My brother has a habit of giving out remarkably vague “recipes.” For example: “Put some pig or cow in the slow cooker with some liquid. Use a spice rub if you want. Cook until you get home from work, then give the fat to the dog and shred the meat.”
Um. Right.
I needed more information. Does the size of the roast matter? Whether it has a bone? I used pork shoulder, and Cooks Illustrated has a recipe for barbecue pulled pork, so I adapted some of their instructions – the ingredients and method for the spice rub – for this slow cooker version. I was reluctant to add liquid to the slow cooker liner with the meat, because I had some idea that it would dilute the flavor in the meat, so I added just a bit of water and some liquid smoke. I cooked it for about 10 hours, added some barbecue sauce, then cooked it for 1 hour longer.
Oh my gosh, it’s so good. I almost didn’t want to add barbecue sauce, because the meat tastes so good without it, but of course it was that much better once I added it. And it makes a ton of food. I’m going to guess that the pork shoulder I used, which was probably the smallest I could find, was about twenty servings. I froze most of it, and it reheats really well.
I learned a few things from this. For one, there’s no need to worry about liquid diluting the flavor of the meat – the meat exudes a surprising amount of liquid anyway. It’s best to add just a bit of water to help the slow cooker get the cooking started. Also, as far as cooking times go, longer seems to be better. So, as my brother said, start dinner cooking before you go to work, and when you get home 9 or 10 hours later, you’ll be just in time to shred the meat, add the barbecue sauce, and let that all cook together for a bit.
Overall, served with coleslaw, this makes for a fantastic meal. I know that crockpot pulled pork recipes are a dime a dozen, but trust me that this spice rub adds far more flavor than root beer ever could. Plus, it’s not much work at all, so with minimal effort you can stock your freezer with multiple nights’ worth of easy and tasty meals.
Update 9.21.08: Last time I made this, I used a pork shoulder that just barely fit in my crockpot; I think it was in the 7.5 pound range. After 8.5 hours, the pork wasn’t tender enough to be pulled, at least on the inside. So I recommend erring on the longer side of this cooking range, especially if you’re using a large roast.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (spice rub from Cooks Illustrated)
Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce
1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.
Bridget, this looks awesome. seriously, I’ve NEVER seen a crockpot recipe I’ve actually wanted to try until this one. We are soooo trying this. Thanks!
I am going to detour to the butcher on the way home and grab the shoulder I thought about getting last night. This would make a fabulous lunch for tomorrow with some fresh baked buns and maybe beans. Yummy!
It looks mouth watering good. I will have to try this recipe, I’ve been craving pulled pork lately!
OMG, that looks amazing! I love the photo of all the spices – I”m stealing that idea and trying this recipe sometime! 🙂
That looks so good! I agree with Jess the spices photo is very nice !
Bridget…I tagged you! Check out my blog for details.
This looks so good right now!
look at all those yummy spices! mmmmm!
[…] you have never had pulled pork before you are in for a treat. It is easy to make int he crockpot and it is SO good with some cole […]
I got a crockpot for a wedding gift, and have managed to make a few disgusting mushy meals in it. I refuse to give it away, though, because i hoped that I could find a pulled pork recipe that would make it worth owning the stupid thing. I think you just saved my crockpot!
Now this looks like a recipe that is completely worthy of having in the files. Everyone needs a good, easy pulled pork recipe 🙂 Looks great!!
Hi Bridget — Great blog and recipes. We loved the szechuan beans with pork. What do you use for BBQ sauce?
This sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Michele – I use Dinosaur BBQ sauce. I’m not sure if it’s available nation-wide.
Thanks Bridget. I ended up making my own BBQ (from one of Ina Garten’s books). It was great with this pork, although I think you could easily get by with just using it as a condiment. This meat has fantastic flavor from the rub.
Is this spicy with that much cayenne and chili powder? My husband had cancer and now he can’t handle spicy stuff. It really sounds yummy!!!!
Jessi – It’s not spicy. Really, the only spice I noticed was from the black pepper. It might depend on your chili powder? The stuff I use (sorry that I don’t know the brand) isn’t spicy at all.
[…] club. I knew I had a saved a few recipes for the pork, so when I found this blog about pulled pork, I knew I had to try it. Go look at her pictures, they are WAY better than mine. (Plus she’s […]
This looks incredible. We will definitely be trying this.
Tried this yesterday–YUMMY!! I put Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq sauce on it and added extra liquid smoke. The hamburger buns were a bit stale so I grilled them, and served the pork sandwiches with grilled sweet corn. Thanks so much for the recipe!
This is a great recipe, as everyone who tries it will find. I usually roast the pork in an oven set to about 150 degrees. This requires a heavy covered pot, either aluminum or iron, and you should sear the meat on the stove before putting it in the oven. For one reason or other I searched for a Crock Pot recipe and found this one. Try it – you’ll like it.
To Jessi asking about the heat —
1. Reduce the amount of black pepper and white pepper, or omit them completely. Peppercorns have a fair amount of heat.
2. Omit the cayenne altogether.
3. Make sure you have MILD chili powder. You can get this blend from Penzy’s Spices, it has good flavor but is not hot.
Cheers,
Dotcrow
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I am making this for Thanksgiving instead of turkey (plus a roast leg of lamb)! It looks soooo good.
@dotcrow:
If you do it in the oven, should be at least 220. Should be slow but food safe. This is about what most southern pit cookers will heat to as well.
Anyone know how many this would serve? I’m having a football party on Friday–Go Utes!
I made this recipe over the weekend and it was delicious. Thank you so much!
I made this the other night and it turned out fabulous. I used a 4 lb. boston butt and just halfed all of the spices. The 4 lb. made about 5 large sandwiches. Mine cooked for about 8 hours and was kept warm for 2. It literally slid off the bone.
I can’t believe people spend $5.00 or more on PP sandwiches when they are so easily made at home and frozen!
Thanks for such a perfect recipe!
I prepared this recipe using 7 lb boneless pork sirloin roast (that is what was on sale last week, and it made tender, tasty pulled pork). I made mini buns using frozen roll dough (I flattened the dough balls when they were mostly thawed). It was part of a potluck for 90 people. My mini pulled pork sandwiches disappeared quickly, and got rave reviews! I will definitely use this as my go-to pulled pork recipe, and I have already shared it with several others. Yummy!
THIS IS THE FIRST RECIPE I HAVE EVER USED IN A CROCKPOT!! I MADE IT FOR OUR FRIENDS AT SKIING. THEY WENT CRAZY OVER IT!! THIS IS AN AWESOME RECIPE AND SO EASY!!! THIS RECIPE IS A MUST HAVE. WILL FEED ALOT OF PEOPLE FOR A LITTLE PRICE, WITH A GREAT TASTE! THANKS FOR SHARING!!
Excellent recipe!! pork was tender, FLAVORFUL, and TASTY!! I used a whole bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce instead of the 2 cups recommended.
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Thanks for sharing the recipe – my husband agreed that it was by far the best thing to ever come out of my crockpot… you know, besides queso 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe! I made it yesterday for our Super Bowl party and it was a big hit. I think I need to buy a bigger crock pot before I make it again, though. About halfway through when the meat started to plump up we had to tape down the lid to keep it on!
Ridiculously amazing recipe. I haven’t even gotten to eat supper yet, but I’ve sampled the meat and it is fantastic.
Thanx for blogging about it. The spice rub is also something I”m saving for the next boring piece of meat that wanders my way.
Wow, this looks fabulous! Great pictures! We’re making it tonight for my daughter’s first birthday party (for the adults) tomorrow…I cannot wait to try it 🙂
Hi Bridget,
Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve had my crockpot for years, and this was the first recipe I saw that persuaded me to pull it out and actually use it. And I’m so glad I did–the pork is wonderful.
I’m looking forward to serving it to guests next weekend, and I’m wondering what the best way to reheat it it? You mentioned that it freezes well, so I was planning on storing it there, and then possibly reheating it in the slow cooker. Should I skip the 30-60 minute reheat today w/bbq sauce today and do that as the reheat? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you!
Amanda – I think you could go either way on the 30-60 minute reheat at the end. I guess I’d probably do it today, just to give yourself one less thing to think about when you have guests next week.
I think reheating it in the crockpot would be a great idea for guests. It’s low maintenance and the meat will stay warm while people arrive, get settled, and go back for seconds. I usually just defrost it overnight and then heat it in a covered pot on the stove, but that’s just for my husband and myself for dinner.
Bridget-
I stumbled across this recipe in my efforts to find a decent pulled pork. I made this for 40 people a couple months ago (took 4 crockpots) and we served at a shelter nearby. My husband was so bummed that he didn’t get any that I’m making it again for him tonight. He was literally obsessed with it. Thanks so much for the amazing rub! Yummy!!
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Made this for dinner tonight and OMG was it the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. My husband even loved it. I did not have cayenne pepper so I replaced it with 1 1/2t of red pepper flakes.
Thank you!!! Love your blog!!
[…] when I saw this recipe for pulled pork in the crock pot. I got pretty excited. The deal with this recipe was to put […]
I just made this tonight and it came out amazing! I didn’t even bother with the barbecue sauce because the spice rub ended up making a delicious sauce in and of itself. This is one of my favorite new recipes!
I blogged this yesterday after seeing it on your site. Absolutely DELISH! I was short on time so put it straight in the crockpot after the rub and it still was so so good!
Thanks for this bblog post