One of my favorite things to make is BBQ pulled pork. It is incredibly cheap, delicious and easy to make, especially if you own a crock pot. It is almost impossible to mess this up.
Step One – Purchase a pork shoulder from your local grocery store. My local Kroger sells the stuff for about $8.00 for 4 pounds. Try to get a shoulder with a good amount of fat, but not too much. This isn’t cooked at high heat so the fat will be obvious if there is too much.
Step 2 – Pull together some seasonings and rub them on the outside of the shoulder. You can use a lot, but don’t overpower it. I like to add a good amount just to add another layer of flavor. You should also use at least one wet ingredient, because I do not add water to the crock pot. This particular time I used dried mustard, cumin, paprika, seasoned salt, a garlic seasoning, and red pepper. I also added some liquid smoke which gives it a bit of that grilled taste.
Step 3 – With your rub added to the meat, put it in a bag and add the liquid smoke. Massage the meat through the outside of the bag to ensure that the seasonings are pushed into the meat. Let the bag sit in your refrigerator for an hour or so.
Step 4 – Put the meat in your crock pot and set it to LOW heat. The key to this is cooking the meat low and slow. The meat is going to sit in here for AT LEAST 6 hours. Cut up some onions and garlic and add it into the pot as well.
Step 5 – Wait! As I said before, the meat should sit for at least 6 hours. You will notice that juices will start to come out of the meat, acting as a natural broth. This is why I do not add any water. After 5-6 hours, the pork should be brown all the way through. The longer you let it sit the better. Ideally, a knife should go through the center with no difficulty whatsoever.
Step 6 – When you’re ready to go, dump out the broth, grab two forks and start shredding. There will probably be some large chunks that you can’t get with your forks, so use your hand for those pieces.
Step 7 – After all the pork is shredded, add your favorite BBQ sauce. I like using Sticky Fingers Memphis style BBQ sauce. Stir it up and let it sit on the low heat for 30 mins. to an hour so the pork simmers in the sauce.
Step 8 – Eat it by itself, or on a sandwich. I like to melt cheese on top. Deeeeelicious.
