There’s no better way to start the day than with an incredible sense of accomplishment. And that sense of accomplishment arrives right about the time a person makes dinner before they’ve even left for work. It’s an especially wonderful feeling on a Monday morning, when life often feels a bit overwhelming.

Hence, my obsession with pulled pork in the slow cooker. Not only does this incredibly tender, flavorful, falling apart pork taste perfect by the forkful right out of the insert of the slow cooker, it also presents the delightful challenge of making use of the leftovers all week long.

Simple tacos stuffed with carnitas, cilantro, avocado and salsa. Pulled pork sandwiches. Pork quesadillas. Gingery, garlicky pork-filled ramen noodle bowls.

And my most recent favorite way to start the rest of the week: the pork breakfast tostada.

So much delight from about 10 minutes of prep in the am. I buy a 4-5 pound bone-in pork shoulder from a local farm at my co-op.

I put it in a casserole dish and coat it in about 1/4 cup of seasoning.

This time, I’m using BBQ Herbs from my dear friend Laurie’s fabulous local foods store. This is a great opportunity to use up some of those seasoning packets/jars/mixes you have hanging out in your spice drawer. Or, make your own taco seasoning by tossing together some paprika, chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

Pat your seasoning of choice onto the pork, evenly coating all sides. In the meantime, splash a tablespoon of olive oil in the insert of your slow cooker (if it’s safe to use on the stove) or a large skillet.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat and sear all sides of the pork shoulder, about 4 minutes on each of the four sides.

Set your slow cooker on low and cook for 8-10 hours. Pull the pork apart with two forks and serve in whatever fashion your hungry heart desires. Tuesday mornings, my heart desires this:

***

Pork Breakfast Tostada

Use this:

1 corn tortilla

1/4 cup cooked black beans

1/2 cup cooked, shredded pork

1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1/4 avocado, chopped

1 tsp sour cream

2 tbsp cilantro leaves

hot sauce

1 egg

salt

pepper

Do this:

In a small skillet, warm the pork and beans over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 tsp oil in another nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Fry each side of the the tortilla until warm and crisp. Place the tortilla on a plate and crack the egg into the skillet. Season the egg with salt and pepper and fry, flipping after 1-2 minutes. Cook until the white is set but the yolk is still runny.

Top the tortilla with beans, pork and romaine. Gently place the egg on top of the tostada and garnish with sour cream, avocado, cilantro and hot sauce.

***