
How To Make Slow Cooker Cider Pulled Pork
Prepared in a slow cooker, this piquant, flavorful, and well-spiced Cider Pulled Pork is served with a tasty sauce, then piled on top of buttered buns.
Serves:
Ingredients
For Rub:
- 2½tbspbrown sugar,packed
- 2½tbspkosher salt
- 1½tsppumpkin pie spice,or 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, and a dash of nutmeg
- 1½tspchili powder
- 1½tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 1tspdry mustard,ground
- ¼tspcayenne pepper
For Pork:
- 6lbspork shoulder,boneless, trimmed of excess fat
- 12ozhard apple cider,(1 bottle)
- 2cupsapple cider
For Sauce:
- 2tbsptomato paste
- 3clovesgarlic
- ¾cupketchup
- ½cupbrown mustard
- ⅓cupbrown sugar
- ¼cupapple cider vinegar
- ¼cupWorcestershire sauce
- 2tspliquid smoke
- ¾tspkosher salt
- 2cupspork stock,(leftover from braising)
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the rub.
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Trim your pork shoulder of excess exterior fat.
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Massage the rub into the meat.
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Place the pork in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in both ciders.
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The liquid should come about ¾ of the way up the side of the meat. The meat should not be completely submerged.
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Cover with the lid, and set the slow cooker to low heat for at least 8 hours.
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Let the pork with the cooking liquid cool completely while still in the slow cooker insert on the counter.
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Transfer the pork to a cutting board and pour the cooking liquid into a separate storage container.
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Transfer the pork back to the slow cooker insert and cover.
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Refrigerate the pork and the cooking liquid overnight or up to 3 days.
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When ready to serve the pork, remove it and the cooking liquid from the refrigerator.
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Scrape any solidified fat from the outside of the pork and the surface of the cooking liquid.
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Using the fingers or two forks, shred the pork.
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This can be done right in the slow cooker, on a sheet pan, or on a cutting board.
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Pick out and discard any large pieces of fat as you go.
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Warm the shredded pork in the slow cooker on the Low or Warm setting while you prepare the sauce.
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If the pork seems dry at any point, stir in a few tablespoons of the leftover cooking liquid.
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Alternatively, warm the pork on a sheet pan covered with foil in a low oven.
Sauce:
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Measure out two cups of the leftover cooking liquid.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the tomato paste and garlic.
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Whisk together and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
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Whisk in the remaining ingredients, finishing with the reserved 2 cups of cooking liquid.
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Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a gentle boil.
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Reduce the sauce, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes until it has the viscosity of thick tomato soup, but not as thick as ketchup.
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Taste and adjust the seasoning as preferred.
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Reserve about ½ cup of the sauce to serve in a small bowl alongside the pork.
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Pour the rest of the sauce over the pork, toss to combine, and serve it to the masses.
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Place a pile of pork on top of buttered, toasted buns, top with pickles, pickled onions, or extra sauce, and dig in.
Recipe Notes
- The meat will release liquid as it cooks. A 6-quart slow cooker for 6 pounds of meat works well. If desired, double the recipe.
- If desired, the pork can be served as soon as it finishes slow-cooking. Remove the pork from the liquid and transfer the liquid to a measuring cup. Shred the pork and then keep it warm in the slow cooker or on a covered baking sheet in a low oven. Use 2 cups of the cooking liquid to make the sauce. Serve immediately.
- Refrigerating the pork whole, rather than shredded, helps keep it moist and prevents it from drying out too much until you’re ready to serve.
- The remainder of the sauce can be strained and saved for another purpose, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Calories: 627.68kcal
- Fat: 41.42g
- Saturated Fat: 14.23g
- Trans Fat: 0.00g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 18.47g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.52g
- Carbohydrates: 19.16g
- Fiber: 0.92g
- Sugar: 14.20g
- Protein: 40.77g
- Cholesterol: 161.03mg
- Sodium: 892.42mg
- Calcium: 68.71mg
- Potassium: 967.49mg
- Iron: 3.36mg
- Vitamin A: 17.16µg
- Vitamin C: 4.26mg
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