Pulled Pork {Slow Cooker}

My first job at the tender age of 16 was at a family-owned hardware store in Virginia Beach.

Bear with me, there is a recipe at the end of this, I promise. 

I had a 20 minute commute to get there but I really enjoyed the job.  They taught me how to cut keys, cut glass and plexiglass and that is where I learned the difference between different cuts of woods and all the millions of types of nails there are out there.

I still can't build anything worth a hoot, but if you ask me the best type of wood to build a birdhouse with, I reckon I can tell ya. 

Me at age 17

Every year we were all required to participate in the store inventory. This was back in the day when everything was hand counted and written down. No fancy scanning gadgets. It was people, pen and paper.

On that day, the store owners would order some Carolina BBQ pork sandwiches for all of us from a nearby BBQ joint, called Formy's.  We all looked forward to our break that day, just so we could get our hands on those sammiches piled high with 
pulled pork and chopped slaw.  I think that is when my love affair began with pulled pork sandwiches.

To this day, I still consider those sandwiches some of the best Carolina BBQ I've ever eaten.

And I ain't gonna lie to y'all, I've tried nearly every recipe under the sun.  When I mention this to folks, they will sometimes give me their favorite recipe and I'll try it, but in my mind, none of them so far have ever compared to the pulled pork from my teenage years.

I don't know, maybe we remember the food from our youth tasting better than it actually did.

How many times do we say, "No one makes it like my Momma (Grandma, Dad, Uncle, etc.) did." I say it all the time. 

But I wonder, is it because the food is associated with such a good time in our lives??

I suspect it has something to do with it. 

I'm still on the quest for the perfect Carolina BBQ with that delicious vinegar-based sauce. I will find it! 

And let me tell ya, I've experimented with pork. A lot. 

And out of that experimentation has come some really good recipes.

This being one them.  See? I told ya a recipe was coming!

Ingredients:

4-6 pound Pork Shoulder Roast (or Boneless Loin)
1 can cola, Dr. Pepper,or root beer (no diet soda, please)
1 tbsp. hickory liquid smoke
Pork Rub (about ¼ cup)
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

BBQ sauce not pictured. 
Also, you'll notice I have a bottle of Dr. Pepper here, not a can. I only used a little over half of this bottle.

Directions:

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub pork rub all over pork shoulder. 

You can find this pork rub in the spice section of your grocery store. If you can't find it, just use salt & pepper or make your own pork rub, see recipe below.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in your slow cooker.

 Pour in can of cola and liquid smoke, all around the sides of the pork. 
Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid.  

Remove the bone and shred the pork using a couple of forks, removing any excess fat.

I usually give my husband this job.

Now at this point you can place on hamburger buns and let everyone spread BBQ sauce on
 their own sandwiches (which my family prefers).

Or, you can place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the bottle of barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. You can also leave your shredded pork in your Crock Pot and leave it on the keep warm setting until ready to eat.

To me, it ain't finished until I add some cole slaw on top.

Here I made my Country Cole Slaw. But instead of slicing the cabbage mixture, I chopped it up fine in my food processor. 

Serve it up on a nice, soft hamburger bun.

Pork Rub Recipe:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons brown sugar

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe Here