Slow cooker pulled pork

[jlanger]

So it stormed pretty badly the night I was going to smoke the 2 boneless shoulders I got from Costco for Labor day No pulled pork on Labor day. I have the day off today but lots of things going on so I can't smoke, so I'm gonna try it in the slow cooker.

Only took one out, scored the top, seasoned and placed in a crock pot with 1 cup 100% apple juice, 1/4 cup bourbon (Willett, funky bottle, if you have to ask as I found I was out of my usual Jim Beam for this), and 1 cup water.
Started on high for the first half hour to warm up the crock then switched to low. Now I just need to wait 10-12 hours and see how it tastes!

So I also have an extra shoulder in the fridge, I'll probably freeze it and either smoke it on a day that's more convenient, try an oven method, or if the crock pot works, go that route.

Biggest thing I'm worried about is that my normal preparation won't work as well without the smoke flavor. I know I'm certainly not going to get any bark, but that's expected with the moist heat vs. Dry. Oven method would probably give me a better crunch, but I'm not very keen on leaving my oven unattended for longer periods of time. Any other suggestions? Not much more to be done with this one but for the next one? Bummer having a rainy day with $35 worth of pork butt!

 

[langod]

I make slow cooker pulled pork all the time in the winter. Yeah, no crusty bark, but delicious anyway.
My recipe is dead simple.
- 4 lb Pork butt in crock pot
- 1 can cocacola.
Cook until done. (5-6hrs high or 10 hrs low)

There will be lots of juice.
Remove the pork and pour off the juices, reserving about 1/2 cup.
Shred pork and add back to empty crock pot. Add 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and enough of the reserved juice to make it as moist as you like.

Strangely the coke doesn't make the pork sweet, and doesn't turn into any sort of syrup. It just works. I've tried adding onions, garlic, etc., to the pork at the beginning, but it really doesn't seem to change the final product much. If you add a few tablespoons of dry rub, that does add a nice flavor.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

For some smoke flavor you could add a teaspoon of liquid smoke.

 

[SmoovD]

Try coating your butt in Worcestershire then follow it up with a coating of your favorite rub. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Yum.

 

[jlanger]

Try coating your butt in Worcestershire then follow it up with a coating of your favorite rub. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Yum.

That sounds like an interesting idea.

I've used coke and Dr. Pepper in beef roasts for the crock pot before, the acidity of the soda seems to help with the break down of the collagen and fat.
I've found that apple juice and bourbon do a fairly similar job, and I usually have both on hand.

 

[ZeroGravity]

At the risk of purist ire, there are slow-cooker pulled pork marinade/mixes from the grocery store (usually in with gravy and sauce mixes) that make a pretty pulled -pork.

 

[ColtRevolver]

For some smoke flavor you could add a teaspoon of liquid smoke.

x2

 

[jlanger]

Well it actually turned out ok, I should have let it sit with the rub on over night I think, it had flavor but it was all pork, which while not bad wasn't quite what I was looking for. It certainly was easy and the texture and all was good minus the bark crunch of course.
Definitely something to do when I can't smoke, or in the winter.

Thanks all, I'll have to incorporate the suggestions next time I make one.

 

[Aqua Velva man]

I cook pulled pork in the crockpot all the time. Its a very simple recipe. I take country style pork ribs, (fresh, not frozen) and put them in the crockpot, add about 1/4" of water and let it cook on high for about 3 hours. When its done take out the meat, remove the bones and drain the water and grease. Put the meat back in and add a bottle of Kraft Honey Garlic BBQ sauce. Stir to cover the meat and cook on high for another 30 minutes. When done stir it again, this will break the meat apart more than it already is.

 

[NRAM]

Well it actually turned out ok, I should have let it sit with the rub on over night I think, it had flavor but it was all pork, which while not bad wasn't quite what I was looking for. It certainly was easy and the texture and all was good minus the bark crunch of course.
Definitely something to do when I can't smoke, or in the winter.

Thanks all, I'll have to incorporate the suggestions next time I make one.

I do pulled pork all the time in the crockpot! My trick is to dry rub it, put it on a really hot BBQ or under the Broiler to get some charring on the outside, then in the crockpot on high for a couple of hours, then turn it on low for another 4 hours... I think the charring adds a smokey element, and tons of flavour!
I also make a RUM BBQ sauce that works well with it. About 45 minutes before you want to eat it, pull it apart, drain most of the juice (I like to put it in a pan and reduce it by about half to 3/4 instead of throwing it out) then add some of the RUM BBQ sauce and keep it in the crockpot until it is time to put away the leftovers, if anything is left...

 

[Almightys]

I put the rub in the night before, lay a bed of rough chopped onions and some garlic as it's bed, season with some Salt and pepper, throw in your pork butt, add two tablespoons of liquid smoke over top of meat and add some liquid (I use a can of dr pepper or root beer). 9 hrs later cooking on low you got pulled pork. I pull mine out to shred and reserve a few cups of juices before returning to pot.

 

[fuzzydoesit]

I too lay it on a bed of onions and drizzle some BBQ sauce over it. I actually use a big loin because I like the leaner meat. A splash of cider vinegar helps in breaking down the collagen and does not affect the taste. My secret is to put it in the oven in a roasting pan after I shred it. Drizzle some BBQ sauce on top and splash some liquid wood smoke, then broil on high to crisp/caramelize the top layer. I stir, then repeat a couple of times to develop those crispy bits. We eat it for a couple of days and the res gets frozen to make pulled pork chilli which is awesome.

 

[Luc]

Pushing this one back up as I will attempt a crockpot pulled pork this weekend. I made some this summer on the Weber and it turned well. This time, I will put some onions, garlic and pork shoulder in the crock pot. I have something like a cup left of Franklin's Vinegar BBQ sauce that I will dump in there. I plan to cook everything for 10hrs on low (or a bit more). Everything serve on a bun with slaw.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Pushing this one back up as I will attempt a crockpot pulled pork this weekend. I made some this summer on the Weber and it turned well. This time, I will put some onions, garlic and pork shoulder in the crock pot. I have something like a cup left of Franklin's Vinegar BBQ sauce that I will dump in there. I plan to cook everything for 10hrs on low (or a bit more). Everything serve on a bun with slaw.

Great!! Sounds like comfort food to me. You are now signed up for December.

...actually I'm glad you bumped this thread because I have a pork loin roast in the freezer that I don't want to smoke. It's time to pull out my 1978 crock pot.

 

[DrColossus11]

Don't make the mistake I did the first time I tried this, you don't need to add ANY extra liquid.

 

[Luc]

So, 9 hours later. 1st hour on high since the shoulder was a bit frozen and that my liquids were cold. Then on low. Eating in 1hr

The leftover BBQ sauces are in with a bit of cider vinegar. I followed the chow hound YouTube instructions pretty much

 

[Swedish Steel]

For some smoke flavor you could add a teaspoon of liquid smoke.

Chipotle paste will do the trick as well.

 

[Luc]

If someone is interested, this is pretty much what I followed (more or less). I also made the buns during the day.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I crock potted a pork loin roast on Monday. Big Onion slices and garlic on bottom and a small can of chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce poured over the top. A leaner cut than the shoulder. Very little fat was produced in juice that rendered.