Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Southern

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword: crock pot pulled pork, slow cooker pulled pork

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 8 30

Servings: Depending on amount of pork. About ½ lb per person before cooking.

Calories: 223kcal

This slow cooker pulled pork recipe turns out perfectly every time! Set it and forget it for Carolina-style pulled pork that's great year-round, for winter game-day or summer backyard parties.

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Equipment

Ingredients

Pork

3-6 lbs pork shoulder depending upon the size of your slow cooker
apple cider vinegar use ¼ cup per pound of pork

Rub

1 tablespoon strong coffee use instant expresso if desired
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika I used smoked, hot or sweet is also fine
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoon molasses

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Instructions

Combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl and mix together until a paste forms.
Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Set aside about ¼ of the paste mixture and refrigerate.
Using your hands (a cook's best tools), spread the paste mixture all over the pork, being sure to work into all of the nooks and crannies of the meat.
Wrap the pork tightly and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or preferably, overnight.
Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the pork on all sides and place in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
Add vinegar and reserved paste mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil. Be sure to scrape the pan for any fond left behind by the pork.
Pour the liquid over the pork, place the lid on the cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours. I usually go the full 10, especially if you are cooking a larger piece of meat.
Remove the pork from the cooker (leaving remaining liquid in the cooker) and let it cool considerably, but not all the way to room temp. The longer you let it cool, the better the fat will distribute throughout the meat.
At this point, many people will tell you to "take two forks and shred the pork". Um, no. This will take you forever. And wear you out. Use your cook's best tools again - your hands - and get in there and shred it up.
Once the pork is 'pulled' add it back into the slow cooker and mix it with the remaining liquid. Heat up the meat on low until it starts to simmer, then switch the heat to warm and serve.

Notes

- Slow cooker size is important: Keep the size of your slow cooker in mind when deciding how much pulled pork you're going to make. On average, you need an even ratio of quart capacity to pounds of meat. So to cook a 4-pound pork shoulder, you would need at least a 4-quart slow cooker.

- Brown the meat first for the best flavor: I am a firm believer in browning meat before you add it to a slow cooker for many reasons. First, searing the meat first adds flavor and caramelization, and can render some of the fat. Second, food safety. Yes, a crockpot on the low setting is technically hot enough to start cooking raw meat, but this pork shoulder is a very big piece of meat. If you put it straight from the refrigerator into the slow cooker, it's going to take quite a while for the heat to start getting into the center of the meat, which can create opportunity for bacteria to grow. Be on the safe side and sear it first, which will get the cooking process started.

- Let the pork cool before you pull it: You might be tempted to start pulling the pork while it's still pretty hot. (Because it's so delicious and we want it NOW!) But give it more time. The longer you let it cool, the better the fat will distribute throughout the meat. That said, it still needs to be warm, don't let it come all the way to room temperature.
- How much meat per person? Plan for ½ pound of meat per person before the pork is cooked. The pork shoulder will lose about 40% of its weight during the cooking process, and take into account the weight of the bone if you buy bone-in pork shoulder. So if you buy 4 pounds of pork, you'll have about 2 pounds once the cooking is done, which would feed 4-6 people. HOWEVER - it seems like pulled pork keeps dividing into more and more meat the more you shred it! So, really that 4 pounds could feed more like 8-10 people, depending upon how you are serving it. Pulled pork tacos are going to use less meat than pulled pork sandwiches, etc. Err on the high side, and the meat freezes well, so you can just save leftovers for later.

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Nutrition