Smoky Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
aka the best freaking pulled pork EVER.
Dana:
Serves: tons. and tons. of pulled pork! Serves 12-16, PLUS leftovers!
Ingredients
For the dry rub:
  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder / dehydrated minced onion
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 ½ tsp liquid smoke*
For the pork
  • 1 4-5 lb pork shoulder/butt (same thing).
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
Directions
At least 8 hours before you want to cook the pork (or the night before)
  1. Using a thin knife poke 8 holes into your pork, making a small x with each cut. Cut each piece of garlic in half, lengthwise, and shove the garlic in the holes.
  2. Mix your dry rub ingredients well in a small bowl. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the rub in a small bowl.
  3. Coat your pork shoulder with the rest of the dry rub as evenly as possible, then drizzle on the liquid smoke in ½ tsp increments. Allow your spice coated pork shoulder to sit in the fridge overnight if possible. You can either use a large resealable bag or a marinating tupperware. It isn’t the end of the world if you forget to do this step, but it seals the flavor in even more!
On cooking day:
  1. Slice your onion in half, then into thick rings and line the bottom of your slow cooker with a thick layer. Place your dry rubbed pork shoulder on top of the onions with the fat cap (white part) facing upwards.
  2. Set your slow cooker to low for 12 hours. Your meat is done when it easily pulls apart with a single fork.
  3. Pour off (or scoop out with a measuring cup) most of the liquid from the pork, and set it aside. Use a pair of forks to shred your tender meat into pulled pork goodness. Sprinkle the remaining 1 Tbsp of dry rub on top of the pork, and stir it in.
  4. (optional step) Put the top back on and cook on high for another 30 minutes - 1 hour. This will pull some more of the liquid out and allow the sides to crisp up a little - yum!!
Notes
*The pork has to cook for a total of 12 hours on LOW, but you can also mix in a few hours on HIGH to cut the cooking time down. 1 hour on HIGH = 2 hours on LOW in the slow cooker. For example, if you only have 9 hours until dinner, you can do 3 hours on HIGH and 6 hours on LOW, until the roast is literally falling apart and easy to shred. Just make sure you do your math right, you don’t want under or over-cooked pork!
**Leftovers ideas: serve this with poached eggs on top or in an omelette!
Recipe by Dana Monsees Nutrition at https://www.realfoodwithdana.com/smoky-slow-cooker-bbq-pulled-pork/