Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside for later. This will be for glazing and serving the roast once it comes out of the slow cooker.
Scatter the sliced apples evenly over the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. This creates a soft, fruity bed for the pork and helps flavor the juices.
Place the pork roast on top of the apples in the slow cooker, fat side up if there is a visible fat cap. Pat it dry with paper towels so it browns and glazes better later.
In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the apple cider and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour this mixture all around and over the pork roast in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Every slow cooker runs a little differently, so start checking toward the earlier end of the time range.
When the pork is fork-tender, use two large spatulas or sturdy tongs to carefully lift the whole roast out of the slow cooker and transfer it to the foil-lined baking sheet. Try to keep it in one piece, but if it starts to crack or fall apart, that’s a good sign it’s done.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the soft stewed apple slices from the slow cooker and arrange them around the pork on the baking sheet. Spoon a little of the rich amber cooking liquid over the top of the roast to lightly coat it.
My neighbors knocked on my door just to ask what smelled so good. 4 ingredients for a juicy roast that falls apart with a fork.
