joint with a mix of seasonings and spices

*Place on a bed of veg in the slow cooker

*Add liquid, mostly apple juice and cider vinegar but don’t cover the meat

*Leave the layer of fat on top – it will prevent the meat drying out and can be ‘crackled’ in the oven later (husband wanted this even though my tooth didn’t)

*Cook on low all day

Did all that. The result was, admittedly, very tender meat that just about fell apart and was, I suppose, capable of being ‘pulled’ if I’d wanted to bother.

However:

*It wasn’t particularly tasty and I think most of the spice rub floated off into the juice which made a small jug of gravy and a huge jug of something to put in the fridge and worry about

*The fat was too moist to crisp in the oven (and yes, I tried)

Verdict:

Wouldn’t bother again – if I wanted pulled pork I’d do it all day in the oven and uncover the fat for long enough to make crackling (and my tooth is now permanently crowned and can bite).

Lesson:

Don’t always believe the recipes you find online.