My dislike for the slow cooker/crockpot is well documented here at Al Dente. I believe that, at best, it takes the best of intentions and overcooks them into a mess of glop. At worst, it enables people to “throw a bunch of stuff into the crockpot” and produce dreck. The slow cooker is the 21st century equivalent of Man-Wich or Hamburger Helper. It takes otherwise good food and destroys it.

But, from time to time, the slow cooker can be employed to create goodness. The keys are, not unlike other recipes, measure and balance. You cannot take a bunch of raw veg and meat, cover it in liquid, cook it for 8 to 10 hours, and expect it to be good. No, you need to work out the final desired flavor and work backwards. Ideally, you want this to have a rich pork and fennel flavor. You activate the fennel by cooking it first, releasing all of that natural flavor. By adding the tomatoes, you trap the flavors and transfer it without struggle to the pork. Yes, you could braise this on a stovetop or in an oven to finish it but the slow cooker makes more sense. By cranking it to the longest setting, you evenly distribute the heat over time to marry all of the flavors together. It’s quite a thing.

And this is anything but “throwing a bunch of stuff into the crockpot.”

WHAT WORKED: The aromatics. Listen, the fennel and pork provide the bulk of the flavor here, but it’s the herbs and garlic that enhances the tomato base and takes the flavor to another level. I would also suggest cooking this in advance, as I did, and letting it stand for a couple of days before serving. It allows everything to rest and the flavors to mingle about.

WHAT DIDN’T: I still hate the slow cooker. Or, maybe I just hate my slow cooker. Maybe a little of both.

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy enough.

BEST FOR: A meal that you can cook a day or two ahead of time.

SERVE WITH: Plenty of bread and grated cheese. And, yes, you will have a ton of leftover sauce for later.