If you’re hunting for a slow cooker pork shank recipe thats fall apart tender, this is the one. These pork shanks are slow-cooked with beer and chiles until the meat is fork-tender. Then you blend the braising liquid into a smoky, spicy sauce that’s perfect for tacos, nachos, burritos, rice bowls… whatever you’ve got going.
I used wild hog boar shanks here because I have a freezer full of them, and they’re a great option. But this same method works perfectly with domestic pork shanks, too. The only real difference is that wild hogs are often leaner. As with farmed pork, don’t rush the cook. Let the connective tissues do their thing.
Key Tips for this recipe
1) Pork shanks are a tough cut (that’s the point)
Shanks are loaded with connective tissue, which turns silky only after slow cooking. If the meat doesn’t shred easily, it’s not done yet. Keep cooking.
2) Searing is optional, but it’s the best way to add flavor
You can drop everything straight into the crock pot. It will still work. But if you want a deeper flavor, apply these tips.
- Sear the shanks in a hot pan until golden brown.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes before they go in. This will produce a sweeter flavor.
3) Make a real sauce without using thickeners
Instead of reducing forever or adding flour, we:
- Remove the shanks and blend the cooked veggies with some braising liquid.
- Use that sauce to plate the dish. Or you can shred the shanks and mix with the boneless meat.
- Takeaway: You get a thicker, richer, more flavorful sauce with little effort.
4) Beer adds flavor
A Mexican beer like Tecate or Modelo Negro works great. Darker beer adds more depth. If you’re out of beer, use chicken stock.
What You’ll Need
This is a short ingredient list, but it hits hard.
- Pork shanks (wild hog or domestic)
- Mexican beer
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Chipotles in adobo
- Lime juice
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ground coriander
- Mexican oregano
- Cinnamon (canela-style if you’ve got it)
- Kosher salt
- Cilantro for serving
Step-by-Step: Slow Cooker Pork Shanks
Prep the shanks
- Pat the shanks dry and season generously with kosher salt.
Optional (recommended): Sear in a hot skillet with a little olive oil until golden brown on all sides. This adds serious flavor to the final sauce.
Build the braising liquid
- In a bowl, stir together:
- beer
- tomatoes
- chipotles in adobo
- lime juice
- onions
- garlic
- coriander
- oregano
- cinnamon
Slow cook
- Place the shanks in the slow cooker (crock pot). Pour the mixture over top.
- If the liquid isn’t covering the shanks at least 3/4 of the way, add water or chicken stock until it is.
- Cover and cook: High: 8 hours or Low: 10-12 hours. You’re done when the meat is fork-tender and wants to fall off the bone.
Shred and Sauce
- Remove shanks and let them cool just enough to handle.
- Strain the solids from the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer. Remove any bones or hard bits and discard. Pour the strained solids into a blender. Add enough cooking liquid to blend into a smooth sauce.
- Season the sauce with salt to taste. Want it sweeter? Add a sprinkle of sugar. Want it hotter? Add another chipotle chile.
- Serve the sauce over the shanks, or shred the pork and mix with as much sauce as you want. Fold in chopped cilantro and hit it with another squeeze of lime if it needs brightness.
My favorite ways to serve these Shanks
The serving options are almost endless.
- tacos (corn tortillas + onion + cilantro)
- nachos (piles high with all the fixings)
- enchiladas (use the sauce to top them)
- burritos
- tortas
- rice bowls
- loaded baked potatoes
More Pork Recipes
Below are some of my family’s favorite dishes. For more ideas, check out my complete wild boar recipes collection, where you can easily substitute farmed pork.
If you make this pork shank recipe, drop a comment or leave a review. And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest wild boar dishes, give me a shout on Instagram @larry__white.
Slow Cooker Pork Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 pork shanks, domestic or wild hog shanks
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 12 ounces Mexican beer (Tecate or Modelo Negro are great)
- 28 ounces canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 5 to 7 Chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped (plus 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce, optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to finish
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, Mexican oregano if you have it
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Mexican canela if you have it
- Water or chicken stock (as needed to cover the shanks)
- Chopped cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Season the shanks: Salt the pork shanks on all sides and place them in the slow cooker.
- Mix the cooking base: In a bowl, stir together beer, tomatoes, chipotles, lime juice, onions, garlic, coriander, oregano, and cinnamon.
Cook
- Pour the mixture over the shanks. Add a little water or chicken stock only if needed so the shanks are mostly submerged (aim for about 3/4 covered).
- Cook 8 hours on HIGH or 10-12 hours on LOW, until the meat is fork-tender.
Remove the shanks
- Carefully remove the shanks and set them aside.
Blend the sauce:
- Strain the cooking sauce through a fine-mesh strainer. Remove any bones and hard bits and discard.
- Pour the strained vegetables and blend with enough cooking liquid to make a smooth sauce (as thick or loose as you want). Season with salt to taste.
Serve
- Serve the sauce over the shanks. Or shred the pork and mix with the sauce to your liking. Fold in cilantro. Adjust with more lime juice, salt, or extra chipotle if needed.
