Making pulled pork in a crockpot takes very little prep time and cooks entirely hands-off. The beauty of cooking meals in a slow cooker. This recipe has been well received by everyone who’s tried it; satisfaction is practically guaranteed. Not only is this one delicious supper idea, but the large amount of servings this meal makes means leftovers for days. Hello easy meal prep for the rest of the week. Fellow meat lovers rejoice!
The cut of pork is an important factor for this recipe. Any cut from the shoulder will be superior to a loin. This is due to the higher fat percentage in the shoulder, the fat will keep the meat moist over the longer cooking period. The strands of pulled pork finish off moist with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Can you get away with using a pork loin? Of course you can! The pulled pork will still taste fantastic however, if you have access to a shoulder cut, don’t skimp out, you will be doing yourself a disservice. Bone-in is best if you can swing it. My local Costco only had shoulder butt so that’s what I’m using in this recipe.
This pulled pork has some big flavour. The flavour comes from a few components. The first is the garlic, shoved into pockets in the pork. This allows the garlic flavor to really permeate throughout the pork during the cooking process. The second is the rub, a specialty blend that is a little spicy, a little sweet and all flavour. The rub creates a crust around the pork which helps it retain its moisture as well as adding some background heat complexity to the final pulled pork favour. Finally, there is a bed of onion rings the pork sits on. The onion rings help prop the pork up so that it’s not sitting in its juices, or the water and apple cider mixture. This ensures the rub stays intact while allowing the onions to braise in all the juices. These onions are a fantastic addition as they blend right into the finished pulled pork.
For a 3.5 pound cut of pork, the cook time is somewhere between 5 and 6 hours in the slow cooker- on the low setting. If you find yourself going home for lunch that’s the perfect time to set up this recipe in time for supper. If not, save this for a lazy weekend!
When the pork has finished cooking, remove it to a wooden cutting board to rest for a few minutes. While it’s resting, drain the crockpot over a colander with a large bowl or measuring cup underneath. The colander will catch all those lovely onions that have been soaking in the pork juices. The bowl is to save the extra liquid. Next, take a couple large forks and start pulling the pork apart into strands. Throw the pulled-apart pork and onions back into the slow cooker. Mix in 1-2 cups of the reserved liquid. The pork will end up soaking up this extra liquid. If you skip this step, then the barbecue sauce will be soaked up instead of coating the pork, leaving a tasty yet dryer pulled pork. I don’t know about you but I like my pulled pork sloppy, with lots of barbecue sauce dripping from it.
The barbecue sauce used is entirely up to your discretion. Have a super secret family recipe? Prefer a sweeter pulled pork? Smokier? Spicier? This is where you can really tailor the end flavour to your family's preference. I tend to like my pulled pork spicy and smokey. To achieve this end I end up using 2 different barbecue sauces. Using two different sauces is a great way to play with the complexity of the end flavour.
The beauty of this recipe isn’t justin the incredible taste, but also the amount it makes. Not only will this have supper covered, but quite a few lunches as well! My favourite way to eat pulled pork is on a bun, in sandwich or slider format. Use your favourite bun recipe - like this whole wheat multigrain bun or, in a pinch, pick up some brioche buns from the store. You can top it with cheese, some red cabbage, onions, add some hot sauce or maybe some mustard. Garnish to your heart's desire! You can also try experimenting with pulled pork enchiladas, nachos, tacos... you get the idea!
Ingredients:
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3.5 lb. pork shoulder
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2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
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2 tsp brown sugar
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1 tsp chili powder
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp smoked paprika
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1 tsp paprika
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3/4 tsp ground cumin
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3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
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1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
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1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
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1/4 tsp salt
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1 medium white onion, sliced in rings
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1/2 cup water
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1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
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2 cups bbq sauce
Directions:
1. Pat the pork shoulder dry with some paper towels and pierce the meat in several areas with the tip of a large knife, creating inch wide slits in the meat. Press the sliced garlic in each slit; set aside.2. In a small bowl combine the paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder and cumin; set aside.
3. Lay the onion rings along the bottom of the crock pot, making a bed to rest the pork shoulder on. Rub the spice mix over every inch of the cut of pork, coating it entirely.
4. Add apple cider vinegar and water to the bottom of the crockpot, avoid disturbing the pork rub.
5. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook the pork for 5-6 hours, until it has reached an internal temperature of 145°F (~63°C).
6. Remove the pork shoulder from the slow cooker and strain the liquid, reserving 2 cups and saving the onion. Let the pork rest for a couple minutes.
7. Using 2 forks start to pull the pork apart into strands. Put the pulled pork back in the crock pot with the onion rings. Mix in 1-2 cups of the reserved liquid, give a quick stir and then add 2 cups of barbecue sauce until the pork is coated in the sauce. Serve and enjoy!