This post was last updated on February 25, 2015 to include new images.
You can bet I’ve eaten my weight in barbecue while living in Texas.
One meal I can’t quite get enough of is a good pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on top. I had tried this sandwich a few times in California with mixed results, so I was very excited for our Texas time to enjoy some “real” barbecue.
Then I got home. And the itch hit again. I needed more.
This recipe isn’t too barbecue-y. It is more mild with a sweet hint of apples and a late kick of heat. It was a nice change of pace from the heavier barbecue pulled pork sandwiches from around here, but I am always happy to eat more Texas barbecue.
I’ve made this pulled pork in my dutch oven and in my new crock pot. Both work beautifully – it just depends on whether you wanna add the ingredients, hit “on” and walk away for 6 hours OR if you’d rather pop in the oven for a few hours.
Speaking of, these really are the best crock pot pulled pork sandwiches.
- 2 cups apple cider or juice
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- optional: 4 tbsp. of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 medium onion divided into eighths
- 2-3 lbs pork shoulder I used a pork shoulder butt roast, all ties removed
- 4-6 sandwich buns try these Egg Bread Buns if you'd like
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If using crock pot:
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Add all the ingredients, starting with the pork, fat-side-up, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat to Low. Cook for 6-7 hours, or until pork is tender and easily falls apart with a fork.
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If using dutch oven:
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Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
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In a large bowl, combine the apple cider, ketchup, brown sugar, optional barbecue sauce and spices and set aside.
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Place 1/2 of the sliced onions into the bottom of a 4-6-quart dutch oven. Place the pork shoulder on top the onions. Top the pork shoulder with the remaining onions and then pour sauce over everything. The pork shoulder need not be completely submerged to reach perfect pulled perfection, but you can add a little more apple cider if you'd like at this point.
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Cover and place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of your pork shoulder. Begin checking for doneness after about 2 hours. When done, the pork will easily pull apart from itself with a fork. Remove the meat and place onto a flat surface.
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Place the dutch oven on the stove (or move contents to a large pan) and heat to boiling to thicken.
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Once Pork Is Tender And Cooked:
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Pull the pork into shreds using two forks. Take care to remove the pieces of fat. Return the shredded pork to the sauce.
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Serve pulled pork piled high on a sandwich bun or just by itself. Top with some coleslaw if you'd like. It's really yummy!
Hi there,
Is it possible to freeze the pulled pork? I’m stocking up in preparation for a new baby!
Thank you!
Definitely should make this again.
Is okay to cook the pork for 8 hours.
While that is quite a long time to be cooking pork, as long as it’s slowly cooking and is a good size, it should be fine in a slow cooker. I don’t see why it would ever take much longer than that to be ready to eat, though.
Might be a silly question..but if making in the crockpot are you supposed to take the meat out of the sauce and shred and then add back in with all the grease left over from the cooking time? I assume all those ingredients create the sauce, which the meat would then go back into with the fat pieces and the grease? Am I missing something? I’d really like to try to recipe but want it to turn out right. Thanks
Hi Beth Anne – not a silly question at all. The remaining liquid in the slow cooker is very flavorful and delicious – not greasy or fatty. Any remaining fat can be removed from the pork when you take it out to shred it and discarded. I hope this answers your question 🙂
I just made this. No coleslaw but the meat is divine! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi there,
Tried this tonight and really enjoyed it, thanks!
I’ve tried pulled pork a couple of times before but without much success. Until now! This recipe works very well, even with smaller cuts of pork shoulder (that’s the way it tends to be sold here in the UK).
For the benefit of my fellow Brits, there are a couple of modifications I’d make next time around:
1. A bit less cayenne pepper. My cayenne is very hot so a full teaspoon was too much. I’d use half a teaspoon next time.
2. This is my fault but, because I was using a much smaller piece of shoulder there wasn’t enough meat to soak up all the liqour at the end, meaning that the pulled pork was a bit wetter than it should have been. If you use a smaller piece of meat, keep the quantities the same as the recipe but don’t use all the liqour at the end.
Thanks again!
Rob
I made this and several other recipes from your site and they are all delicious! Thank you! We are eating at home so much more often since I stumbled onto your website!
Abby, that’s music to my ears! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
If you want great Texas BBQ delivered to your door, check out Goode Company online. Based in Houston, it is to die for. When you eat in their little restaurant at the family-style tables, you get a huge sandwich about the size of your hand and 6″ high for $5 or $6 — some ridiculously low price. The pecan pie is also wonderful, a huge slice for $2 or $3. They will ship it to you. Enjoy!
You asked for coleslaw, that’s what I do at home:
– 8 cups cabbage (I cut it in a food procesor, first on single slice balde, and afted with dubble blade for smaller pieces)
– 1/4 cup carrot shreded
– 2 small onions finely diced
Thats all veggies.
Then the sauce.
– 1/3 cup caster or pouder sugar
– 1/4 cup of milk (if its too thick add more)
– 1/2 cup mayo (i like Hellmans)
– 1/4 tea spoon salt
– 1/8 tea spoon black pepper
– 2 1/2 table spoon lemon juice
– 1 1/2 table spoon white wine vinegar
Mix all the sauce ingredients together with onion. Leave for 10 – 15 min. And then mix into cabbage and carrot.
Put in the fridge for 2h so the tastes will mix.
I did this coleslaw a few times already, and got a good one every time.
Thanks, Mike! I’ll give it a try!
I am making this for dinner tonight, but planned on using my slow cooker. I am right in assuming that it is 2-3 hours on high?
I just had to write a comment — I have made this recipe several times over, finding it on the Tasty Kitchen site, and I must say it is delicious and one of the few recipes my husband consistently rates as being 5 stars! Thanks for sharing!
My mom made 21lbs of this for her Daycare students! So, soooo tasty!!!
Oh my goodness! How cool!
If my pork shoulder is 7lbs do I need to double the recipe?
Do I need to double the recipe if my pork shoulder is 7lbs.
Yum yum yum yum YUM !!!!!!!!!!!!
🙂
I have a friend who claims that there are some small farms that feed their pigs apples to enhance the complimentary pork/apple taste relationship. I have no idea if this is true, or if it’s even possible. But if I ever find such pork, this is the recipe I’m going to use to try it out! Thanks.
Haha — that would work perfectly!
YUMMY!! I made it tonight for Kristy, Uncle Rob and G’ma Aggie. So, so, so good!!
Yay! I’m so glad you all liked it, Kathy. Thanks for the feedback! Say hi to Rob and g’ma Aggie for us please 🙂
Hey solid recipe! Personally i would use Spanish smoked paprika for the smokyness
Hmmm…I’ve actually never tried Spanish smoked paprika, but it does sound like it would add a nice smokiness to the pulled pork. Thanks for the suggestion, Nick!
Thanks for all the delicious recipes. Every one of them are so good. You seem to have tuned into my palate. Thanks again, Keep em coming!
Thank you, Janene! Great minds think alike, eh? 🙂
Like it! Like it! Like it! 🙂
Yay! That makes me so happy, Magdalena 🙂