Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe

This is a great crock pot pulled pork recipe I sometimes use when we don’t want to bother with outdoor cooking. I’ll state right up front that no crock pot pulled pork recipe is as tasty as pulled pork that’s cooked low and slow over a great BBQ wood. Of course, that’s just my personal opinion, but I’m sure many barbecue fans will agree with me on this, especially if the barbeque fans are from the South and enjoy a more traditional type of barbecue. That said, this crock pot pulled pork is an acceptable substitute when you don’t want to spend the time and effort that outdoor meat smoking entails. If you add a little Liquid Smoke to the pork butt, at least you can enjoy some of the smoky flavor that you’d get from BBQ wood. Another thing: this crock pot pulled pork recipe can also be used with beef roasts.

First of all, for the best pulled pork, you need to start with the right type and cut of pork. Choose a pork butt, also called a Boston butt. Since you’re cooking the pork butt in a crock pot, you won’t have to worry about the meat’s getting dry, so you won’t need a pork butt with a lot of fat. Choose a lean Boston butt that doesn’t have a lot of marbling. Don’t worry about the fat cap on the exterior of the pork butt. That can be removed easily with a sharp knife. Ready for my crock pot pulled pork recipe?

What you’ll need:

Pork butt, 6 or 7 pounds

Butt rub recipe (click here for ingredients)

1 medium onion, chopped or diced

1 cup water

½ cup apple juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Barbecue sauce

Instructions: Rinse the pork butt and pat dry. I like to cut the pork (or beef) into large chunks, but you don’t have to. This step makes removing any interior fat, gristle, and bone easy. It also gives the meat more surface area with which to soak up more flavors. With a typical pork butt, I’ll usually divide it into perhaps four chunks.

Next, make your BBQ rub. For pulled pork cooked in a crock pot, I think a dry butt rub works best. To see one of my favorite butt rub recipes, click the link. Just use the dry ingredients I list to make the BBQ rub. Rub all surfaces of the pork butt with the dry rub. Once the meat has been seasoned, wrap all the chunks together in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least four hours. Eight hours is better.

Place the onion, water, apple juice, cider vinegar, Liquid Smoke, and minced garlic in the crock pot. Place the pieces of Boston butt on top. Place the lid on the cooker and set the knob to low. Cook the meat for 8-12 hours, until the fibers of muscle begin to separate.

When the pork butt is done, drain off the liquid from the crock pot. Using bear claws or two forks, shred the pork butt. Stir in your favorite barbecue sauce. Serve the meat as is, or use it for pulled pork sandwiches.