Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork I've Ever Had

PULLED PORK BARBECUE -- SLOW COOKER

I got lucky enough to bring home a quart of this pulled pork last week when I stopped by Mommy's house to drop off some things on my way home from Jessica's house. And I got to see the granddaughters for a few minutes. Right now I can only visit with the little girls through the storm door but that is better than nothing. 

When Mommy ordered her groceries for the week, she had not anticipated such a large cut of meat, so she ended up with a massive amount of BBQ. Worked out well for me because I got back to the farm late that afternoon and I didn't have a dinner plan. But I had the BBQ that Mommy shared. It was delicious! We wrapped it up in tortillas because that's all I had on hand. 

Let me be clear! This does not taste like you made it in a slow cooker. It's pretty close to pulled pork you'd get at a BBQ restaurant. I have a couple of other slow cooker pulled pork recipes on the blog and we like them, too. But this one is different. Better different. I asked Mommy to share the recipe and tell a little about it. And send me photos. Here is what she sent.

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Words and photos from Mommy....

This was a hit at my house. The first time it was served, Little Sister ate 3 helpings, Baby Girl ate 2 big helpings, and J-Daddy said it was worthy to sit on an Independence Day spread. Leftovers have been eaten multiple times without complaints.

 

PULLED PORK BARBECUE

from Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker by Nicki Sizemore, creator of FromScratchFast.com 

Spice Rub

• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp granulated garlic (I used jarred minced garlic.)
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted it.)
• 1 (4-5 lb) boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess fat
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Slow Cooker

• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I used jarred minced garlic.)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2-1 cup barbecue sauce (I used 1c of Sweet Baby Ray's Original Sauce.)
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For Serving

• Buns (or rice, or tortillas)
• Barbecue sauce 
• Red Cabbage & Sweet Corn Slaw (aka Princess Slaw at our house) 

RUB THE PORK

1. Combine the paprika, sugar, garlic, mustard, and cayenne in a small bowl. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper to taste, and rub it all over with the spice mixture. If you have the time, refrigerate the pork in an airtight container or ziplock bag overnight.

ASSEMBLE THE SLOW COOKER

2. Arrange the onion and garlic in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker, and pour in the vinegar and honey. Place the pork on top. Cover and cook until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, 9 to 10 hours on low or 7 to 8 hours on high.

3. Switch the slow cooker off, and transfer the pork to a cutting board. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Using two forks, coarsely shred the pork, discarding any large chunks of fat.

4. Using a ladle, skim off enough fat and liquid in the slow cooker to measure 1 cup and discard. Transfer the shredded pork back into the slow cooker with the remaining liquid and onions, and add the barbecue sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste then toss to combine.

SERVE

5. Pile the pulled pork into buns, and serve with additional barbecue sauce on the size for drizzling. Serve the slaw either in the sandwiches or on the side (or both!)

Cook’s Notes:

• Kroger gave me 8-lb bone-in pork butt, so I cut it in half, and doubled the spice rub amounts. I adjusted the cooking time to 5 hours on low and then 5 hours on high.
• Since I skipped cayenne pepper, J-Daddy added Frank’s hot sauce to his before eating.
• The first time I served barbecue with rice and lima beans. The second time I served it in quesadillas. The third time it will be served as sandwiches. Guessing could work in a biscuit or on pizza too…