Delicious Crock Pot Barbecued Pulled Pork

Recipe by Kittencalrecipezazz

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Delicious Crock Pot Barbecued Pulled Pork

SERVES:

Ingredients Nutrition

1 (4 lb) pork shoulder or 1 (4 lb) pork butt
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic (or mix in 3 teaspoons garlic powder to spice mix in place of fresh garlic or use both!)
3 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons garlic powder (use if omitting the fresh garlic)
1 1 ⁄₂-2 teaspoons cumin
1 1 ⁄₂ teaspoons paprika
1 ⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 (18 ounce) bottlesfavorite barbecue sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Directions

If you are using fresh garlic then rub onto the roast (you may use both the fresh and garlic powder if you are a lover of garlic).
In a small bowl mix together seasoning salt, black pepper and 3 teaspoons garlic powder (if using) cumin, paprika, and cayenne, then using clean hands rub the roast well with the spices using pressure to make certain that the spices penetrate deep into the meat.
Place the roast in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours or up to 3 days.
Place the onions and bell pepper strips in the bottom of the crock pot, then place the roast over the onions and peppers.
In a bowl mix together barbecue sauce and brown sugar, then pour over the roast.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or until the roast is cooked and tender.
Transfer the roast to a cutting board.
Pull pork into coarse shreds using 2 forks.
Serve the pork on a bun or over cooked rice topped off with the sauce.

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Nutrition Info

Serving Size: 1 (596 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amt. Per Serving % Daily Value Calories 1168.8 Calories from Fat 497 43% Total Fat 55.3 g 85% Saturated Fat 18.9 g 94% Cholesterol 214.7 mg 71% Sodium 1800 mg 75% Total Carbohydrate 111.6 g 37% Dietary Fiber 2.8 g 11% Sugars 86.8 g 347% Protein 53.3 g 106%

Pulled Pork Barbecue

4 videos | Pulled Pork Barbecue (03:23)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork
12 hamburger buns
1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Pickle spears, for serving

Directions

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.

While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.

While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, grated

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

1 fresh red chile, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Several dashes hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Pulled Pork Barbecue (03:23)

How to Roast Meats (02:06)

How to Mince Garlic (02:02)

How to Season Food Properly (02:07)

Have a Backyard BBQ

Recipe of the Day

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North Carolina Pulled Pork

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A.

Barbecue means different things to different people in different parts of the country. In North Carolina it means pork, or more precisely smoked pork shoulder, that has been grilled using the indirect method until it's fall-off-the-bone tender, then pulled into meaty shreds with fingers or a fork. Doused with vinegar sauce and eaten with coleslaw on a hamburger bun, it's one of the most delicious things on the planet, and it requires only one special ingredient: patience.

My friend and barbecue buddy Elizabeth Karmel makes some of the best pork shoulder I've ever tasted. Elizabeth comes from Greensboro, North Carolina, where she grew up on pulled pork. Her secret is to cook the pork to an internal temperature of 195°F—higher than is recommended by most books. But this is the temperature needed for the pork to separate easily into the fine, moist, tender shreds characteristic of true Carolina barbecue. Elizabeth doesn't use a rub, although many of her compatriots do. (I personally like a rub, but I've made it optional in the recipe.)

A true pork shoulder includes both the Boston butt (the upper part of the leg with the shoulder blade) and the picnic ham (the actual foreleg), a cut of meat that weighs fourteen to eighteen pounds in its entirety and is used chiefly at professional barbecue competitions. The recipe here calls for Boston butt alone (five to six pounds), which, thanks to its generous marbling, gives you superb barbecue. The appropriate beverage for all this? Cold beer or Cheerwine (a sweet red soda pop).

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Ingredients

Grilling Method
- Indirect grilling
Advance preparation
- 3 to 8 hours for marinating the meat (optional); also, allow yourself 4 to 6 hours cooking time
Special equipment
- 6 cups hickory chips or chunks, soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained
For the rub (optional)
- 1 tablespoon mild paprika
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the barbecue
- 1 Boston butt (bone-in pork shoulder roast; 5 to 6 pounds), covered with a thick (1/2 inch) layer of fat
- Vinegar Sauce
- 10 to 12 hamburger buns
- North Carolina–Style Coleslaw

Preparation

1. 1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.
2. If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.
3. 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.
4. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
5. If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.
6. 3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.
7. 4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
8. 5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.
9. 6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

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Exactly. I think most things from the barbeque bible are outstanding anyway. including the Memphis style ribs on this site. the ones with the highest review. I've prepared this the proper way and in a desperate cold and dark Maine winter when the snow was piled too high around the green egg. I have even (gasp!) executed it in the oven which worked fine as well--just lacked the smoke etc. but still. I would recommend this and the sauces are well worth making if you have the time--but then I'm a vinegar fan.

Oh my. This is one of the best things i've ever eaten. I'm 6 months pregnant and had a real craving for pulled pork sandwiches, however , I know I don't enjoy typically served pulled pork because it's overwhelmingly sweet with a rich creamy coleslaw, so this recipe sounded like what I was looking for. I used a pork shoulder I got on sale, marinated it for 8 hours, and cooked it for 22 hours on low in my slow cooker. I don't have a smoker available and a propane bbq, but it's October in Canada so i'd rather not be outside. The meat fell apart beautifully. I served it with the vinegar sauce coleslaw on buttered and toasted buns, then proceeded to die and go to heaven. This is exactly what I was looking for, and I am now a pulled pork convert. One of the best things i've ever eaten. One change I made was to add a half cup of maple syrup (normal store bought brand) to the vinegar sauce and used a 1/3 cup of brown sugar instead of a 1/2 cup.

Made this as per advice and let the rub marinade for 48 hours then smoked in Weber Mountain over hickory for 12 hours. The meat was so delicious and moist but when combined with the vinegar sauce coleslaw it put this pulled pork sandwich into another league. I have never been a fan of pulled pork with BBQ sauce but if this is proper pulled pork then I am a convert 😀😀😀

Wow. this was awesome! I wasn't grilling. being February in upstate New York, but following the previous reviewers suggestions I did the rub (leaving it on for almost 48 hrs) and then braising followed by baking it in the oven at 350 for 3 hours. The meat was falling off the bone tender. and the vinegar sauce makes the whole recipe. I used only 1 2/2 cups of vinegar but kept the rest of the ingredients as called for. Would definitely make again!

I've been cooking indoors and out, very adventurously, for 30 years, but I've always been daunted by pulled pork on the grill. Until now. To me, great pulled pork starts and stays on a wood fire, and this bad boy was perfect. Took me 10 minutes to pull it apart it was so tender, served it with corn on the cob, homemade slaw and ice cold beer. Look out.

I just purchased an electric smoker, and this was one of the first recipes I tried in it. it took me just five hours to make authentic-tasting Greensboro-style chopped pork for a bbq sandwich for my NC wife. instead of an 11-hour-round-trip drive to buy her one. Happy wife, happy me. Win win!

This is a different experience from the sweet barbecue sauce we Northerners expect, but it was quite delicious. I did add a little extra catsup and brown sugar to cut the vinegar a bit. Also boiled down the meat juices and added to the sauce. I let the shredded meat marinate in the sauce for about an hour before reheating it for dinner--that really made it meld. I can see why folks recommend letting it sit for days. My husband just asked me to add this to my recipe box.

I have made several pulled pork recipes- this one is king! The spicy sauce and coleslaw are necessary elements to a great pulled pork sando!! Have a friend from Memphis, and he loves it when I make this recipe!

The vinegar sauce ruined the pork. way too tangy. The spice rub is delicious.

This is a wonderful recipe, great for a crowd. I also didn't have a grill. I bought two 3 pound pork shoulders, doubled the rub, marinated with the rub overnight and then cooked the meat in a dutch oven for three hours at 350 degrees. The meat was perfect. I was very skeptical about the sauce, it doesn't taste good on its own - very vinegary. But on the meat it is perfect! I made a different cole slaw (creamy cilantro coleslaw, found on epicurious), sweet potato fries and it was a great meal!

This is the definitive n.c. pulled pork recipe. I owned a restaurant at an airport that serviced charlotte n.c. and all of the caroline visitors LOVED my pulled pork and the vinegar sauce based on this recipe. It really is the best!

The pork tasted great with or without the barbeque sauce. Because I baked mine in the oven, I poured some liquid smoke (hickory flavored) on it just prior to baking. Delicious.

This is a keeper! Got rave reviews from all guests, and had very little leftover even though we started with a lot of meat. Don't skip the coleslaw or the vinegar sauce - even though the meat is great on its own, the accompaniments really make it sing.

So. I simplify this. I put it in the crockpot after I put the rub on it. I pour the mop right on top of it and slow cook it over night. Put foil down underneath it or something because it may spill out some if your crock pot is jammed. Then you just take out the pork in the morning and pull it apart. I try to cut the fat off it a little before I pull it. I put the BBQ sauce on the side and I make the coleslaw. It's awesome. :)

This recipe was fantastic! I made a double recipe of the pork (10 lbs) since we were feeding about 20 people and it was the perfect amount-- there was none leftover. The single amount of the vinegar sauce and coleslaw was needed-- it makes a lot. The vinegar sauce was the perfect spiciness, and the coleslaw (I used red cabbage since that's all I could find) added the perfect crunch to the sandwiches. I will definitely make these again-- minimal effort, just a little patience, and it's so delicious!

We followed the recipe to a tee, and it was perfect. Truly exceptional pork. The cider vinegar is so good. We served it without buns but with corn bread pudding, black eyed peas and collard greens. Best meal ever. We now know why they call it "soul food."

So yummy. I smoked the meat for 2-3 hours on a gas grill, then threw it in the slow cooker for another 3-4 hours, before pulling off the meat and mixing it with the vinegar sauce. DELICIOUS.

I didn't have the smoking capability, so I made this in the oven, but I used the rub and the vinegar sauce (to which I added a little mustard and whiskey), and it was delicious! I cut the meat in four pieces, browned them, then stuck them in a covered braising dish in a 350 degree oven. I was afraid four hours wouldn't be enough time, but when I checked on it after three hours, it was falling apart and delicious. Put it in a crockpot with the vinegar sauce to serve. There was a lot of fat leftover in the bottom of the baking dish, which I'll probably save and use for potatoes or something (I tossed a bit of it back into the shredded pork for more flavor).

Marinated the meat as per the recipe with the substitution of grated onion in place of the onion powder. Then, since I live in an apt and haven't regular access to a grill, placed the meat in a crockpot and cooked on low for several hours Delicious seasonings!.

I made this for the Rose Bowl tailgate and now will do the same for the Super Bowl. I, too, did this in the oven and transferred to the slow cooker to "hold" and serve. I put about a 1/2 t. liquid smoke in the bottom of the covered roaster with about 1/2 cup of water and had the meat sitting up out of the juice (used a turkey rack). It was very good and went fast! Also, used chibatta rolls as they hold up better than hamburger buns. Maybe not traditional, and, this is CA.

We make this for our annual street BBQ, 4 pulled porks, start BBQ'ing at 7 am on 2 charcoal BBQ's. Serve it with wheat tortillas and a fruit/avocado salsa. It is my favourite taste of all time.

AMAZING!! I made this in the oven and made sure to baste the meat every 15 minutes to keep it moist. The vinegar sauce is a MUST! I added a ton more sugar and would probably not use so much cider vinegar..it seemed a bit tangy. I put the rub on the meat the night before. The next day I put it in a pot with a lid and let it cook in the oven on 350 for about 3-4 hours. I then took it out pulled the pork and put the meat and vinegar sauce together in a bowl. I then wrapped up the meat in foil and put on the grill to cook the vinegar sauce in it. (I didn't originally cook it on the grill because I didn't have time to watch the coals to make sure it stayed hot.) I put the hot meat on a bun and it was AMAZING! My husband who is a HUGE fan of pulled pork sandwiches gave it a 10+ I highly recommend this. Next time I'm going to get WAY more meat. There was more fat then expected.

this was a bit time consuming but excellent and certainly worth the time. Slaw and vinegar sauce were excellent additions.

I cooked mine in the oven as I did not have the required smoke box. I marinaded it over night and cooked it in my cast iron pot for 6 hrs which was plenty and the meat fell apart beautifully. Loved the flavour of the meat but honestly did not love it on a sandwich which kinda dissapointed me. We used the left overs for tacos the next day with a hor home made salsa, light sour cream. lots of shredded lettuce and some grated cheese, heavenly! Will try a more barbques flavoured recipe for the sandwichs next time but all in all wa s a wonderful recipe.

AMAZING. My husband and I quadrupled the recipe and made 18 pounds of this for the 4th of July party. Yep, that's a lot of pork. Followed the recipe exactly. It was gone by the end of the day. Most everyone had three sandwiches, because they couldn't stop eating it. One person even ate five in one sitting (We call him Kobayashi now.) Absolutely worth the time involved.

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Pulled Pork Barbecue

4 videos | Pulled Pork Barbecue (03:23)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork
12 hamburger buns
1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Pickle spears, for serving

Directions

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, grated

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

1 fresh red chile, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Several dashes hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pulled Pork Barbecue (03:23)

How to Roast Meats (02:06)

How to Mince Garlic (02:02)

How to Season Food Properly (02:07)

Have a Backyard BBQ

Recipe of the Day

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Pulled pork marinade

Purchase two bone-in pork butts.
Remove the fat cap and trim any excess fat.
Inject the meat evenly with injection solution, then apply rub generously to all sides.
Cook at 225-250°F or 325-350°F to an internal temperature of 195°F.
Let rest for 30 minutes before pulling the meat.

Championship injected pulled pork sandwich

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of injecting meat before barbecuing, but it works really well when it comes to pork butt. A good injection solution will add both flavor and moisture to the inside meat, and when pulled and mixed with the dark, flavorful outside meat, you have great flavor in every bite!

Here are some photos I took on October 20-21, 2007 and May 28, 2011 when I cooked pork butts using Chris Lilly's Six-Time World Championship pork shoulder recipe, which is widely published on the Internet.

Remember. click on any of the pictures to view a larger image.

Select And Prep The Pork Butts

Purchase two bone-in pork butts weighing 8-9 pounds each. Remove the fat cap and trim the meat according to the instructions in the Pork Butt Selection & Preparation article.

Photo 1 shows two bone-in pork butts in Cryovac packaging weighing a total of 19.05 pounds. Photo 2 shows the untrimmed pork butts removed from the packaging. Photo 3 shows one of the butts after removing the fat cap.

Inject & Rub The Pork Butts

Prepare a batch of pork injection.

1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

. and a batch of pork shoulder rub (Photo 4).

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup garlic salt

1/3 cup kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

Place one of the butts in a baking dish or food service pan and inject in 12-16 spots with 1/4 of the injection solution (Photo 5). Pick a spot, stick the needle deep into the meat, and slowly depress the plunger while pulling the needle out, then repeat in a different spot. You should be able to inject several spots before needing to refill the injector. The solution that collects in the bottom of the baking dish can be re-injected if you start to run short.

The meat is not a sponge and will not hold all of the injection solution. It is normal for much of it to run out.

Turn the butt over and inject with another 1/4 of the solution, then set the butt aside. Repeat the process with the second pork butt.

After injecting, sprinkle the rub generously on all sides of each butt (Photo 6). Pat the rub to help it stick to the meat.

Let the pork butts sit at room temperature as you fire-up your Weber Bullet.

Select The Smoke Wood

Use 5 fist-sized chunks of apple smoke wood. Cherry, oak, or another mild fruit wood can be used if apple is not available.

There is no need to soak the wood or remove the bark before use.

Fire-up the cooker using the Minion Method. Fill the charcoal chamber almost to overflowing with unlit Kingsford Charcoal Briquets. This should be enough fuel to fire the cooker for 12-14 hours, maybe longer depending upon weather conditions and how much meat is being cooked.

Light 20-40 briquettes using a Weber chimney starter and spread them over the unlit briquettes. Arrange the smoke wood chunks evenly over the lit briquettes.

Assemble the cooker and fill the water pan from above immediately with hot tap water. Foil the water pan before use for easy cleanup.

Smoke The Pork Butts

Place the pork butts in the WSM. Set the 3 bottom vents to 100% open. Open the top vent fully and leave it that way throughout the entire cook.

Cook at 225-250°F until the internal meat temperature measures about 195°F with an instant-read thermometer. Since pork butt is made up of a collection of different muscles, check the temperature in 3-4 spots and average the results.

There is no need to turn the meat during cooking. If you wish, you can baste the meat several times with apple juice applied using a spray bottle—I like Martinelli's Premium Apple Juice. Check the water pan a few times and add water, if necessary.

Here's how the cooker temperatures and vent settings went during my cook:

Note that the vent percentages represent the way I set the vents at the time indicated.

After cooking, cover the butts loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before pulling the meat. See Pork Butt Selection & Preparation for a description of how to pull pork. The meat should pull cleanly from the shoulder bone, as shown in Photo 10.

Make sure to mix the pulled pork so everyone gets some of the dark outside meat along with the light inside meat. What's nice about this injection method is that all the meat is nicely flavored inside and out.

I noted in my cooking log that the meat was very dark and crusty on the outside, with a good smoke ring and good moisture on the inside. The meat was flavorful throughout, with a little bit of heat from the rub.

I served the pulled pork on a toasted bun, drizzled with warm Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce plus kettle potato chips, coleslaw, and pickle chips on the side.

Addendum: High-Heat Cook

For WSM Smoke Day 7 on May 28, 2011, I tried this recipe again but used a high-heat cooking method instead of the "low & slow" method described above. This cuts the cooking time to 5-6 hours and the results are just about as good.

Fill the WSM charcoal chamber half full with unlit Kingsford Charcoal Briquets and spread one full Weber chimney starter of lit briquettes over the unlit charcoal. Line the water pan with aluminum foil but don't use any water.

Assemble the cooker and place the injected and rubbed pork butts on the top grate. Set the three bottom vents to 100% open. Open the top vent fully and leave it that way throughout the entire cook. Add the same type and amount of smoke wood described earlier in this article.

Check the internal temperature of the pork butts after 3 hours of cooking (Photo 13). When they measure 160°F with an instant-read thermometer, wrap each one in aluminum foil and put them back into the cooker (Photo 14).

Check the internal temperature again after 2 more hours of cooking. Continue to cook until the butts reach 195°F (Photo 15).

There's no need to baste or rotate the pork butts during the cooking process.

Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before pulling.

Photo 16 shows the nice smoke ring I got using this method. Photo 17 shows the pulled pork that resulted from just one of the pork butts. Photo 18 shows a pork slider that's overflowing with pulled pork to the point that you can't see the bottom bun. I guess I got a little carried away!

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Slow-cooked Southern pulled pork shoulder

By Matt Tebbutt

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp ground onion powder

2 tbsp brown sugar

olive oil, for drizzling

1 x 2 kg pork shoulder, bone in

4 tbsp cider vinegar

squeeze of clear honey

1. Crush the garlic cloves to a paste using a pestle and mortar, or blend in a food processor. Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder and sugar and pound/blend until well combined.

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Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients (10)

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed

2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

The easiest and, arguably, tenderest pulled pork comes out of the slow cooker. Here, we coat pork shoulder with a spice rub of dark brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then cook it on a bed of garlic and onions moistened with chicken broth. Six to ten hours later, the juiciest pork imaginable is ready to be shredded and served atop Pulled Pork Nachos, or in a sandwich with your favorite Barbecue Sauce (for the best version ever, make your own Hamburger Buns).

This no-fuss, versatile recipe makes enough to feed a crowd—it’s one of our favorites to dish out at Super Bowl parties. Until then, visit our friends at CBS Sports for everything you need to know for the Super Bowl.

What to buy

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker

This top-rated Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker is perfect for the cook with a busy lifestyle and offers customizable cooking times and temperatures.

Instructions

1 Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

2 Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

3 If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Wine Pairing

2008 Terra Bella Syrah

Pair this juicy BBQ pork with a French, Rhône-inspired Syrah, which has the versatility to refresh between bites and let the character of that sweetly spiced pork shine through. We love the 2008 Terra Bella Syrah for a perfect pair!

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

This slow-cooker pulled pork recipe makes budget-friendly homemade barbecue a breeze! 7 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time are all you need to get this dish cooking for dinnertime. For delicious barbecue sandwiches, add honey, barbecue sauce, mustard, and soy sauce to the slow cooker when the meat is done and cook for an additional hour on low. Serve on hamburger buns with a side of baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread for the ultimate Southern plate.

Ingredients

1 (3 lb.) boneless pork shoulder, skin and excess fat removed

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

2 cups bottled or homemade barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Nutritional Information

Calories 584

Fat 24g

Satfat 8g

Protein 50g

Carbohydrate 38g

Fiber 1g

Cholesterol 178mg

Sodium 192mg

How to Make It

Trim pork of any excess fat. Scatter onion over bottom of slow cooker and place pork on top. Add broth, cover and cook on low until very tender, about 8 hours. Remove meat and let cool.

When cool enough to handle, pull meat into thin shreds, removing all fat and gristle. Skim excess fat from liquid in slow cooker.

Return pulled pork to slow cooker and stir in barbecue sauce, mustard, honey and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour longer on low. If desired, serve with hamburger buns and sides of pinto beans, corn, tomatoes and coleslaw.

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Ratings & Reviews

Delicious and healthy recipes customized for you!

Pork Marinade and Slow Cooker Pork Roast Recipe

7 hrs 15 mins

Prep: 15 mins,

Cook: 7 hrs

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Use this mixture to marinate a pork loin, shoulder, or another pork cut. Feel free to cook the marinated pork roast in the oven or on the grill or rotisserie.

Perfect Pulled Pork

This post was originally published on August 26, 2008. It’s one of our oldest and most popular recipes on our entire site. It’s been made thousands of times from readers all over the world. This is how to make authentic Southern Pulled Pork.

After photos were updated June 2015.

Remember last week when we were talking about company recipes? This is one of those recipes. I’ll never forget the first time I had this *perfect* pulled pork. I was a guest in someone’s home and this was their company recipe. And true to company recipe fashion, I immediately fell in love with it and begged for the recipe.

This pulled pork is SO yummy and flavorful and tender, it just melts in your mouth. And it really is *perfect* for company because everyone I’ve ever made this for has just raved over it. You have to try it, at least once. Really. You will be hooked. :)

Let’s pick out the perfect pork shoulder for your perfect pulled pork. The best piece of meat for pulled pork is a 4-7 lb whole boston butt.

Make sure your pork shoulder has a layer of fat on the bottom:

And it should also have a bone going about halfway through it. (It doesn’t go all the way through. Just halfway.)

Now, if you notice, my pork shoulder is 7.91 lbs. I got a big one because I wanted to feed 6 people *and* have tons and tons of leftovers. Normally I hate leftovers, but I LOVE this leftover. People always want some to take home with them and it *just* as yummy heated up the next day. Just pop it in a 350-375 degree oven for about 5 mins. You’ll know when it’s done because the whole kitchen will start smelling so good and your mouth will be watering and you just won’t be able to wait any longer before you yank it out of the oven and put it on a plate. It even freezes really well, although we never want to freeze it because we always want to keep eating it for the next couple of days. lol.

After you pick out your perfect pork shoulder, you may want to pick up a few other items while you’re out..

You’ll need a 3″ deep roasting pan that’s big enough to hold your pork shoulder so that there is at least 1″ of extra room on all sides. Of course you may have a nice roasting pan at home that you can use. I just pick up one of these disposable ones at the grocery store for easier clean up. You’ll also need something LARGE to brine the roast in. I use a 2 gallon ziploc bag. And the last thing is a digital thermometer with an alarm. You don’t *have* to have one of these, but I find this an *extremely* useful piece of equipment in my kitchen. The thermometer stays in the meat, in the oven while the digital reader sits outside on top of the stove. You set the alarm and it will go off when the meat has reached the desired temp. I LOVE it because I don’t have to constantly keep checking on the roast. I just put it in and forget it! :) You can pick one of these up pretty cheap (less than $20) at the grocery store (and almost anywhere- Amazon, Target, Walmart, Linens-N-Things, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc). And you can use it for everything- chicken, steak, burgers, etc. I love it for baking chicken because you know exactly when the chicken is done and it doesn’t get dried out. :)

So! Now that you’ve got all your equipment, let’s start out by making the special dry rub that makes this pulled pork perfectly seasoned.

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp ground pepper

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together well and store in an air tight container.

This smells absolutely divine. Cover it and set it aside for a sec.

Now for the brine – A brine solution gives the meat the extra moisture it needs for a long, slow cooking process so you don’t end up with tough, dried out meat.

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 qts cold water

3 tbsp dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar and dry rub and stir well to combine.

Rinse the pork shoulder in cold water and place in a 2 gallon ziploc bag (or a container big enough so the shoulder is completely covered in brine solution).

Carefully pour in the brine solution…

And add two dried bay leaves.

You can find these in the spice section of the grocery store.

And refrigerate for at least 12 hours. 24-36 hours is best. I usually do it about 24 hours. I like to clean out a spot in my door and keep the pork there because it helps keep the shoulder completely covered in brine.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. (Yes, 225 degrees, that is not a typo :)) Remove the pork shoulder from the brine solution and place in the roasting pan.

Pat the skin dry with paper towels so you’ll get a nice, crisp crust.

Generously, generously, cover the WHOLE thing in your dry rub mix.

And massage it into that skin real good. Be sure and get it up under any flaps you may come across.

It should look like this when you’re done massaging. If you have dry rub mix left, that’s okay. We will be using it later.

Make sure the fat layer is facing UP and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone.

Place uncovered in a 225 degree F oven on the middle rack.

Set the alarm on the thermometer for 200 degrees. We don’t want to take it out of the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches at least 200 degrees. The first time I made this, I was like what?? 200 degrees?? Are you kidding?? Isn’t a roast usually done at 170 degrees?? Won’t my meat be tough and dried out?? But here’s what I found out. The pork is finished to the point of being sliceable at 170 degrees, but to get that tender, falling apart shredded meat, the ideal internal temperature should reach at least 200 degrees. And it’s still just as tender, juicy and flavorful because smartypants you brined it first. Pat yourself on the back for being in-the-know.

Now, cooking at 225 degrees F, this shoulder will probably take between 1.5 to 2 hours per pound to cook. This 8 lb shoulder took 13 hours, so a little over an 1.5 hr per pound.

Here’s how I normally do it… Two nights before I want to serve this, I prepare the brine solution and let the shoulder brine over night and all day the next day in the fridge. That night right before bed, I season the shoulder with the dry rub and put it in the oven and let it cook overnight. Even a small shoulder will take at least 10 hours to cook, so you don’t have to worry about the alarm waking you up the next morning.

Note: Some ovens automatically turn off after 12 hours. Note the time you put the shoulder in the oven, and you may want to set an alarm on your phone to alert you 12 hours later so you can check and make sure your oven is still on. A large shoulder could easily take 13-16 hours to cook.

When the alarm goes off and the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, turn off the oven and let the roast rest for about 2 hours before removing from the oven. Turn off the alarm, but keep the thermometer in the meat, so you can monitor the temperature. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the resting period. Mine still had a lot of moisture in the bottom, so I didn’t cover mine.

After a couple hours, when the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove the shoulder from the oven.

Remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Using two large forks, begin pulling the meat apart. It will fall apart *very* easily and it should not take you long at all to pull apart this whole roast.

The inside will be fall-off-the-bone tender, and the outside will have a deliciously seasoned crispy crust. Feel free to add any leftover seasoning if you want a little more kick.

It’s so juicy and flavorful, you won’t even need BBQ sauce.

This famous pulled pork is requested at every get-together we go to. Go ahead and impress your friends with this slow roasted, seasoned and savory pulled pork.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make Perfect Pulled Pork!

Perfect Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 (4-7 pound) whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 cup brown sugar

Brine Solution

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 quarts cold water

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons dry rub mix

Directions:

For the Dry Rub

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

For the Brine Solution

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation

Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree F oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees.

When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

This pulled pork is so delicious, it earns two pages in the recipe book.

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1,000 Comments Leave a Comment »

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can’t waite to try it. i smoke pork butts (tough to keep em lit) and they come out great, but I’ve never tried the brine idea on it. I will brine turkeys so it makes sense to try it with this too. thanks for the tip. Nice web site.

@ Rich – LOL!! Hardy har har.

I am a tried and true pork butt “smoker”, and while nothing gives a pork butt that amazing smokey flavor like a smoker does, this was easily the best pulled pork (outside of the smoker) I’ve ever had!!

Amanda, I made this, this wkend…and it was GREAT. I am wondering though, if you have tried it in a crockpot? It would be a great thing to brine overnight, rub it in the AM, and throw in crockpot. I wouldn’t dare leave my oven on all day, but would my crockpot. What do you think?

I tried it in the crockpot and it is fantastic. Only thing, you don’t get the crust, because all the fat melts, but still really delish. I put it on high for 7 hours, put a layer of onions cut in half on the bottom first, then the rubbed shoulder. No additional liquid required. Mine was about 4.5 pounds of meat. I wish I could have fit a bigger piece. This will be gone in no time. I think for a larger group of people you would want to get a gynormous hunk of meat and do it in the oven:)

Thank you Amanda for a great site.

I made this in the crockpot according to Janice’s directions. I was a little nervous about making pulled pork (especially in a crockpot) for my boyfriend, who is a barbecue/grill/smoker expert! But he just raved about it… He said he could set up a stand on the corner and sell it, then he also said he could eat a whole bowl of the stuff by itself! Lol. We served it on Kings Hawaiian rolls with a little bit of store bought barbecue sauce. When my boyfriend went back for seconds, he said he added a little butter to the roll as well, and it was heavenly! The only recommendation that he had was to add a little Liquid Smoke to it next time to help give it the smokier flavor it was missing from being made in a crockpot instead of a smoker.

Anyway, this recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting it! And thanks, Janice, for the crockpot directions! :)

I have actually been using this recipe for awhile now and have tried it in a crockpot and it has been very successful

Cindy.. Please try it and report back. :D I’d love to know the answer to this! When I first had this at my friend’s house, I asked my host the very same question.. Back then I actually had a working crockpot. :p He was afraid it’d turn out too dry in the crockpot, so I never tried it that way. Since then, my crockpot has died and I never replaced it, so I just keep on making it in the oven. But I’d love to know!! :)

P.S. So glad you liked it!! :D

Love this site, just found you and already have lots of inspiration :) Thank you!

I was just wondering on the crockpot, do you add any liquid to the crockpot when you cook the pork?

I have made it in the crockpot. It turned out fantastic. Thank you for sharing!

Hi, this recipe came out great! I did everything you said to do. The only thing I did differently was that I cooked it in the the crock pot instead of the oven. I sliced 2 onions and put a little bit of water and cooked in on low for about 7 hours. It was so juicy and tender and delicious! It didn’t dry out at all. Great recipe! Thanks!!

I have tried to make this pulled pork recipe twice now and both times I have had much longer cooking times than you guys say are necessary. Both times I have used only a 4 pound roast because that is the largest size my local Vons sells and each time I have used a digital thermometer as well as an oven thermometer to make sure my oven is working correctly so I know I am at 225 in the oven. Currently the roast has been in for 7 hours and is only reading 152 degrees. In fact, for the last 90 minutes, it has only gone up 4 degrees. This is going to take more like 10 hours plus the sitting time will be 12 hours. The recipe said it should only take 1.5 – 2 hours per pound. Clearly it is taking much longer than that for me. I waited until the roast was room temperature before putting it in the oven. Do you have any idea why this might be happening?

When my smoker died, the crock pot was the next best option. I’ve made many a pork butt in the crock-pot with different types of basting juices, even root beer. It wasn’t bad but too sweet for my taste. It’s ALWAYS juicy and flavorful and as another reader stated, the only thing missing was the genuine smoke flavor. Liquid Smoke is a fine substitute, but I’m kind of a purist when it comes to that. Bottom line to anyone who is apprehensive about making pulled pork from a crock pot. DON’T BE.

Great site. Great recipes & tips!

I tried this 2 weeks ago in the crockpot and used McCormicks Cowboy Rub as opposed to my own. It was the absolute best Pulled Pork I ever had. Brining keeps it juicy but not greasy and I cooked it on low for about 9 hours. For the sauce I used Wegmans Kansas City style which was great but will probably make my own for next time. Amoroso rolls and provolone cheese rounded out the amazing sammich that ensued. The leftovers were just as good as it was hot from the pot and it didn’t last more than a few days. Will be trying your no machine required ice cream tomorrow!

I have to agree with Brian the temp. cant be right have a four lb. pork and took 7 hours I will try this reciepe again but think I will bump the temp up to 250-275 , add a little something for more juice.

I’m going to try and make his for my daughters grad party… Can I make it the day before and reheat in a nesco so it’s easier for me on day of party with less mess? I just don’t want it to dry out… Thx for any help! Plus I’m looking to serve a lot of people so I don’t know if my oven can cook all these at the same time. :) debbie

How do you suggest reheating the leftover pulled pork?

I am going to make your pork recipe this weekend for a party if 25 plus people. I think I should double it! Any advicee on doubling this?

I made this too on Saturday night. It turned out pretty good…Took Forever! I knew you said around 13 hours, but I now know that I need to get it in the oven a lot earlier the night before because it still wasn’t done at 1 PM the next day! (put it in at 11:30 PM on Sat) Anyway, I passed the recipe along to a co-worker on Friday and she too made it this weekend. We both will totally make it again. My Hubby and my Dad loved it! Thanks for such great recipes!

Hi Amanda – I came for the fonts and left with this recipe! Cant wait to try it! Thanks so much what a beautiful site you have!

mmmm that looks really yummy!! i’ll definately be trying this one out. thanks for the great recipe:)

I made this in the crockpot a few weeks ago and it turned out awesome! I let it cook around 9 hours and it was perfect! Thanks for the yummy recipes!

I just put mine in the fridge to brine. Thanks!

OMG!! My mouth is totally watering! I guess I’ll be headed to the store in the morning! :0)

Amanda…. We (the girls in my office) have thoroughly enjoyed your web site… we have tried several recipes already.. Do you know if I can use a boneless pork roast instead of the boston butt for the shredded pork recipe? Oh and my the way, Happy Birthday! The girls from Berryville Virginia

Depends on what you mean by “pork roast.” Is it a boneless boston butt? Or a boneless sirloin roast? Can’t use the latter, for sure. The former will be OK, but not as flavorful without the bone.

Hey Berryville Virginia Girls,

I’m sure you could… It is a pork shoulder roast? That would definitely work. This brine, the seasonings & method of cooking are very versatile! :)

Trying the recipe for the first time. I usually put some beer, onions and garlic in with the shoulder and cover it. I have also browned before putting it in the oven. It has turned out great, but have not brined.

Do you think it will be fine if I brine, dry rub, but throw a beer/onions and garlic in with it (I put something on the bottom of the pan so the shoulder is not sitting in the liquid), but not cover or brown it?

I just put this in the oven and mine is a sirloin roast I do believe :(

Hi Amanda! I love your website. I am making a recipe book (scrapbook style) for me and my little boy. I came to this website for the scrapbook ideas and the fonts. I love your recipes though! Will definitely try this! Hopefully for New Year’s! I love how you go thru every step when making the recipe! Thanks.

To the brine I added 1/2 cup apple vinegar, 1/2 bourbon and used sea salt. Also to the rub I used smoked paprika. I also coated the pork with a spicy brown mustard. What’s nice about this dish are the variations on the theme. Great dish either way, Thanks.

I want to surprise my parents with this, but I am a bit confused with the temperature. Is it Celsius or Fahrenheit?

I am a lil confused on the temp too, because I’ve only had my roast in the oven on 225 for about 4hrs and the thermometer is already reading 141 degrees farenheit. So I’m wondering if I should be cooking this to 200 celsius. It is a little over 11 lbs, so I know it is no where near that close to done.

It’s farenheit. You’ll find it will cook closer to what she says if you take the brining bag out of the fridge towards the end of the brining period and then hopefully get the meat closer to room temperature before starting to roast it. Roasting it at 225 f starting from 38 f will add several hours to a 9 lb roast.

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that we found this recipie through stumbleupon and tried this recipie tonight! It was AWESOME! Thanks!

I have been smoking pork for years and have never tried brining…I am going to try this complete next time i do a pork shoulder in my smoker…We have an old farm with shag bark hickory trees that are perfect for smoking….we just us the limbs that fall and the nuts…

If you really want to get a house warming present for us, make this one night and bring it over. *wink* *wink* LOL! Just kidding. I can’t wait to use the thermometer probe in my new oven to try this out!

and I though the chocolate cake was the only thing on tap for tomorrow.

This looks wonderful. I’ve been trying to find a good pulled pork recipe – I knew nothing about the best cut of meat to use, spices, etc. Your recipe and tutorial is PERFECT. I’ll be going to my local Kroger this weekend to get the stuff to make this.

Cooked the pulled pork this weekend and it was SO YUMMY! I loved it! Will for sure be making this again soon.

Now I know why they call it “pulled” pork! Hey, I can’t be blamed, I’m from England!

It looks so good!

I Love all your recipe cards.

One word – Fantastic…. Just pulled it apart (it fell apart). 7lb Boston Butt took 11 hrs. It looks and tastes perfect. Good recipe.

Cooked this for the Super Bowl and was a hit with everyone. I barely touched the meat with a fork and it fell apart…ohhh sooo good. Brining is definitely the ticket. You have a great collection of recipes….Thanks for Sharing.

Crawled out of bed at 6 this morning to get this all rubbed up and into the oven. I’m cooking it in a gas oven, supposed to be a moister heat than electric, so I anticipate a most marvelous moist meal tonite! Maybe my 12 year old will even eat if! Better not tell him it’s pork butt though!

Amanda, wow! The only problem I had was that I live alone, so 8lbs was a bit much. Had to call an entire crew over to even attemt to finish this meal. I made a burben and maple bbq sauce that I used to toss the pulled pork with. Everyone was amazed. You have a great website, very user friendly.

I made your pulled pork a few weeks ago, but I was a little short on time so I had to rush it a bit, but it was still quite good. I am brining one as we speak and I can’t wait to cook it properly and eat it tomorrow! I’m hoping to get some friends over to share this awesome pork!

My friends are raving about the pork. Thanks again!

When I saw my grocery ad’s this morning and that they had an awesome sale on Boston Butt’s I immediate printed this recipe. This is on my meal plan for next week and I CANNOT WAIT!

This looks sooooo good, I’m dying to try it. Maybe this weekend or next. I wonder what one is the better of the two, in the oven or the crock pot. I love anything cooked in a crockpot. I’ll probably try the oven first.

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

I tried to cook this today. Only had a 4 1/2 pound roast and it has cooked for 9 hours and the temp is at 177° so I am giving up for tonight. Tomorrow I will throw it in the crock pot and see if I can finish it off. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

It turned out perfectly. My friends and family loved it and I will use this method forevermore. Thank you.

Fab Fab Fab recipe! Cooked it from 10pm to about noon today then just turned off the oven and left it for three or four hours and it was perfect! The local store has more meat on sale for $1/lb so I think I’ll throw a few in the freezer! Thanks for a great recipe and an adorable website!

Looks great. Just the way I do it, except I use my smoker. Nice work.

Wow, just tried this, and it was great. Now I’m going to have to spend the rest of the night ignoring it as it calls my name from the fridge.

You forgot one of the best parts. That ‘crusted fat’ is pork skin. Make your own pork rinds after removing it from the cooked pork place it in a separate pan and roast or broil all the fat off and you have your pork rinds….. good to break apart and put on your pulled pork or as snack all by themselves. All protein…no fat!!

I made this yesterday in a Crockpot and it was FANTASTIC! I cooked it for over 12 hours (on low) but, couldn’t get the meat theometer to read 200 degrees. However, the meat fell off the bone and shredded perfectly. I would recommend you allow for plenty of time to make this. I started cooking at 8 am. It was after 10 pm when it was ready to shred.

when cooking in a crock pot are you putting fat side down or meat side down?

This sounds great! I’ve been smoking butts for a few years but I’ve never used a brine. I will definitely try this weekend.I use applewood in my smoker….I highly recommend it :)

I made this pulled pork for my son’s 1st birthday party, and it was a huge hit! Not only was the pulled pork absolutely delicious, but it was also fun to make and pretty ‘fool-proof’. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again. The meat with the seasoning is so good that you won’t even need barbecue sauce!

Hi, I wanted to also make this for my daughter’s 1st birthday! If the roast is between 4-7 lbs, how many people do you think this will feed? I’m going to have small rolls that my guests can fill themselves (among a lot of other foods). Should I make two roasts?

Wow! This was phenomenal! Our family and friends RAVED about it! Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes!

Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! I am very shy about cooking for other people. I just tried this recipe and everyone loved it. There was barely any left for me!

I made this and was sad becaues it was to saltey, what did I do wrong?? I ready to make it aging, can you help me

Some of hormel is already packed with salt ingredients. This could be why.

I’ve been searching the web for a pulled pork recipe and this one looks the best by far. I can not wait totry it out.

I recooked it and it came out GREAT. I put less salt 1/4 cup only and I washed it off after the soak. Worked for me

THANKS for this tip- the same problem happened to me- i figure it was because i used a 4 lb. cut.

lessening the salt in the brine and rinsing it worked like a charm.

if it is too salty- i added more sugar to my first (too salty) roast and it turned it to a sweet taste, which was a hit with my family.

I made this today and it was a big hit!! The kids couldn’t get enough. Thanks for the great recipe.

Wow………..this was totally amazing. Had a gang of friends over in London yesterday, and have never seen them so blown away by a dish. The only shame was the lack of left-overs…….the plate was cleaned!

I’ve made this twice now and it is so delicious. Thanks for sharing.

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YUMMMM . I love pulled pork sandwiches but never tried to make my own. Now I can give it a try. Thanks for sharing, Becky

Amanda, thanks for the recipe! I’ve never tried cooking anything that takes longer than 2 hours, but I’m willing to give this one a try especially since I absolutely LOVE pulled pork!:)

BTW the reason you need to pat the pork dry after the brining is so that the dry spice mix will stick better. If the meat is wet, the dry rub will start falling off.

Ohmygosh, do all your recipe cards look that cute? You just motivated me to do the same! I am sick of looking at the mess of recipes I have. What kind of book do you keep them in?

Thank you for sharing this recipe, it looks delicious!! I can’t wait to try it.

Amanda, I finally made this today and was blown away by the flavor! We’re going to Tahoe with family during the week, so have packed loads of the pulled pork to be able to brag about it!:)

Can’t wait to make this again!

Several people have mentioned making this recipe in a crock pot. I have made it both in the oven and in a crock pot and thought I would post my results.

First, the oven gives better results. Especially if you have a roasting pan that will keep the pork held above the juices that collect on the bottom. This allows the dry rub to create a better “bark” on the outside and keeps the bottom of the roast from overcooking slightly. Also, assuming you have used an oven thermometer to confirm your oven cooking temperature, the oven allows for a more even and slower cooking process. The key to this recipe is cooking “low and slow” to give the connective tissue in the meat time to break all the way down. This is what gives the tender and moist flavor.

However, the Crockpot does have advantages. It cooks the roast faster and is portable. I use a Hamilton Beach Crockpot with handles than clamp the lid and a rubber gasket between the lid and the Crockpot’s sides. It is called a “Stay or Go” Crockpot. While others may work, I think this one is well suited to this recipe because your thermometer’s probe wire can go between the lid and side and the gasket keeps the lid sealed tight.

So how do I do it? Exactly as the recipe states to cook it in the oven. Brine the pork in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Pat all the way dry. Coat well with the dry rub. Now put the pork in the Crockpot with the fat layer up. Insert the temperature probe. Clamp the lid and turn on LOW. Nothing to add and nothing else to do. Both of the Boston Butt’s I have cooked have been in the 7.5 pound range. I don’t think I could fit one much bigger in the Crockpot. Each time they were done (reached 200 degrees F internal temperature) between 9 and 10 hours later. That is a cook time of about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound.

So how is the Crockpot pulled pork? Pretty good. It isn’t quite as tender as the oven version. And because the Crockpot fills half up with the pork drippings, the dry rub on the bottom half of the pork gets somewhat washed off. But it allows me to make the pulled pork on a camping weekend when there is no oven available. And the convenience of cooking, cooling and serving the pork all in the Crockpot is nice.

Thank you, Tony! I totally agree! :)

I just made some with a different recipe in a slow cooker, and here’s the key: fill up the crock pot with some root beer or Dr. Pepper. Let it cook in that and you don’t have to worry about the bottom burning, it keeps it moist, and imparts some great sweet flavor.

I too landed here looking for a font, and left after hours of perusing with loads of fonts, and some great recipies, too! Such a great site! Tried this pork over the weekend – OMG I LOVE IT!! Even my picky 16mo old practically vegetarian twins licked their plates clean. I almost cried when I realized that there were no left overs. I will definately have to make it again and soon! Next time I am going to try vaccum brining for an hour and then cooking in the pressure cooker to speed up the cooking, but keep the juicy goodness.

I tried this recipe for a family gathering on July 4th. It is awesome! The flavor is amazing!! I had to cut it in half in order to cook it because it was so big (lots of people were expected). I wanted to see what worked best for me so half went in my crockpot and the other half went in the oven. The crockpot worked best for me.

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That looks absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious.

This was oh so yummy. I will be adding this to my dinner line up frequently. Thanks for sharing.

PS…I did it in my crockpot. Perfect!!

Hi there! I came looking for fonts two days ago and am serving pulled pork sandwiches and ultimate baked beans for dinner tonight. I nibbled on the pork already and WOW… it’s fabulous. Your website is fabulous… thanks for the fonts AND teh yummy recipes!

I absolutely love your 5.5 x 7.25 recipe pages. I think they are the bomb. You are very talented. I am going to attempt to do the same with family recipes for my grandchildren…..Thanks for the great website. I look forward to more.

I’ve probably commented on this post more than is polite, but I have to say that I’ve used this seasoning mix on grilled chicken and it turns out fabulously! The sugar chars beautifully and really gives the chicken a great flavor! I’m always looking for different seasonings for chicken and I think I’ve found my favorite one now.

Just wanted to let you know that the pressure brining and pressure cooking turned out amazing results in about an hour and half. Not bad for a spur of the moment Sunday night dinner for 10 unexpected guests. The only difference we noticed was that the brown sugar wasn’t qutie as prevalent. Next time I will probably brush on a glaze to give it a little more sugary kick (I love that honey glazed taste) while it is cooling off.

I have been on this earth over 50 years and I have to tell you that this is probably the best thing I have ever eaten between 2 slices of bread. I had an 8 lb. pork butt and it took 11 hours in a slow oven, but boy, was this ever worth it. Now, I’m dying to try the other recipes…thank you so much for sharing!

I have not tried the recipe yet, but this sounds delicious!! It is the type of recipe I have been looking for!! Thanks!

I made the pulled pork and the ultimate beans this weekend. It was AWESOME! Both recipes were a huge hit for our party and they were so very easy.

Thanks again for your fab recipes!

Made this for a get together I had. I’m not the worlds best cook but it came out amazingly. People raved about it. THANKS!

I made this pulled pork three times this summer. I made it the first time I cooked for my soon-to-be in-laws. It was such a hit I made it again when my parents visited! Thanks for a great recipe!

I love the way you describe, exactly, and with pictures, how to do this! I’m the sort of cook who likes to SEE how it is done as well! thank you! I love your blog. (ALL of them)

Wow! I’m new to this website – this is terrific. I LOVE all the pictures. especially great here is the photo of the meat – I never know what kind to buy for recipes. Now I definitely know! Thank you so much. What a wonderful website!

Kick it up too with cole slaw, sliced pickle and a vinegar base bbq sauce on the sandwich! I’m a Carolina girl and that’s the way we do it!

Hi Jane: I’m a Carolina Girl too! Love Maurices but now that its 5 years from your original post, its hard to find. Well, Maurices sells it but it is so expensive.

I’m getting ready to brine mine and then will put it in the crockpot. Should feed my big eater son for a day or two, It is an 8 lb butt too.

I lived in Aiken County but recently moved to Augusta, GA about a year ago. Still consider Carolina home,however. Take care, Angela

Try real chopped onions and a few cloves of real garlic and chuck them in the brine. Also if you try a smoker with hickory or apple wood smoke for around an hour, you’ll go completely crazy. I promise. Great recipe. Thanks. Oh. Stumbled upon you.

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I’m making this right now for my pork-loving boyfriend’s birthday! This recipe made my stress level go down about a bajillion points. Thanks!

I brined the meat as suggested which I always do for chicken, pork or turkey. I put a 6 lb butt on the grill and indirect grilled for one hour, then transfered to the oven for 9 hours at 250 degrees. It turned out wonderful. I loved the idea of adding more dry rub at the end. Thanks for the recipe!

I made this pork last night and it was OUTSTANDING! I’m recommending it to everybody I know. Though next time I think I’ll cut the cayenne in half….

I was wondering about the 1 tablespoon of Cayenne. Sounds like a lot and was wondering if this is correct. Would very much appreciate others comments in this regard. Thanks.

How many servings does and 8 lb. roast make? I want to make this for 70 people, how many lbs. of meat do I need?

Hi Amanda! Just browsing and came across this today. I’ve been looking for a pulled pork recipe, so I’ll tag this page and try it the next time pork goes on sale. Thanks for the photo-glorious how-to! – Kim

I made a 7lb roast in a crock pot. I cooked it on low for 11 hours and on high 3 hours. It was so tender and good. This is a great recipe. This roast made 20 plump bun servings.

My family thinks I am a genius thanks to this recipe! This is the BEST pulled pork recipe. My husband asks me to make it everyweekend. Thank you for this delicious pulled pork…..

Just wanted to say THANKS so much for this great recipe. I am currently living in Argentina and while they do great beef (called asado) – they are lacking in the area of pork and US style BBQ – I used a unique cut here called bondiola de cerdo – more like a tenderloin, but it worked like a charm and now all my Argentine friends want the recipe. My neighbors came down while it was in the oven to ask what I was cooking!! This recipe followed to the letter will give perfect results.

Just a quick update as I am about to make this dish for the umpteenth time – I switched to using my large crock pot for the recipe last year (upon return to the USA). It worked just great, no complaints & no changes. Just cooked on low for the designated time. If you are a little short on time, you can also cook on high for several hours & then turn down to low for the end of the cooking time. Simply use a couple of forks to determine when the pork is done.

Going to attempt your pulled pork for New Year’s Dinner! This is my first pulled pork endevour . Crossing my fingers! Will let you know how it turned out!

Oh My. I have just made this for the first time, for company. Awesome! And wouldn’t you know, our friends have left with the recipe. I had a 3kg (about 7lb) shoulder roast and that fed 4 adults and 5 kids, plus seconds and leftovers. A real crowd pleaser. Thanks for sharing Amanda :)

We too stumbled on this recipe by googling pulled pork. Your recipe is so simple! i love your website and thank you for such a wonderful, simple and delicious recipe. You rock.

I made the pulled pork today and it was wonderful. The meat was juicy and very flavorful and it is definitely a recipe that I will make again. Thanks a lot.

I don’t know how I came across your blog, but I am so glad I did. Not only have I learned some ways to pimp my blog, I found this recipe for pulled pork. We usually put a pork shoulder on our traeger grill, but it just never seemed to be easy to pull apart. I tried your way exactly and I was sold. The key definitely was the oven temp to get it pulled apart easily.

Thanks so much for posting this….Charlotte

So good, so easy. What else is there? Oh yeah–so affordable! My grocery store sells this cut at 99 cents/pound once in a while. When I see this great deal, I pounce on it. Thanks for the recipe! I shared it with friends, then posted on Facebook.

I live at 5,000 ft. and I was wondering if you knew whether the altitude would cause it to take longer to cook through. Thanks for recipes!

Kevin and Amanda,

I made this pulled pork yesterday for our Super Bowl Party and it was the best ever. Your instructions with the pictures really helped me. My guests all loved it. I also made a spicy cole slaw for the sandwiches using a basic slaw recipe but adding horseradish and brown creole mustard. Very yummy indeed! Thanks again.

I cannot wait to try this recipe! My meat-loving family will love this. I have a question for you, what sides do you serve with this? Potato chips? Baked potatoes? Thank you for posting these great recipes! Keep up the great work.

Was on a pulled pork frenzy, taking to swim meets, team handball tournaments, tailgates and tried half a dozen different recipes. By far the fan favorite .

I tried this out for a super bowl party this past weekend and it went over SO WELL! The dry rub was great and the flavor was just awesome. I added chipotle seasoning and smoked paprika instead of regular. I also used bourbon in the brine and found the flavor to be simply great. I even got a compliment for a “true southerner” Thanks guys for a great recipe!

Hey Kevin & Amanda,

What a wonderful recipe . I had an 8 lb butt just sitting in the freezer and really had no idea as to what to do with it (except the traditional baking). I used your recipe and served wonderful pulled pork for our Superbowl party. It was a complete hit. Thank You .

I make something very similar, but with a large beef brisket. I do the same dry rub procedure but not the brine. I buy a bottle of the dark BBQ brisket sauce (It’s a very thin, dark liquid with a lot of liquid smoke flavoring) and pour the entire bottle in the pan, throw in some bay leaves, then add enough water to cover the brisket, then place in the oven. I do not marinade, just leave the liquid in for cooking process. I also cook mine overnight in the oven using a large disposable pan. Once it reaches temp, pour off most of the liquid, leaving just a bit to keep meat moist for the day. I thought I was the only one with this procedure!

This is the ABSOLUTE BEST pulled pork recipe EVER! Thanks so much for sharing.

SICK!! This is the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. I made this about 3 weeks ago and I’m roasting another right now! Awesome stuff. Thanks for the great recipe and instructions.

Made the pulled pork and my even my picky eater teenage boys loved it!! I shared a sample with neighbors and now we’re serving it at a dinner party/shower, can’t wait. Great job on the directions. I did make one mistake and used all the seasoning in the brine, oh well, I just another half recipe. Thanks Kevin & Amanda.

I make kind of the same thing but in the slow cooker! Cook for about 12-14 hours. Thanks for your seasoning recipe. Sounds better than mine- will try.

Amanda! Kevin! I love this recipe! I am actually making it the second time tonight (in the brining stages now). According to the recipe I should be enjoying it once again for lunch tomorrow! I CANNOT WAIT! YUMMY! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!