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I am a huge fan of Cochon de Lait. HUGE. If you ask my husband about my love for it, he will tell you that a Cochon de Lait po-boy is the only reason I go to Jazz Fest every year. I swear.
What is Cochon de Lait?
A New Orleans recipe, Cochon de Lait is traditionally referred to as a pulled pork from a young pig roasted over an open flame.
As you can imagine, this traditional method is not doable (nor appetizing) for many of us; so today’s recipe is a way for you to enjoy this dish at home made with your favorite cut or pork roast, not the whole pig.
The aroma of the rub seasonings themselves will get your stomach grumbling long before the pork is done cooking. Last year, at Jazz Fest, I ate two Cochon de Lait po-boys at the festival and brought a third one home for “later”.
Over the past year, I’ve barbecued pork, slow roasted in the oven, in a cast iron pot… and in the crockpot. In the end, I settled for a shoulder roast in the crockpot and perfected my Cochon de Lait Rub recipe.
Ingredients
Just a few items and an epic meal is on the way. Check the ingredient list and you’ll see how simple this recipe is:
- Pork roast: shoulder or center-cut pork.
- Dry pork rub: a tasty mix of spices that add tons of flavor to our meat.
- Water: to get some sauce while it cooks.
- Creole Coleslaw: you can shred the veggies or use a store-bought bag. It’s mixed with a dressing of my own making; a fantastic combination of my two favorite Zatarain’s items: Creole Mustard and Big & Zesty Creole Seasoning. So. Good.
- Bread: buns or French bread for serving. If you want a low-carb meal, omit the bread.
How to Make Cochon de Lait in the Crockpot
Enjoying this New Orleans classic at home is super easy, no matter where you live. Let the crockpot do the hard work and you’ll have a delicious Cochon de Lait that will wow everyone! Here are the steps:
- Pat dry the pork
You pat the pork dry with paper towels. This will help the rub stick to the meat. - Rub
Now, you generously rub the pork roast with the pork dry rub. - Slow cook
You place the pork roast in the slow cooker, add some water, and cook for 6 hours on high or 10 hours on low. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your roast. - Shred the meat
Half an hour before serving, you remove the pork roast from the slow cooker onto a large cutting board and shred the meat between 2 forks. - Keep cooking
You place the pork roast back into the slow cooker to cook it on low for an additional 30 minutes. - Make the Creole coleslaw
Before serving, you make the Creole coleslaw. - Serve
Time to enjoy! You can serve this cochon de lait in a bowl or as a sandwich, inside French bread or buns.
Watch how this crockpot cochon de lait comes together in this recipe video.
Creole Slaw
Unlike traditional coleslaw, Creole slaw recipe is seasoned with homemade creole seasoning and it adds the perfect amount of spice when served with pork.
You can make the slaw yourself by shredding cabbage and carrots or you can skip this step and buy a bag of your favorite slaw mix already chopped.
Where there’s Cochon de Lait, there’s Creole slaw -at least everywhere I’ve enjoyed it in New Orleans and today’s recipe won’t be any different.
The best part about Creole slaw is that it can be made ahead of time, up to 2 days, and it always tastes better (in my opinion) after a few hours of being mixed with the dressing.
You can grab my Creole Slaw Recipe below and enjoy it with this Cochon de Lait.
How to Serve Cochon de Lait
Traditionally, Cochon de Lait is served inside fresh French bread with a little of the Creole Slaw for crunch. In most places in New Orleans, you can ask for a 6” or a 12” po-boy (sandwich) of this magical pulled pork recipe.
That said, you can skip the bread and serve Cochon de Lait over Creole slaw, turning it into an epic lower carb option you’re going to want to enjoy again and again.
Low Carb Cochon de Lait
With so many of us trying to live a healthier lifestyle and limiting our carb intake, a grain-free cochon de lait meal is a terrific alternative to the traditional sandwich.
When served over a bed of Creole slaw, the magic of this pork roast comes to life with the contrast of flavors and textures.
It also happens to be a favorite recipe of my community members when they find it inside the Family KickStart Program.
What I love about this recipe is that anyone can make it at home regardless of where you live in the world. It makes me happy to be able to share a little bit of my passion for good family food with you.
Crockpot Cochon de Lait
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder roast
- 1 dry pork rub recipe
- ½ cup water
- 1 Creole Coleslaw recipe
- 8-12 buns or French bread, optional
Instructions
- Place the pork roast on a flat surface and pat dry with paper towels. Generously rub about ¼ cup of the pork dry rub onto the roast and transfer to the dish of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the water, cover with lid, and set to cook for 6 hours on high or 10 hours on low. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your roast.
- Half an hour before serving, remove the pork roast from the slow cooker onto a large cutting board and shred the meat between 2 forks. Place the meat back into the slow cooker and stir to combine with the cooking liquid. Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
- Before serving, make the Creole coleslaw.
- Serve as a bowl or inside French bread or buns.
Paola Britos says
This recipe is delicious and very easy to make. The entire family enjoys this meal
Kaitlyn C says
If you’ve been to New Orleans, this recipe is amazing and you know it.
This is your sign to make it !! :))
Dani says
easiest way to make cochon de lait at home
annemarie says
perfect authentic cochon de lait flaovr i’d been craving
liz says
i have been craving cochon de lait and this hit the spot
Barry Hamilton says
I would love to print out this recipe… however the web site links top print the recipe do not work at all except for the first page.
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Barry, I am working on updating the site and looking into why it doesn’t work. I am sending you an email with the recipe you can print out directly.
Benjamin Lin says
Oh yeah! Gettin my NOLA Jazz Fest on now! Well played.
Holland Cohen says
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I think in reading it wrong….at what point do I add the Cochon Du Lait seasoning? Or is that to use instead of the dry rub? I’m planning to make these for a baby shower next weekend. Thanks for your help!
Laura Fuentes says
The seasoning is used to run on the pork roast. You insert the “rubbed” roast inside the slow cooker. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
Ashley says
Excellent recipe! Roughly how many calories in each poboy serving?
Laura Fuentes says
I am sorry but I do not calculate calories in my recipes. You can plug the ingredients into a website that specifically does that and estimate your guests. Thanks for visiting!
Janice says
We just finished your delightful pork sandwiches. After the pork was finished cooking in the slow cooker, I strain the remaining liquid then poured it into a saucepan and boiled it for 5 – 10 minutes until it was slightly thickened and reduced by about half. I then poured it over the shredded meat and seasoned it with a tiny bit more salt and pepper. The pork was just lovely; so flavorful and moist. Probably one of my favorite pulled pork recipes (if not #1). I kept picking at as I put away the small amount of leftovers! The coleslaw was good too, however, this was our first experience with Creole Coleslaw and we found it a little too strong for our taste. The next time we make the pork we might wimp out and have regular coleslaw. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe.
Laura Fuentes says
I’m so glad you liked the pork recipe Janice! It’s my favorite as well. I am delighted that you enjoyed it! the creole slaw is a tad strong… but the sandwiches will work with regular slaw as well too.
Tesla4all says
Bigg Thanks!!.. Gonna give this a swing … I tried one of these at fqf a few years ago and nearly hit the ground when my knees buckled!…
Laura Fuentes says
Cochon de Lait will do that to you…. –you had me at knees buckled lol
Barbara G says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can now stop trying to replicate this recipe just to be disappointed and missing NOLA even more! Been to jazz fest 29 years and it’s always my first stop before heading to Economy Hall! Just made it for family reunion and was fabulous! I did add some sugar to the cole slaw! Hope to run into you next fest–look for the second liner’s in Economy Hall!
Laura Fuentes says
My pleasure Barbara!! I know how difficult it can be to try to replicate the flavor of a beloved jazzfest dish!! So glad this was a hit at your family reunion! Most importantly, thank you for stopping by and letting me know that everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Keri says
Thank you! I am an “everyday” jazzfester so I eat my fair share of Cochon de lait poboys. It is always my first stop. Made it for Mardi gras today. AWESOME. I’m not a recipie follower but I decided to give it a shot. (I make things up as I go along). I will print this out and make it again and again. My family is full if Cochon de lait freaks so they were very happy! Eating on right now on the neutral ground!
Laura Fuentes says
This makes me SO happy to hear Keri! Happy Mardi Gras to you and your family! Wait till you see the crawfish bread… that recipe is coming to the blog in a couple of weeks 🙂
Nadene Johnson says
Your recipes look absolutely amazing. I am always looking for new recipes. I can’t wait to try the salmon bites, the pork sandwich and also the slaw dressing. I have book marked this page just so I don’t lose it.
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you Nadene! Let me know how your family enjoys them! 🙂
Tiffany C says
Yum! You’re pictures are getting supah dupah awesome! great job! Happy Bday baybeeee!
Laura Fuentes says
thank you so much Tiffany!
Dawn says
This was so good – I halved the recipe since it was just for two people and it came out perfect. Doubled the dressing though – ha! Can never have enough of that 🙂
Excellent recipe – very easy!!!
Dawn says
This looks so good – how many people does this serve?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Dawn! I just edited the recipe to reflect that. Thanks! Serves about 8-but also depends on the size of your roast. 🙂
Kristen says
Oh my goodness – this looks so good, Laura! Love your beautiful new look too 🙂
Deanna says
Looks delish! LOVE pulled pork…