Slowly cooking pork produces a truly magical result. The meat becomes the most tender and juicy you have ever tasted. This tender meat goes well with anything. So, if you prepare this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sunday, you will have enough meat for the entire week. Slow cooker pork can be used to make sandwiches, tacos, and bowl meals. It’s also great for salads and nachos.
What kind of pork to use for pulled pork
If you want the most tender and juicy pulled pork, buy pork shoulder or butt. These cuts have a lot of fat and connective tissues that melt and gelatinize slowly when cooked on a slow heat. This results in incredibly moist, tender meat.
Pork butt and pork shoulder can be purchased with or without a bone. I like to buy boneless pork and then cut it into large pieces. This allows the meat to cook faster. If you prefer, you can keep the bone and remove it after shredding. Keep in mind that the cooking time will be longer if the bone is left in.
How to Season Pulled Pork
Before slow-cooking the pork, I applied a flavorful yet versatile spice rub and added a bit of extra garlic. This mixture of paprika and garlic with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and onion enhances the flavor of the pork while remaining neutral enough to be paired with BBQ sauce or any other flavor profile that you want to pair with pulled pork.
How to Serve Pulled Pork
The classic pulled pork sandwich is always a favorite (brioche rolls, BBQ sauce, and pickles or coleslaw), but it’s also delicious in tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas or Nachos. I love adding pulled pork to bowls or salads. You can also add it to soups or ramen. It can be added to almost anything!
Storage Instructions
When refrigerating, keep the pork in its juices to ensure that the meat is as moist as it can be when reheated. Refrigerate the juices and shredded pork in an airtight container for up to four days. You can freeze the pork after it has been chilled in the fridge for longer (about three months). To reheat pork, heat it in a saucepot on medium-low and stir occasionally until hot.
Ingredients
3 lbs. Pork butt (8.07)
One yellow onion cut into pieces ($0.37)
Four cloves of garlic roughly chopped ($0.32)
Spice Rub
2 tsp of paprika (0.20 $)
Smoked paprika 1 tsp ($0.10)
2 tbsp of brown sugar ($0.08)
1 tsp. garlic powder ($0.10)
1 tsp of onion powder ($0.10)
2 tsp salt ($0.10)
Black pepper freshly crushed, 1/2 tsp ($0.04)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the spices to make the spice rub.
The pork butt should be cut into large pieces. You can remove the bone from the pork butt before cooking, or you can wait until the meat is shredded to do so. If you cook the pork with the bone, cooking will take longer.
Sprinkle the spice rub on top of the pork. Toss the pork until it is coated evenly in spices.
Add the onion to the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the chopped garlic and the seasoned meat to the top of the onion.
Put the lid on your slow cooker, and cook it on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. To ensure the meat is tender, test it with a fork. The meat should easily shred with a fork. If not, continue to cook it for an additional hour. The size of the pork butt will determine how long it takes to cook.
When the meat is tender, shred it with two forks.
Place some pork on a baking sheet and broil it briefly or until the edges become crispy and brown. Watch the pork closely as it broils.
