How To Make the Best Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed.

Skim the fat off the top of the cooking liquid. For more moist and flavorful pulled pork, you can mix some of the cooking liquid back into the pork. Start with a little, mix, then add more until the pork is as wet or dry as you like. Alternatively, for barbecue pulled pork, you can mix in barbecue sauce.

We use brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a good amount of salt & pepper, and a pinch of cayenne! Make sure you use all of the seasoning! Also, really rub it into the pulled pork, get all of the nooks and crannies!

This thin, vinegar-based finishing sauce, which differs from a BBQ sauce, is the secret ingredient to kick up my smoked pulled pork. After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat.

Can you overcook pulled pork in a slow cooker? It is very difficult to overcook pork in a slow cooker, but it is possible. Make sure you have enough moisture in your slow cooker so that things don't get tough and cook your pork on low to prevent overcooking.

The gelatin also thickens a bit as the meat cools during the rest, so more of it stays in the meat when sliced or pulled. Many competition barbecue teams will wrap briskets and pork butts in aluminum foil during the final stages of cooking and add broth, juice, or other flavorful concoctions to the foil package.

To reheat in the Slow cooker: Add the pork and leftover juices to slow cooker (add additional liquid if needed–apple juice, broth or water– to keep is moist).

Preparing the pork

I prefer to season the meat before adding it to the slow cooker with my favourite spices, along with salt and pepper. I also recommend browning the meat slightly prior to slow cooking which will help maximise the flavour. However, this is a step that can be left out if you don't have enough time.

Should you flip pulled pork in a slow cooker? ›

Close the Proofer and allow the pork to cook for a total of 10 or 11 hours. Midway during the slow cook process you can turn the pork over once. After 10 hours check the interior of the pork with a thermometer. We recommend a temperature of 195-200 °F / 90-93 °C for tender, juicy pork which pulls apart easily.

When meat is cooked correctly, it should be tender, moist, and full of flavor, making it easy to pull apart with just a little pressure. However, if pulled pork is overcooked for too long, the opposite happens. The meat becomes dry, and tough, and loses its moisture, making it difficult to shred as it should.

The slow cooker makes this a dump and go meal and allows the pork to become tender. The soda helps to tenderize the meat and mellows out the spiciness of the chipotle peppers. It is the opportunity to use your favorite dark soda pop in a savory recipe. Try using Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or cherry cola.

Remove the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and skim as much fat as possible. Discard the excess fat (which will float to the top) and then stir the liquid back into the pork to keep it extra moist and flavorful. After skimming the cooking liquid, place the pork back into the slow cooker. Then, shred the pork.

Add pork juices: When the pork is cooked, add 1/2 cup of the juices from the roasting pan into the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Apple cider vinegar: Adds a little tanginess and helps to tenderize the pork. Without it, the pork tastes flat. Adding the vinegar wakes everything up. Fish sauce or Worcestershire: Seasons our cooking liquid and adds a nice burts of umami, which makes the pulled pork even more delicious.

Brining overnight locks in juices and injects flavour all the way through the pork so every mouthful of pork is seasoned; and. Slow-roasting at a very low temperature means less moisture loss and in turn more succulent meat.

To reheat pulled pork in the oven, preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread your leftover pork into the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish, add a splash of leftover barbecue sauce, broth, apple juice, or other flavorful liquid, then cover the pan tightly with a layer of tinfoil.

Remove the pork from the oven, it should be tender and falling apart. Drain the cooking the liquid and reserve.