Pulled pork crock pot recipe with a tangy barbecue sauce
For pulled pork, crock pot cooking works best with pork shoulder rather than a lean pork loin. The shoulder has connective tissue that softens during a long cook. This pulled pork crock pot recipe makes about ten sandwich-size portions; buns are optional and are not included in the ingredient quantities.
The sauce combines onion soup, ketchup, vinegar and a restrained amount of sugar. Expect about 20 minutes of preparation plus 8–9 hours on low, with extra time if the meat is not yet easy to pull apart.
Serving slow cooker BBQ pulled pork: use soft rolls, baked potatoes or a plate with a crunchy slaw. Taste before adding more bottled sauce; both ketchup and onion soup already contribute salt and sweetness.
For a sharper BBQ pulled pork crock pot finish, add a teaspoon of vinegar at the end rather than a large unmeasured splash at the start. The meat should remain moist, not swim in a thin broth.
Refrigerate in shallow portions within 2 hours and reheat leftovers to 165 °F (74 °C). Thaw pork before slow cooking. Do not leave a finished shoulder cooling all evening inside a switched-off crock.
Recipe and method from Campbell’s
Recipe and method from FoodSafety.gov
Ingredients
Step 1
Trim thick, loose exterior fat without removing all the fat within the shoulder. Pat dry. Heat oil in a skillet and brown the pork on several sides. Transfer directly to the slow cooker; do not partially cook it for storage.
Step 2
Mix condensed onion soup, ketchup, vinegar, sugar and pepper in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat. Follow the appliance’s loading limits; the lid must close properly.
Step 3
Cover and cook on low for about 8–9 hours. Slow cooked pulled pork is ready to shred when a fork enters with little resistance and the fibers separate easily. The safe whole-pork minimum is 145 °F (63 °C) with a 3-minute rest, but shoulder normally needs much longer cooking for a pullable texture.
Step 4
Transfer pork to a clean board. Skim excess fat from the sauce. Pull the meat with two forks, discarding tough gristle, then return it to the hot sauce. Add sauce gradually if you prefer a less wet filling.
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