Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown

Try making braised pork chops with onions. Salt and pepper then brown chops on both sides in a heavy frying pan or skillet. Remove chops, add a little oil if needed, and add a sliced onion, stirring occasionally until the onion is lightly browned. Add water or chicken stock or a combination to the onions to deglaze the pan, then nestle the chops back into the onions, cover and reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cook this way for about a half hour to 45 minutes (test for fork-tenderness). Check occasionally to add more liquid as needed and to turn the chops.

Pork leg (fresh ham) is quite amenable to the low and slow techniques used to make pulled pork, such as braising, slow roasting, or barbecuing, just like pork shoulder (butt).

The final product may have a slightly different texture, as the ham is a little leaner than the shoulder.

Questions of cooking time are very difficult to answer, as they depend on the specific temperature, shape of the cut being cooked, method, and the individual characteristics of the individual cut. You are looking for an outcome, which is that the connective collagen is fully gelatinized. This means holding at internal temperatures of around 180 F for some time. You will know that it is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork. Fortunately, low and slow techniques tend to be very forgiving, and while possible, it is difficult to overcook using them.

I would recommend checking the fresh ham about the same time you would check a pork butt of the same thickness in your recipe or technique. Pulled pork also holds and reheats exceptionally well.