Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

A summer barbecue isn’t complete without pulled pork. Instead of spending hours coaxing a large piece of pork into a juicy delight, create the same results by using a crock pot, or a large dutch oven with minimal supervision.

1 5-to-7-pound bone-in pork shoulder
2 tsp. dark brown sugar
½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp. smoked paprika (do not substitute regular paprika)
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
¼ cup water

This recipe takes time. So, give yourself a day. It’s well worth it. Trim some but not all of the fat from the roast. Combine the 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic salt, then massage into the roast. Place in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator overnight or at least 12 hours.

To create the sauce, mix the cider vinegar, ketchup, water, 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper together, and pour into a crock pot or a Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid. Place the pork on top of the sauce (don’t pour the sauce over the seasoned pork. You don’t want to rinse off the seasoning). Turn the heat to high just until the contents start to gently simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Then simply walk away. After 4 to 5 hours, turn the roast over, so the top side is now on the bottom, in the sauce.

When the meat easily falls apart with a fork (another 4 to 5 hours cooking time), it is done. It’s as simple as that! Use two forks to shred the meat into chunks. Put the remaining liquid into a small saucepan and boil on high heat to reduce the liquid by half. Use this sauce to drizzle on the pork.

Recipe By:

Chef Michi Holland

Prep + Cook Time:

9 hrs 30 mins

Serving Size:

8 Servings

As featured in…

Jul. 2, 2008 Coupon Book