Sensible, Smart Pork (recipe: Slow-cooker Pulled Pork)
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Pork. Our culinary history with pork is so long and involved, it’s hard to pick out a starting point when you went to talk about it. There’s only one thing we like more than talking about pork and that’s filling our guts with it. “Pork, Pig, Porcine, Swine: To Me You Look Just Fine” includes a narrative about the South’s history with piggies.
Pork cooked low and slow in a smoker defies the description. Rambling on with every culinary adjective under the sun will make for boring reading and it still won’t tell the story of smoked pork’s deliciousness. You simply have to experience it yourself. Today’s busy lifestyles present an obstacle to home cooking a dish that requires a lot of attention for 6 to 8 hours. The South’s summer weather present another obstacle to home cooked smoked meats. Smoking ‘s done outside. Walking out your door and standing still is barely tolerable. The heat and humidity are oppressive. Surely, a sauna is more comfortable than my front porch. Add to the mix that you have to stand over, be near, come around and open the door to a HOT smoker makes me just about fall out thinking about it.
The most energy efficient, least heatin’-up-the-kitchen way to cook pulled pork in the heat of the summer is by using a slow cooker. I’m under no illusions that my slow-cooker pulled pork will trick you into thinking I spent 6 or 8 hours outdoors in the sweat-box while I smoked the pork. My intention isn’t dishonesty. I was raised better’n that. Cooking a pork roast in a slow-cooker is sensible. I’m all about sensible. Granny and Granddaddy would call it smart. That’s all the validation this ol’ girl needs.
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Slow-cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
I realize I’m inconsistent with how I write barbecue or barbeque or bar-b-que or -bar-b-cue or BBQ. We’ve got too may choices. I posted the question on Facebook asking for the preferred spelling and BBQ won. Now that’s smart, too! Don’t use any more letters than you absolutely have to.
A 3 to 4 pound Boston butt will need to cook about 6 hours on medium or 8 hours on high to reach the desired internal temperature of 190 degrees. If your slow-cooker has a removable pan, this recipe can be prepped the night before, placed in the pan and stored in the refrigerator. Remove the pan in the morning, place in the heating element and let it cook away. That’s really smart. The roast makes its own luscious BBQ sauce as it cooks. You can’t get much smarter than that.
For roast:
3 – 4 pound bone-in Boston Butt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon BBQ grill seasoning (I used McCormick Mesquite Grill Mates)
Mix sugar, salt and seasoning.
Rub on pork covering all sides well. Set aside.
For BBQ sauce:
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Thrown in all the ingredients in order.
Plop the butt in the pan fat side up.
Place on the lid and cook on high for 6 hours or on medium/low for 8 hours until the internal temperature of the butt reaches 190 degrees. Remove when done and set aside. The meat pulls easily away from the bone when it’s ready. Let the pork cool while you work on your BBQ sauce. You’ll have about a quart. Puree the sauce in the pan, either by using a food processor, stand blender or immersion blender. I use am immersion blender because it’s easier. I like easier. Taste it after it’s pureed and make the necessary adjustments. If you want a thicker sauce, transfer to a pan, place on the stove-top and cook until it’s reached the desired thickness.
Remove the fat cap and shred the pork. It’s ready for sandwiches, casseroles, soups, stews
Slow cooker Pulled Pork with Homemade
BBQ Sauce on Light Bread
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This is a perfect Indian Summer recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Belinda,
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Sounds like something good for the long weekend ahead!! – and easy – my kind of dish – thanks Jackie. Also want to try the Dr. Pepper slow cooked pork – it’s just Dr. Pepper and chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce – sounds yummy too! Also made your comeback sauce this weekend – yummy too – I didn’t have chili sauce, so just used more ketchup and some chili powder and used spicy brown mustard instead of Dijon -still tasted fine! thanks
Ann,
Cooking this dish for a long week-end would be smart! I hope you enjoy.
Now that does look yummy! My friend in England had a “hog roast” for his son’s 24th birthday. Now they might like to see that entire pig…feet and all looking at them as it whirls on the spit but I prefer mine without having to see the poor pig looking at me! Like your BBQ sauce and I probably will try it.
Jean,
Seeing the whole hog is a little bit disturbing if you’re not accustomed to it! I hope you cook you some good pork soon!
One of my favorite dishes ever! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. See you again next week, my friend!
Krista,
Church Supper is a great link up. I’m going to make it a point to participate.
I’ve made this before and it’s so good I could drink the sauce. (in fact I did!) I’m making it again today and my son will be so happy when he gets home from school!
Enjoy your dinner, Sandra! I’m going to share this comment on FB! Thank you so very much!
You’re so welcome.
I made the slow cooker pulled pork for dinner last night. It was so easy, the kids helped prepare it and everyone loved it. My husband was so shocked that I made the BBQ sauce that I had to share the recipe before he would believe it. I’m so glad I found your blog through The Patch and I have other recipes on my to do list. The kids want to make the pink lemonade pie tomorrow!
HI Liz!
I’m so glad you found us tucked away in our little corner of the world! What a happy time you must have had in your kitchen with your wee ones helping! The pretty pink pie is special to me and perfect to make with children. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.
Welcome home, Liz!