This was my first try at pulled pork and I was a little nervous! I know it seems silly to be nervous about something that I was planning to put it in the crock pot; what could go wrong?! Luckily, nothing did and it was pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, preeetttttyyyy tasty (that’s my little homage to the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm starting!).
My main concern was the balance of the sauce, but as it cooked it melded well. Next time I make it, I will probably adjust a bit to get an even better balance.
This is another meal that can be extremely easy to make for a group on a budget, and keeps you out of the kitchen for the most part.
Bone in pork butt roast (about 3 pounds will serve 6-8 people)
1 medium onion
Rub
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Tastefully Simple Seasoning Salt
1 tsp Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Bar-b-q Sauce
1- 20 oz bottle of ketchup
1/3 white vinegar
1/4 bourbon
1 1/2 – 2TBSP liquid smoke
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 – 1 1/2TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 – 1 tsp paprika
1/2 -1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cups brown sugar
Combine all of the spices and then rub into the meat. Really get in there! Place the rub into a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate over night.
Mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan. Prepare the night before also to give the flavors time to marry.
In the morning drizzle a little bit of vegetable oil in the crock pot and swirl to coat. Place the roast in the crock pot and pour about 1/2 to 3/4 of the sauce over the roast. Chop the onion in thin strips and place over top. Cook the roast for 9-11 hours over low heat or 5-6 hours over high heat.
Bring the remaining sauce to a boil 1 or 2 hours before you plan on eating and then bring the heat down to a simmer. You want the alcohol to cook off and for the sauce to reduce a little and thicken.
About 45 minutes to an hour before serving, shred the pork with 2 forks. With the slow wet cooking, it will be so tender it won’t take much to pull it. Once it is all separated and the bone is removed. Replaced the lid and let the pork continue to cook. This will help the remaining sauce in the pot to thicken up.
That’s all there is to it! Easy as, well pulled pork in a crock pot 😉 Serve the pork with a good quality bun, sharp cheddar cheese and extra bar-b-q sauce.
Hang Onto your fork 