– 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

Author: Stephanie Stiavetti

Servings: 6

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 8 hrs

Total Time: 8 hrs 10 mins

Nutrition Facts

Amazingly Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 446 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 81mg 27%

Sodium 1086mg 45%

Potassium 545mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 33g 11%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Protein 24g 48%

Vitamin A 23%

Vitamin C 12%

Calcium 7%

Iron 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This amazingly easy pulled pork recipe takes only 5 minutes to prepare, then you set it and forget it in your slow cooker. The best pulled pork you'll ever try! You'll need a slow cooker for this dish, or else you can cook it in a covered Dutch oven in a 225° oven for the same amount of time the recipe calls for. Either way, it's a long, slow braise that will leave your house smelling amazing.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Split the buns in half and fill with pork. Serve immediately.

This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.