Did They Eat It: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I've decided to designate specific types of food for different dinners throughout the week. I decided this after sitting down too many Sundays to plan meals and flailing around with all the options. The thing about my kids, is they want to eat dinner every day. Spoiled.

Meatless Monday was the first thing I added, though to be honest we eat meatless meals a lot. Not because of health, morals or earth-friendly reasons. Just because I'm cheap about groceries and also not very good at cooking meat.

Then I decided to add Crock Pot Wednesdays. I did this because I am becoming notorious for serving dinner at 6:45 on Wednesdays and Logan leaves for his bowling night at 6:40. He has started accusing me of purposely trying to sabotage his dinner plans because I hate his bowling league. 

It's true, his bowling league lasts 372 weeks, not really, but it does really last the length of a pregnancy. You could grow a baby in the same amount of time it takes Logan to complete his bowling season. I can't think of anything I'd like to do that many weeks in a row, aside from get a weekly check for a few thousand dollars.

But no, that's not why dinner inevitably ends up late on Wednesdays. It has to do with my problem reading a recipe all the way through. I typically miss the part that says, "Now simmer for 45 minutes..." or even better, "Chill in fridge and serve tomorrow night."

Enter the slow cooker, brilliant right? As long as I get my act together in the early part of the day.

I kicked off this new routine with a recipe from the cookbook my old neighborhood put together. This book is tear stained from the 2 year long grieving process of leaving the Best Block I've Ever Lived On, but I can still make out some of the recipes. 

I made Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork (from The Other Melissa On Our Street)
Recipe at bottom of post. 

It's a pretty easy process. You get yourself a Pork Shoulder or Butt Roast. My market only had butt, and let me tell you how fun it was to tell the kids we were eating Butt tonight! They were thrilled. "Won't it taste like poop or farts or something?"

My market only had a giant pork butt, when the butcher handed me the giant piece of meat I walked through the market with I Like Big Butts And I Can Not Lie stuck in my head. Later, as I split it, I still had the song in my head and I wanted reset my brain about halfway through the process.

To prepare the meat for the crockpot you need to combine cumin, salt, pepper and some other stuff together and rub it on your meat. (On the meat going in the crockpot.) I have a general problem handling meat. I especially don't like handling meat in the morning. That's typically the downfall of crockpot cooking....morning meat.

(I put all those references in there on purpose, enjoy those of you with sick minds.)

To avoid this I handled the meat the night before (did it again!) and then put it in a bag in the fridge over night. In the morning I sliced onions and green peppers and placed them on the bottom of the crockpot.

I gingerly removed the meat from the fridge (not a euphemism) and dropped it on top. No touch!

Take a bottle of bbq sauce and some brown sugar, mix together and pour over your meat. 

Cook on low for 8-10 hours and you get this.

Remove the meat from the pot and shred it.

Serve on a hearty roll or over hot rice.

DID THEY EAT IT?

Max: "This doesn't taste like you'd think a butt would taste." (Liked)
Maddie: "It's so cute how you make things that are covered in sauce, one might even say overly sauced, and expect me to eat it. Stay awesome Mom!" (Picked at it a little, better than I expected.)

Logan: "Really good, but a little too saucy."
Melissa: "Yeah I messed up the recipe, you're not supposed to put the meat back in the pot after you shred it on a cutting board. I think our bbq sauce was also a little sweet and didn't need extra brown sugar, next time I'll go by taste. Otherwise, delicious and easy, luckily since I've got another half a butt in the freezer."

...and I like big butts is back.

RECIPE: 

1 boneless pork shoulder or butt roast (3-4lbs)
1tsp salt
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp paprika
1tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 bottle (18oz) bbq sauce
1/2 c packed brown sugar (check your sauce for how much extra sweet you need)

Sandwich Rolls and/or Hot Cooked Rice

Trim excess fat from pork. Combine salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper and red pepper in small bowl. Rub over roast. Place onion and bell pepper in slow cooker; add pork. Combine bbq sauce and brown sugar in medium bowl, pour over meat. Cover: cook on low for 8-10 hours. Transfer roast to cutting board. Trim and discard fat from roast. Using two forks, pull pork into coarse shreds.  

 

Comments

[Molly]

I like the saucy. I think it looks good. Like you, I'd probably go by taste when it comes to the barbecue sauce; I like mine not very sweet, but (unlike Maddie) I like a lot of it.

Wouldn't it be great to have things for dinner that didn't ruin at least one person's life every night? What would that be like?

[jana]

I have an even easier recipe for you. Use that other half butt and dump a bottle of (non-diet) root beer on it. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 4-5. Take it out, shred it. Then you can serve the bbq sauce on the side, so Maddie will be happy. I'm sure you could add the onion and pepper too.

[Sunshine]

I make it the way Jana does. Coke or Dr. Pepper also works.

[MommyV]

Giggling about morning meat. Can't stop. New to your blog, by the way, and I love it.

[Don]

I like big butts and I cannot lie.

I like pulled pork, but it has to be hand pulled.

[Delora]

A pork shoulder is actually called a Boston Butt or Pork Butt. It's not from the hind-end of the animal. No, that makes no sense at all. However, it is delicious and makes for some fun jokes with pre-teens ;)

[Alysia]

This is one of my favorite things to make because it is so easy. Regular boneless pork chops work just as well. I cut off all the fat before I put them in the crock pot. This sounds like a good recipe. I'm lazy and domestically challenged so I usually just use bbq sauce. I put in enough to generously cover the meat. And I always put it back in the crock pot after I shred it. Didn't realize I wasn't supposed to do that.

[Dawn]

I make mine exactly like Jana does, although I mix together a bottle of BBQ sauce and the bottle of rootbeer (regular sized bottle, not like a 2 liter), and pour that over the meat. It is ridiculously easy, and so, so good.

[Lynne]

The meat references made my day.

[Grammar Snob]

I think the Sir Mix a Lot adds dimension of flavor. :-)

I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for the recipe!

[Erin]

When I make all day meat, it makes my husband a happy man! I'll have to try this versions. Thanks for sharing.

Also, is this the lost post? Glad it's un-lost as I enjoyed the read.

[Bren]

I haven't done a butt this way but am definitely going to try! I use a variation of the recipes above for ribs - one can (diet) coke and a cup of ketchup over ribs. Put it in the oven for an hour and a half at 300-350 and voila! The best ribs ever!

[Mrs. Fun]

I laughed when I read this. My kids wouldn't touch this :( But Monday's are tough here and JJ usually goes to dance with a bowl of cereal in her tummy because dinner is ready 10 minutes after we leave.

[Kim]

Even easier? Cook pork in crockpot. No seasonings. Nothing. Remove. Shred. Serve on toasted buns with Kraft Barbecue Sauce and dill pickle slices. It's delicious. Really. And no pesky measuring.

[Patricia]

Yanno, I can't stand barbecue sauce and have always hated it. I kind of relate to your daughter. Maybe Maddie's tastes are more in alignment with mine. Perhaps she, like me will develop a penchant for Vietnamese food over BBQ any day?

[Melissa Summers]

No she like BBQ sauce. Just slathered sauces of any kind on her food.

Sent from my iPhone with fat fingers on tiny keys.

[LizP]

I do a more North Carolina-ish version ...

Slice an onion very thinly for the bottom of the crock pot.

Put the pork in the pot. (It is not necessary to touch the meat)

In a measuring cup mix about a half a cup of apple cider vinegar, some splashes of Worstershire (sp?) sauce, a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili flakes if you're brave (I am not). Wisk for a second and pour over meat.

Cook 10 hours on low. Shred and put back into sauce to keep meat moist.

Get bagged coleslaw mix and add coleslaw dressing. Also get buns. On the bottom half of the bun put bbq sauce, then put meat on top. On the top half of the bun put cole slaw. Carefully put the two halves together. Serve with a lot of napkins.

[CARLA]

This looks really, yummy! We are bbq 'sauce' assholes...and, only LIKE certain kinds...so I know the pain of too much sweet! Really, tho, since you are the expert at the 'French press' coffee thing...could you, would you, PLEASE do a blog post on how to make really good French press coffee because I just can't do it. waaaaahhhh! Really, mine always sucks...what the hell am I doing?! Please do tell...it'll be a winner! Far as I can tell no one tells how to French Press, muah! love to you while your 'fancy pants' is out on the road! Enjoying law and order, I hope. xxoooxx

[Solayshine]

I also recommend cooking the pork in the crockpot with the most basic of seasonings -- salt, pepper, a bay leaf and nothing else sometimes, or anything else you're feeling other times (garlic powder, cumin, all spice) -- and some water (or any of the other liquids people have suggested, if the flavor combo makes sense), then shred. Then you can eat the meat any way that sounds good at the time: with BBQ sauce on sandwiches, unsauced on sandwiches, on tortillas with Mexican fixings, mixed with rice or sweet potatos, etc., etc.

And there are a gazillion great AND EASY (who me, lazy?) crockpot recipes out there for chicken taco soup, chili, beef stew, veggie soup. Happy eating!

[madge]

This is why I'm a reader for life. What other person makes me laugh out loud multiple times during a friggin' recipe post?

I heart you.

[watercolor]

Has nobody suggested these? You know you can get disposable liners for crock pots? So no washing? Or just some wiping around the edges? Awesome! On the ziplock aisle. Makes crockpot day even better!

[Jessica]

Thanks for the dinner idea.

[Tricia]

I like to use ketchup, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Which is sorta the same thing as BBQ sauce. Sometimes, I don't have BBQ sauce, but I always have ketchup. I love ketchup. I like the idea of a can of soda, too. I think I've tried that.

Also, you can get the same sorta consistency with chicken breast. That seems like it might be healthier, but I've never run the numbers. Then, I like it so much, I have 3 sandwiches negating any possible health benefits. I wish I could give you a recipe, but I just play it by eye. I never start out with too much sauce or liquid. I always think I'm adding just the right amount, but it's never enough. And, as the day goes by and the meat starts to fall apart, I add more liquid. I think it probably ends up being 50% Chicken, 50% Sauce.

[Meg McG]

I just use the mccormick seasoning packet and follow those instructions. When I pull the butt out I pour the liquid into a fat separator cause no one wants a grinder of greasy meat ;) I shred and then put the meat and the sauce back together.

[Erica]

The jar of pulled pork seasoning at William Sonoma is SO easy. 3.5lb pork piece (I like using a loin the best) with the jar dumped in. Turn on and serve 5-8 hours later.

[Erica]

The jar of pulled pork seasoning at William Sonoma is SO easy. 3.5lb pork piece (I like using a loin the best) with the jar dumped in. Turn on and serve 5-8 hours later.

[Erica]

The jar of pulled pork seasoning at William Sonoma is SO easy. 3.5lb pork piece (I like using a loin the best) with the jar dumped in. Turn on and serve 5-8 hours later.

[Jessica]

We always do the entire pork butt and freeze the leftovers. I just throw the pork in with a bit of ginger ale and cook. When done take out of the crock pot and shred mix half with bbq sauce and put the other half in the fridge or freezer. We have been known to throw some on top of frozen or homemade pizza, or occasionally I'll make calzones and use it as a filling w/cheese & bbq or marinara.

[Melissa Summers]

It was too huge to fit in my crockpot! (I Like Big Butts...)

Sent from my iPhone with fat fingers on tiny keys.

[grace]

While I make pulled pork in the crockpot, I do it the day before...then put it in fridge overnight. Then a few hours before dinner, I pull it out of fridge and pull up a TON of fat that's congealed ontop. There's still plenty of fat when you reheat it. Plus, you can taste the spice and see if you need to adjust.

[Kristen]

Do you leave the house when you have the crockpot on? I never know if that is acceptable or a fire hazard.

[AmyinMotown]

Far and away the funniest Did They Eat It. I always enjoy them, rarely do they have me collapsing in giggles. And the recipe sounds good too...mine is a two day process and this would be nicer.

[ageekymom]

We love crockpot pulled pork. I use 2 sliced onions (one sliced onion on the bottom, then the pork butt, then the other sliced onion on top.) Pour 1 cup of ginger ale over and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Remove pork and shred. Return to the crockpot and mix in favorite BQ sauce. You could even set aside some unsauced for Maddie.
Now that the kids are out of the house, we do this when we're golfing all day. Nice to come home to a cooked meal.

[Wendi]

Well, now of course I have to make it just so I can tell our butcher that I like big butts and I cannot lie.

Oh, Sir Mix A Lot. What are you doing to the suburbs?

[Lisame]

To the lady that asked about leaving her crockpot on when she is away...I work for a construction firm that targets insurance claims. Please do not leave your pot alone. It always breaks my heart when families lose everything to house fires and I see so many that do - due to crocks and blow dryers. (blow dryers need to cool before you place them inside baskets or drawers.)

[ella]

Mmmmm! Yummy!

If you'd like to try a variation on the pork I make what I call Green chili stew.
Same cut of pork. Season it with salt, pepper & garlic powder. Add 2 7 oz cans of salsa verde (or a 12 - 16 oz jar) and 2 cans of green chilis.
I serve with corn tortillas, shredded cheese and sour cream and make tacos. Sooo good! At least I think so. You could serve over tortilla chips too.

[viviane]

Being French, I feel totally compelled to say : Garlic ! make small incisions in the meat and insert small slices of garlic.
(Must be the 1st time I comment here, but long time follower, and there I couldn't resist...)

[Kelly O'Keefe]

I thought I was alone in my crazy "assign each day of the week a specific thing" menu planning. Sunday Soup Night, Monday Pasta, Tuesday Bean/grain, Wednesday Egg Night, Thursday Mexi Night, Friday Homemade Pizza, Saturday Fancy Pasta. It makes the shopping and planning so much easier. Also, better for stocking up.

Can I just say that I wish we were neighbors? You are so dear and funny.

[b.]

Must tell you....

we love the naughty meat references when making this recipe. We call it "Pull My Pork" sandwiches. awesome!

[Vanessa]

This post forced me to look up the video for Baby Got Back on YouTube so I could reminisce. My 12-year-old came in while I was watching it and was all, "WTF is this song?!" (Not literally, she doesn't use the F word, but that was definitely the spirit of her reaction.) Hahaha.

[Vanessa]

This post forced me to look up the video for Baby Got Back on YouTube so I could reminisce. My 12-year-old came in while I was watching it and was all, "WTF is this song?!" (Not literally, she doesn't use the F word, but that was definitely the spirit of her reaction.) Hahaha.