Easiest Crock Pot Pulled Pork EVER - Recipes That Crock! (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.

Water: A cup of water helps the pork tenderloin stay moist during cooking. Wine: Red wine lends complexity and enhances the flavor. Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds savory flavor.

If it is expected to be served within a few hours after smoking, it is better to store it in a crockpot set at the lowest possible temperature. Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot.

The most important part of speeding up the pulled pork cooking process is selecting a different cut of meat. Speeding the process of cooking pulled pork with a traditional pork shoulder results in a tough and chewy meal. Pork tenderloin cooks in a fraction of the time and absorbs flavor just as well as Boston butt.

Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? Pulled pork relies on both the vinegar's acidity and the low-and-slow cooking process to tenderize the meat, breaking down the protein to give the dish its signature moist, fall-apart texture. Cider vinegar also provides a tangy counterpoint to the fatty 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. It also helps mellow out the darker, gamier-tasting parts of the butt. This makes enough for a 8 pound pork butt/shoulder.

Pulled pork is made with pork shoulder, also called pork butt for whatever reason, and has lots of collagen which when cooked low and slow melts into gelatin which makes for tons of flavor and moist meat. Best to cook at about 200–225°F and get the internal temperature up to 190°F.

Pour 1 1/2 cups liquid, such as low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tomato juice, light or amber beer, white or red wine, orange juice, or a mix of several liquids (and optional liquid smoke) over the pork. The pork should be only partially submerged, with some of the pork remaining above the surface of the liquid.

Of course you can slow pork too long. You can overcook anything, even with moist heat. Once the meat has cooked completely, become tender and the collagen transforms into gelatin, further cooking will only pull moisture from the meat. It will just become dryer and dryer, even if it is partially submerged in liquid.

Do you put fat up or down in crockpot pulled pork? ›

Worgul recommends placing the pork in the slow-cooker fat side up. The fat will render thoroughly during the cooking process and by placing the meat fat side up, it makes it much easier to remove excess fat before serving. "The cooker will be nearly filled with fat and liquid after hours of cooking.

If there's a LOT of fat (that layer at the top) pour that carefully off the top before adding the juices back into the meat. If you want a more dry finished pulled pork, you can put the juices into a small pan over a high heat and let them bubble for a few minutes until they reduce. Then add back to the pork.

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.

The pork will produce a lot of liquid as it cooks. Just cook it on low. Our tendency is to drown meats in a slow cooker and that's not necessary. Usually, 1/2 cup is plenty … or none.

Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides. The pork will make more liquid as it cooks, and you need to leave room for that.

For pulled pork, there is good reason to only use a small amount of liquid. Use only enough liquid to come nearly half way up the side of the pork. The pork that is sticking out of the liquid will brown, much like a sear.

While I highly recommend using apple cider for this pulled pork, if you can't find any you could substitute with apple juice. You could also do half apple juice and half a beer (trust me, it goes well)! Just be sure to use natural – no sugar added – apple juice.

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!

Cooking the pork low and slow makes it incredibly tender. If you'd prefer to make this in the oven, see our oven pulled pork recipe.