Don’t own a smoker? No problem. Is it too cold to barbecue outside? No worries. You won’t need either for this recipe. I have an excellent slow cooker recipe to share with you today. An easy to make, lip smackin’, finger licking, napkin needing, barbecue pulled pork. It’s been a while since I pulled out my slow cooker. Every time I do, I wonder why it’s been so long. Honestly, is there a more convenient cooking method?
I pulled out my decrepit looking slow cooker and dusted it off. I have several slow cookers but this is by far my favorite. Even though the plastic handles have long since crumbled and broken off, it heats at the perfect temperatures and I get the best results whenever I use it. It may be ugly, but it gets the job done beautifully!
I was spending the morning with my bestie, Veronica, and she mentioned making pulled pork and how much she and her son enjoy it. It got me thinking about making some pulled pork for my family. I knew pork shoulder was on sale so I had no excuse not to cook up some lip smackin’, finger licking, napkin needing, barbecue pulled pork.
One of the best things about my girlfriend Veronica, is that she is a foodie like me ☺️ No we aren’t food snobs; we just both enjoy cooking and we both love to eat good food. We enjoy a lot of the same foods and swap recipes and ideas all the time. We both prefer to cook at home instead of eating out. Not that we don’t enjoy a nice dinner out on occasion, but in all honesty, I think our home cooking rivals what we can get at most restaurants. Thank you Veronica ❤️ for the inspiration for today’s delicious recipe!!!
Just a few ingredients needed to make barbecued pulled pork in your slow cooker.
Begin by heating a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom pot. I like to use my enameled cast iron pot for this. It distributes heat evenly so I get good results browning large cuts of meat in it.
Season a 3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast liberally with salt and pepper.
Brown roast on all sides until you have a nice brown crust on all sides of the roast. You can skip this step if you are pressed for time, but I think it makes a big difference in the overall flavor. If possible I highly recommend you brown the roast before you place it in the slow cooker.
After you have a nice brown crust on the roast place it in your slow cooker. I added a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary because I have a jungle of it in my front yard and it’s taking over the neighborhood! Let me know if you need some, I have enough for the entire city where I live, LOL! I’m happy to share!!!
Add minced garlic, chicken broth, garlic powder and onion powder to the pot on the stove. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the browned bits in the bottom of the pot. There’s a lot of really good flavor in all those browned bits, so be sure to stir them into the broth.
Pour broth over the roast in the slow cooker. There won’t be a lot of liquid. That’s ok, the roast will release more liquid as it cooks. The chicken broth just ensures the roast doesn’t initially stick to the crockpot and gives it a good jumpstart.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Meat is ready when it falls off the bone easily with a fork.
Shred meat into large shreds with two forks.
Once meat is shredded, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
Stir in enough barbecue sauce to produce a saucy but not soupy mixture.
Place a generous amount of barbecued pulled pork on toasted sour dough rolls. I served these sandwiches with a side of my favorite stove top Mac & Cheese to round out the meal. This is just as easy to make as the boxed variety, but sooooo much tastier with no chemicals or preservatives added. Give it a try, your kids are going to love it!!! Heck, grown-ups will love it too!
It would also be amazing with a side of my favorite creamy macaroni salad. Try this recipe for a quick side that you can easily whip up in a flash. It pairs perfectly with these pulled pork sandwiches on a hot summer day.
Or try it with a classic creamy coleslaw for a traditional pairing. Is there a more comfort food southern favorite than a good barbecued pulled pork sandwich paired with a creamy coleslaw? Oh my!
Barbecue Pulled Pork
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb pork shoulder roast
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 can chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced1
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Season pork roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat.
- Sear pork roast on all sides until golden brown.
- Transfer browned roast to a slow cooker.
- Add chicken broth, minced garlic, onion powder, and garlic powder to the pot on the stove. Heat through, scraping up all the browned bits in the bottom of the pot.
- Pour chicken broth mixture over pork roast in the slow cooker. Add rosemary sprigs.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender and falls off the bone.
- Remove bone and shred pork using two forks.
- Stir in vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce to the shredded pork.
- Split rolls in half and toast, cut sides up, under the broiler in the oven until golden brown.
- Place a generous heap of pulled pork onto one half of each roll. Top with the other half of the roll, smush together and enjoy!!!
- Serve with lots of napkins.
No matter what side you serve these tasty sandwiches with, this recipe really does produce the best lip smackin’, finger licking, napkin needing, barbecue pulled pork sandwiches you will ever enjoy. Plus they are so easy to make you will have plenty of time after dinner to relax with a glass of wine and enjoy watching a beautiful sunset.
Did You Make This?
Snap a pic and hashtag it #naturewayblog — I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial for you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. Thank you ❤️
