Don’t think it’s a hassle to make this pulled pork. It’s actually very easy and never fails. You only need to do some simple preparation and then toss all the ingredients into a crock pot. Then, all the work goes to the slow cooker, just wait for a few hours and it’s ready to eat!
Table of Contents
Pork Cut for Pulled Pork
Picking the right cut is the first important step for cooking a yummy dish. The best cut for pulled pork is the shoulder (shown in the above diagram).
The shoulder is also called butt but it’s not related to the pig butt at all. Some butcher shops will include the fore shank and pork collar. This cut moves very frequently and thus there is not much fat but it is full of flavor. Therefore, cooking slowly is the best way for this lean cut which can make it tender.
► Read More: 20 Pork Cuts Must to Learn (American Cutting Diagram)
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?
Generally, each person consumes 1/3 pound of pulled pork. However, when you are buying the raw pork, plan on 1/2 pound per head since the uncooked pork contains moisture. And a child eats about 1/4 pound of cooked pork, i.e. 1/3 lb raw pork.
In other words, for a party of 20 people (adults), buy a 10 lbs pork shoulder. Yet, do remember to take side dishes into account.
| Pulled Pork (lb) | Raw Pork (lb) | |
| An adult | 1/3 | 1/2 |
| A child | 1/4 | 1/3 |
Recipe for Pulled Pork in Crock Pot
Equipment
- Crock Pot / Slow Cooker
- Bowl
- Plate
- Forks
Ingredients
Pork
- 4 lbs Pork shoulder
- 2 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- Some Oil
Spices
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- 2 tsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp Cayenne powder
Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Barbeque sauce
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Step-by-step Guide
- Wash the pork shoulder, pat dry, and then wrinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Combine all the spices. Toss the pork shoulder and so that the spice mixture sticks evenly to the surface of the pork.
- Add some oil on the crock pot, then sear the pork shoulder on all sides. If your crock pot does not have the searing function, use a pan.
- Mix all the ingredients for sauce and pour into the crock pot. Cover and cook on High for 6 hours.
- If the pork becomes very tender and can be shredded easily, it’s done. Transfer it to a plate and pull the meat with two forks. Stir the meat into the remaining sauce.
Cooking Tips
- If the remaining sauce is too much, you can heat it to about 2 cups.
- For the leftover pulled pork, you can store the pork and sauce separately in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Heat the desired amount with some sauce when you want to eat.
Nutrition Facts
Here is the total nutrients chart per serving (1/3 pound):
| Calories | 288 kcal |
| Proteins | 19.5 g |
| Fats | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32.5 g |
Sides for Pulled Pork
It is perfect in hamburger buns. And for the sides, coleslaw, green salad and fruit salad are great to refresh the strong taste of the sauce. Alternatively, fried food like french fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings match with this yummy dish as well.
Summary
Everyone who cooks must learn a recipe for pulled pork. This simple one uses a crock pot. If you want to know the oven version, comment below and let me know!
► More Recipe: Recipe for Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs | How to Choose Pork Ribs & Sauce?
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