– This super easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe is so delicious you’ll dream of it for weeks afterward. –
I had such a great time in Austin, and of course I spent most of my time eating everything I could get my hands on. I ate so much barbecue that I swear I smelled like liquid smoke for a week afterwards.
My favorite part of the trip was a visit to Chef Paul Qui’s East Side King food truck, @TheGrackle, where he served up an incredible lunch. Check out this line! I was floored by his slow cooked pulled pork recipe, which made for one incredible sandwich.
– Look at that line! Everyone was really excited to try the new dishes. –
My Own Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe
Once I got home from my travels, I was inspired to develop a slow cooked pulled pork recipe for a sandwich of my own, which is something I’d never made before. Funny how you can eat something a hundred times but never think to make it yourself? It was time I remedied that.
After testing four or five recipes, I came up with one I fell in love with. It’s got a funny ingredient that I never would have thought to cook with before: root beer. But wow, it gives this slow cooker pulled pork recipe a certain sweetness that just isn’t possible with anything but good, old-fashioned sugar. A few other ingredients round out this dish, but really, the root beer is what makes it!
Amazingly Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- One 2-pound pork shoulder roast
- 2 whole shallots chopped
- One 12-ounce can or root beer
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 cups barbecue sauce - I prefer a spicy-sweet Carolina-style sauce
- 6 crusty dinner rolls split into sandwich rolls
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, sear the pork roast well on all sides. Transfer the pork roast to the slow cooker and return the pan to the stove.
- Lower the burner to medium and add shallots, sautéing until gently browned. Transfer the shallots to the slow cooker and again return the pan to the stove.
- Pour root beer into the pan and deglaze, scraping up all the lovely cooked pork bits on the bottom. Let cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom occasionally.
- Pour the root beer over the pork in the slow cooker. Add honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
- After the pork has cooked for 7 hours, drain off any excess liquid and shred the meat into small bits with two forks. Add the barbecue sauce to the pork and stir well. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 1 more hour.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste. Split the buns in half and fill with pork. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.
