The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Juicy, Tender & Easy
This fiercely savory pulled pork completely destroys your expensive barbecue restaurant cravings! A heavily marbled shoulder aggressively slow cooks until the dense fibers violently collapse into a ridiculously juicy, incredibly tender pile of meat.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs incredibly fresh heavily marbled bone-in pork shoulder patted completely dry (approx. 1.8 kg)
- 1/4 cup completely raw highly acidic apple cider vinegar (approx. 60 ml)
- 1/3 cup deeply dark heavily damp brown sugar (approx. 65 g)
- 1 tablespoon intensely dark smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fiercely earthy cumin
- 1 teaspoon incredibly sharp garlic powder
- 1.5 cups deeply rich heavy barbecue sauce (approx. 350 ml)
- 1 tablespoon rich olive oil for searing the meat
Instructions
- Build the Spice Rub: Drop your deeply damp brown sugar, dark smoked paprika, pungent garlic powder, and earthy cumin directly into a massive glass bowl. Use a sturdy metal whisk to vigorously stir the highly aromatic mixture until the heavy spices completely blend.
- Coat the Heavy Meat: Toss your completely raw, massively heavy pork shoulder directly onto a heavy wooden cutting board and thoroughly pat it completely dry. Vigorously massage the heavy spice rub until every single crevice is fiercely covered in a violently sticky, dark red layer.
- Sear the Hot Pork: Drop the olive oil directly into an intensely hot, completely dry cast-iron skillet over high heat. Let the heavily coated raw pork aggressively sizzle and completely brown for exactly four minutes per side to violently lock the raw juices inside.
- Prep the Slow Cooker: Drop the violently dripping, deeply charred meat entirely into the freezing cold ceramic bowl of your massive slow cooker. Aggressively pour the sharp apple cider vinegar completely around the heavy meat, strictly avoiding the fiercely dark spice crust.
Option A (8-Hour Method)
- Let the heavy machine violently simmer the massive meat on the LOW setting for exactly eight consecutive hours. This intensely gentle heat aggressively melts the tough collagen into ridiculously soft, totally dripping strands.
Option B (The Fast 3.5-Hour Method)
- Blast the incredibly heavy meat on the HIGH setting for exactly three and a half hours if you violently need dinner immediately. The fiercely aggressive heat rapidly breaks down the heavy tissue, completely allowing you to quickly shred the hot pork.
- Shred and Serve: Pull the violently steaming meat entirely out, aggressively shred it into incredibly tiny strands, and violently toss it directly back into the wildly bubbling juices along with your heavy barbecue sauce!
Notes
Time vs Texture Warning: The 8-hour low heat method absolutely delivers the most violently tender, melt-in-your mouth texture. The 3.5-hour high heat method is incredibly fast, but the rapid boiling can cause the meat fibers to feel slightly tighter.
Meat Selection Warning: You absolutely must avoid horribly lean cuts like pork tenderloin. You desperately need the massive natural fat of a bone-in shoulder to aggressively survive the blazing hot, fiercely long cooking time without violently drying out.
Liquid Warning: Do not violently pour terribly watery chicken broth into the machine before turning it on. The heavy shoulder aggressively drops massive amounts of violently hot liquid, completely creating its own intensely rich cooking bath entirely from scratch.
Storage: Let the furiously bubbling meat completely cool to total room temperature. Store leftovers in tightly sealed glass containers in the cold refrigerator for up to 4 consecutive days.