Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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Ready for your random-Jessy-factoid-of-the-day? For a short time, I was a manager at a pretty popular local barbecue restaurant. While the job wasn’t a great fit for me and we ultimately parted ways, I did learn some valuable information about smoking meats and making pulled pork that continues to serve me in my quest to make and eat delicious food. Since I don’t have access to a smoker (*sigh* someday!) I find that the simplest and most tasty way to get my pulled pork fix is this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe.

Now, I do stand by the fact that my favorite way to prepare pulled pork is by smoking it, low and slow (preferably using young hickory and for the love of all that is savory, make sure you have the pink ring!). But if your current life is anything like mine, having a smoker is just not practical (for this particular season of life, anyway). But most busy mom’s like myself, do have a slow cooker (I linked the one that I use- I love that it has three different size pots to accommodate any number of servings and guests!). And as we all know from this post I heart my slow cooker and consider it an easy way to make delicious meals with minimal work. Work smarter, not harder. It helps you in all facets of life!

So when my friend shared a recipe that involves placing items into a slow cooker, covering it and turning it on, I knew that it was worth a try. So try I did and boy was I happy with the results! Tender, fall-apart meat with the barbecue sauce of your choice. Eat it on it’s own. Eat it in a sandwich. Eat it on a salad. Eat it on nachos (pulled pork nachos are always a good idea, trust me on this!).

I love that this recipe is super simple and adaptable to accommodate whatever amount of people you’re feeding. It’s great to to feed a crowd because it’s super easy to put together and can also be made in advance. I’ve found that it also freezes well. For the three of us I picked up a pork butt and had the butcher cut it in half to freeze the other half for another time (don’t worry, it actually comes from the pig’s shoulder, not it’s butt!).

Here are some expert tips for pulling the very best Pulled Pork:

1. You’ll know it’s done because the meat will be super tender and falling apart.
2. Pork butts usually have a one large bone in them and one single nerve ending that is no larger than an inch or two. The bone should be very loose and easy to wiggle and pull out.
3. When you’re shredding the pork you’ll want to remove as much of the fat as possible and the nerve ending if you can locate it (usually near the bone- if you can’t find it, don’t worry!).
4. Do not, I repeat: Do not over pull your pork! You don’t want to over-work it and shred it down to nothing because the texture can get kind of mushy. A rough shred is a great starting point. Remember, when you mix in the sauce, it’ll naturally shred up a bit more anyway.
5. Don’t go too heavy on the sauce. If you put too much the pork also gets that mushy, undesirable texture and in some cases get a little soupy. I like to lightly coat it with a little bit of barbecue sauce and have plenty of extra sauce on the side for drizzling.

You can also make these Pulled Pork Tacos using this recipe (so good!) I like to serve my pulled pork with the following:

Tomato Salad

The Easiest Oven Fries Ever!

Balsamic Grilled Asparagus

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe is so simple and easy. And it results in the most delicious, tender pulled pork you'll ever taste! Check it out out to get the recipe and 5 expert tips for pulling the best Pulled Pork!

5 minPrep Time

10 hrCook Time

10 hr, 5 Total Time

Yields 14

Author: Allison Stephens

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Ingredients

• 1 pork butt, any size
• 1 can or small bottle of ginger ale
• 1-2 onions, cut into chunks
• The barbecue sauce of your choice

Instructions

1. Place the pork butt into your slow cooker pot.
2. Place the onions on top of the pork and pour the ginger ale over everything.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
4. Drain and lightly pull the pork, removing the bone and nerve. (the juice makes an excellent gravy- I freeze it in smaller portions to use in a pinch on a busy week night).
5. Mix in your barbecue sauce until the pork is very lightly coated.
6. Enjoy!

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Jessy Freimann, The Life Jolie

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