This Crock Pot Pulled Pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender pork shoulder butt seasoned with a dry spice rub and slow-cooked to perfection. Pork cuts are still inexpensive, and a slow-cooked pork shoulder is good for several meals. It tastes delicious in soft tacos, quesadillas, pizza, soup, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, and nachos.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT PULLED PORK
Mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Then rub it all over the pork butt. Let it set at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Slice a large onion and place it in the bottom of the crock pot. Now put the pork butt on top of the onions. Pour the Coke or Dr. Pepper on the sides of the butt. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or until very tender. Using 2 forks, shred the pork discarding any fat, cartilage, or gristle. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite bbq sauce and a side of coleslaw or potato salad, and baked beans.
HELPFUL RECIPE TIPS
Use a boneless pork shoulder, pork butt, or Boston Butt for this recipe. Choose a well-marbled piece of pork but trim any thick layers of excess fat.
For optimal flavor, let the pork shoulder sit for 30-40 minutes at room temperature, or cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours up to overnight with the rub on it.
If you have the time, sear the pork roast in a large skillet with a little vegetable oil over medium heat.
You can cook on high for 4-5 hours, but for best results, cook on low for 7-8 hours. Low and slow is the name of the game here.
The pulled pork is done when you can easily shred the cooked pork with 2 forks. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature will be between 195-205 degrees F.
Shred the cooked pork with 2 forks removing any fat, cartilage, or gristle.
If not serving for a while, add the shredded pork back to the crock pot on warm with about half the liquid and a pair of tongs to remove the pork from the juices.
Want to turn up the heat? Then add a little ground cayenne pepper to the rub, or use a spicy bbq sauce.
Drizzle the pork with my homemade barbecue sauce if serving as pulled pork sandwiches.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
WAYS TO USE PULLED PORK
ADVERTISEMENT
