Pork is more than the other white meat. It’s Corey’s all time favorite meat. Bacon, sausage, pork chops, ham…the man’s love affair with pork is best illustrated by a classic comic from Married to the Sea:
(This comic even comes on a t-shirt, if you’re so inclined.)
As a pork-obsessed Southerner, Corey is naturally a huge fan of pulled pork – something we don’t eat as frequently now that we’ve moved away from North Carolina and have to make it ourselves. (I know there are a few barbecue joints in and around SF, but frankly, most fail to impress me!) My most recent attempt is a slow-cooker version from Good Housekeeping. Previous recipes use the oven (cooking the pork at 200 or 250 for several hours), but I wanted something that would simmer all day while we were at work. I’m happy to report that this is an excellent addition to my pulled pork recipe repertoire. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the sauce gave nice flavor without making the meat too soupy. We ate it straight up with a side of veggies, but it would be excellent on a bun with some pickles and cole slaw.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
adapted from Good Housekeeping
1 medium onion, cut into thick slices
3 garlic gloves, lightly smashed with the back of a knife, then peeled
1/2 c ketchup
1/3 c cider vinegar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
3 lb boneless pork butt, cut into 4 pieces; do not trim fat
Combine the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then pour this mixture into a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic cloves and the pork, turning to coat the meat in the sauce. Cover the slow cooker and set the heat to low. Cook for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is very tender.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, gently remove the cooked pork from the slow cooker and place in a large bowl. Remove any large chunks of fat, if desired (this makes the pork far less greasy in my opinion). Use two forks to shred the meat. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a large glass measuring cup and use a spoon to skim off excess fat (or use a gravy separator if you’re so inclined). After fat has been skimmed, pour as much sauce onto the meat as you’d like – I used a few spoonfuls so it would be moist, but not soggy. Serve as a sandwich filling or eat as is!
Hi, my name is Jessica and I am also a porkaholic. Good gosh that looks amazing.
holy yum – pork is the food of the gods. this looks amazing!
Pork is my favorite too. Well bacon really.
milkshakes taste good. pork chops taste good.
Have you tried Everett & Jones BBQ in Jack London Square?
http://www.eandjbbq.com/index_everettandjones_main.html
Granted, they don’t have pulled pork, but their brisket and ribs are pretty darn good (this coming from a Californian with no Southen BBQ experience). Their BBQ sauce is pretty good too, and you can buy it jarred for home. The matriarch of the Everett Jones clan used to be my neighbor.
Hi, my name is Janet and I, too, am a porkaholic. I have been pork-free for zero days. =)
My recipe for this is easier…but then again, it’s for the lazy…aka, me!
3 lb boneless pork butt
1 jar of BBQ sauce
Put pork butt in crock pot, dump sauce on top, turn crock pot on (high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours).\
And now ya’ll know why I don’t have a food blog! =)
We also do a version with salsa instead of BBQ sauce that we call “salsa pork” (or beef if that’s what we’re using). =)
As a fellow southerner-in-exile, I’ll definitely be making this for me an my Georgian! Thanks for showing it to us!
Thank you for this! I love pulled pork and I have to feed a Southern man as well.
Have you ever had pig’s head? I had it at a local (Boston) restaurant, Craigie on Maine. It’s alarming when you first see it, but truly delicious if you’re a pig meat lover.
[...] average meal into a spectacular one. Case in point: pork chops. I already mentioned Corey’s love affair with pork. I like it too, and lean pork is a great (healthy) alternative to boneless skinless chicken. But it [...]
This was great! I made it on Monday and it was amazing…
[...] My five year old is a genius. image via Pretty by the Bay [...]