A Fun & Fabulous Way to Make Pulled Pork
My sister doesn’t cook as often as I do so when she said she had a recipe I should try, I knew it must be both easy and delicious, so it was time to get cooking. I made it once, and I was hooked! It is now one of my most popular recipes amongst my friends and feasters, and puts a smile on my guests faces every time!
The best thing about this recipe is you only need three basic ingredients- pork shoulder, root beer and your favorite BBQ sauce. When it comes to BBQ sauce, I like to keep it simple and classic with Sweet Baby Ray’s original BBQ sauce! But BBQ is a matter of preference and whether you make your own, prefer Carolina style or Texas inspired, you really can’t go wrong.
I highly recommend you plan to keep busy outside your house while this is cooking because I promise you- the smell is simply tantalizing after just a few hours!
When I have planned far enough in advance, I typically whip up a spice rub of brown sugar, ancho chili powder, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and a pinch of cayenne. You can use any pre-made rub but I just make my own. I put the rub on, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit for up to 24 hours. (Be sure to put it on a plate or in a pan because it could get messy and leak once the rub starts to break down and do its thing.)
Feaster’s Tip:
Over the years, I have served this up a few ways, but my feasters (AKA neighbors & friends!) all agree, on potato rolls with tangy coleslaw is the way to go.
The Recipe
Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- any size pork shoulder (be sure it will fit in your crock pot!)
- 1-2 cans root beer
- 4 tbsp homemade or your favorite bbq dry spice rub (optional but recommended)
- 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays original bbq sauce)
- Potato buns optional if making sandwiches.
Instructions
- If using a dry rub, rub meat all over, Wrap in plastic. Place onto a sheet pan (to catch leaks!) and place into refrigerator overnight.
- Uncover and discard plastic wrap and place the meat into the slow cooker.
- Pour enough root beer into the slow cooker until the meat is just covered. Turn onto low and cook for 6-8 hours or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
- Drain the root beer. Discard the bones and excess fat. Shred the meat and return to the slow cooker.
- Gently fold in just enough BBQ sauce to lightly coat the meat. Server immediately or keep on the warm setting for up to an hour.
- Serve with buns, coleslaw and extra bbq sauce on the side.