Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
Notes:
I usually use a 2-3 pound butt/shoulder in a 5 quart crock pot. You can use a less fatty cut if you want (like a rib or loin roast). It can be boneless or with the bone. I recommend the fattier cuts because they're both cheaper per pound and more flavorful.
You can also skip the sear and the reduction if you're in a hurry, but both will make you happier in the long run.
I recommend using a reynolds 'crock pot liner'. It saves a lot of cleanup when you're done, and also makes transferring the liquid much easier. This is even more useful if you have a newer crock pot, because newer models run hotter, even at the low setting. Cleaning burnt shit off of ceramic sucks ass.
Ingredients:
- 1 pork shoulder/butt
- 12 oz. (1.5 cups) liquid (this can really be anything. i use a can of ginger ale. other people use apple juice, diluted vinegar, etc.)
- one onion, cut into slices
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (a recipe for my homemade Jack Daniels sauce is at the bottom)
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- kosher salt, black pepper
1. Lay the onion slices on the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Salt the roast relatively liberally all over while you heat a pan big enough to hold it to medium-high heat. Add the oil to to the pan, and once it's hot, add the roast. Grind the black pepper over the roast while it's in the pan. Sear each side of the pork until it's golden brown.
2. Take the roast out of the pan and put it into the crock pot on top of the onions. Remove the pan from the heat, and deglaze it with your 12 oz. of liquid. Basically just pour it in and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the entire contents of the pan over the roast into the crock pot.
3. Cover the pot and set it to low. You really only need 6 hours for a 2-3 pounder in a newer crock pot. If you have an old crock pot that actually runs at a low temperature (~175), you can probably do 8 hours. Most new pots run over the boiling point on low, from my experience.
4. Remove the roast and put it in a bowl. It will be falling apart at this point. Get a strainer, put it over another bowl (or a fat skimmer if you have one), and pour all the juice from the crock pot through the strainer and into the bowl. Skim/pour off the fat, and pour the juice into a saucepan.
5. You will probably have 2-3 cups of juice. Reduce this on medium heat by at least half in the saucepan. While it's reducing, shred the meat with a pair of tongs or a couple forks.
6. Once the juices are reduced, add the BBQ sauce, bring it up to a simmer for a minute, and then pour the whole thing over the shredded pork.
7. Put some pork on a hard roll and then change your pants.
Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce
Notes: Before adding the thickest ingredients (molasses, tomato paste), I use a stick blender on the mixture in the pot so I can put it in a squeeze bottle without getting chunks of onion/garlic stuck in the tip. If you don't have a stick blender but want to be able to do the same, you should chop them very fine or use a food processor to puree it before finishing.
Ingredients:
2/3 c. Jack Daniels
2 c. ketchup
1/3 c. vinegar
3/4 c. molasses
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. tomato paste
3 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
half an onion
4 cloves garlic
1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and toss it into a pot with the Jack Daniels. Bring it up to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Avoid allowing it to boil.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer it uncovered for 25 minutes. It will bubble from time to time so I suggest using a splatter-screen.
Notes:
I usually use a 2-3 pound butt/shoulder in a 5 quart crock pot. You can use a less fatty cut if you want (like a rib or loin roast). It can be boneless or with the bone. I recommend the fattier cuts because they're both cheaper per pound and more flavorful.
You can also skip the sear and the reduction if you're in a hurry, but both will make you happier in the long run.
I recommend using a reynolds 'crock pot liner'. It saves a lot of cleanup when you're done, and also makes transferring the liquid much easier. This is even more useful if you have a newer crock pot, because newer models run hotter, even at the low setting. Cleaning burnt shit off of ceramic sucks ass.
Ingredients:
- 1 pork shoulder/butt
- 12 oz. (1.5 cups) liquid (this can really be anything. i use a can of ginger ale. other people use apple juice, diluted vinegar, etc.)
- one onion, cut into slices
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (a recipe for my homemade Jack Daniels sauce is at the bottom)
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- kosher salt, black pepper
1. Lay the onion slices on the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Salt the roast relatively liberally all over while you heat a pan big enough to hold it to medium-high heat. Add the oil to to the pan, and once it's hot, add the roast. Grind the black pepper over the roast while it's in the pan. Sear each side of the pork until it's golden brown.
2. Take the roast out of the pan and put it into the crock pot on top of the onions. Remove the pan from the heat, and deglaze it with your 12 oz. of liquid. Basically just pour it in and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the entire contents of the pan over the roast into the crock pot.
3. Cover the pot and set it to low. You really only need 6 hours for a 2-3 pounder in a newer crock pot. If you have an old crock pot that actually runs at a low temperature (~175), you can probably do 8 hours. Most new pots run over the boiling point on low, from my experience.
4. Remove the roast and put it in a bowl. It will be falling apart at this point. Get a strainer, put it over another bowl (or a fat skimmer if you have one), and pour all the juice from the crock pot through the strainer and into the bowl. Skim/pour off the fat, and pour the juice into a saucepan.
5. You will probably have 2-3 cups of juice. Reduce this on medium heat by at least half in the saucepan. While it's reducing, shred the meat with a pair of tongs or a couple forks.
6. Once the juices are reduced, add the BBQ sauce, bring it up to a simmer for a minute, and then pour the whole thing over the shredded pork.
7. Put some pork on a hard roll and then change your pants.
Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce
Notes: Before adding the thickest ingredients (molasses, tomato paste), I use a stick blender on the mixture in the pot so I can put it in a squeeze bottle without getting chunks of onion/garlic stuck in the tip. If you don't have a stick blender but want to be able to do the same, you should chop them very fine or use a food processor to puree it before finishing.
Ingredients:
2/3 c. Jack Daniels
2 c. ketchup
1/3 c. vinegar
3/4 c. molasses
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. tomato paste
3 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
half an onion
4 cloves garlic
1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and toss it into a pot with the Jack Daniels. Bring it up to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Avoid allowing it to boil.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer it uncovered for 25 minutes. It will bubble from time to time so I suggest using a splatter-screen.
damn florida doesn't have good pulled pork anywhere around here (that i know of at least)