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Pulled Pork (Crockpot)

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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
I put this in the crockpot at 8am and my house smells like heaven by noon. By the time dinner rolls around, the pork is so tender it literally falls apart when you look at it. If you've never made pulled pork at home, this is your sign. It's the easiest impressive dinner you'll ever make — and by "make," I mean dump ingredients into a pot and walk away.
Kasia

Ingredients  

  • 4-5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder 2kg; pork butt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth or apple cider
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce your favourite — I use a smoky, slightly sweet one

Method
 

Season the Pork
  1. Mix all the dry spices together — brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chilli powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the pork shoulder, covering every surface. If you have time, do this the night before and let it sit uncovered in the fridge. The rub penetrates deeper overnight and the surface dries out slightly, which means better bark later. If you're doing it morning-of, that's fine too. This is a crockpot recipe, not a competition.
Crockpot Time
  1. Place the seasoned pork in the crockpot, fat-side up. Pour the broth (or apple cider — apple cider adds a subtle sweetness that's beautiful with pork) and apple cider vinegar around the meat, not over it — you don't want to wash off the rub. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours. Low and slow is better. The connective tissue needs time to break down, and patience gives you the most tender result.
Shred
  1. When it's done, the meat should be fall-apart tender — you should be able to pull it apart with two forks with almost no resistance. Remove the pork from the crockpot. Discard the bone (if bone-in) and any large pieces of fat. Shred the meat with two forks. It's satisfying work. Therapeutic, almost.
Sauce
  1. Return the shredded pork to the crockpot. Add your BBQ sauce and stir. Let it sit on warm for 15-20 minutes so the sauce absorbs into the meat. Taste and adjust — more salt, more sauce, a squeeze of lime if you're using it for tacos. The pork is your canvas.

Notes

Keeps 5 days in the fridge. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — freeze in portions so you can thaw only what you need. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to keep it moist. The fact that it freezes so well is what makes the one-crockpot-five-meals strategy work.