The real title of this recipe probably should’ve been Oh. My. F****ing God the BEST freaking Smoky Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork EVER…but hey. I like to keep it a little PG around here. Um…that’s a lie. Maybe PG-13? Whatever rating mean girls was, ya know. BUT SERIOUSLY THIS PORK YOU GUYS. I literally can’t even.
Really though. Is there anything better in life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking…I mean really, really good pulled pork?? Maybe if you’re a vegetarian. Maybe. They just don’t know what they’re missing out on. Correction: there is nothing better than really, really ridiculously good pulled pork with eggs and avocado. Fact. Don’t even try to challenge me on this one. It’s not going to happen, Gretchen. Stop trying to make fetch happen.
Sidenote, speaking of pop culture references. Have you guys seen the adorable video of the little kid getting an avocado for Christmas? It’s literally the perfect reaction everyone has to do when you get a present you either A) have NO idea what the heck it is or what to do with it or B) you were expecting something better and have to be nice about it. And the kid is SO CUTE. It gets funnier every time you watch it.
But the funny thing is, my cousin gave me an avocado for christmas in a box with a bow on it (thinking I had already seen the video), and even though I hadn’t seen it, I was still like “OMG IT’S AN AVOCADO YESSSS!” Because that is how obsessed I am with avocados. Don’t judge me, rude. They are definitely the universe’s gift to humans.
Especially when paired with a really, really, ridiculously good Smoky Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork. The secret here is in the sauce, er…spice rub. This stuff is GOLD. As one of my clients said, “I put that sh*t on literally EVERYTHING.” (And no, I’m not talking about the Betty White commercial.)
Hands down the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. End of story, good bye. The end. Says Mad-Eye Moody. And I wouldn’t mess with that guy, if I were you. Sheesh, I’m really on a roll today. Mean Girls, Zoolander and Harry Potter all in one post? I hope you got all those references.
Just go make and eat this pulled pork. Leftovers FOR DAYS. See you in porky heaven 🙂
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder / dehydrated minced onion
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp liquid smoke*
- 1 4-5 lb pork shoulder/butt (same thing).
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- Using a thin knife poke 8 holes into your pork, making a small x with each cut. Cut each piece of garlic in half, lengthwise, and shove the garlic in the holes.
- Mix your dry rub ingredients well in a small bowl. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the rub in a small bowl.
- Coat your pork shoulder with the rest of the dry rub as evenly as possible, then drizzle on the liquid smoke in ½ tsp increments. Allow your spice coated pork shoulder to sit in the fridge overnight if possible. You can either use a large resealable bag or a marinating tupperware. It isn’t the end of the world if you forget to do this step, but it seals the flavor in even more!
- Slice your onion in half, then into thick rings and line the bottom of your slow cooker with a thick layer. Place your dry rubbed pork shoulder on top of the onions with the fat cap (white part) facing upwards.
- Set your slow cooker to low for 12 hours. Your meat is done when it easily pulls apart with a single fork.
- Pour off (or scoop out with a measuring cup) most of the liquid from the pork, and set it aside. Use a pair of forks to shred your tender meat into pulled pork goodness. Sprinkle the remaining 1 Tbsp of dry rub on top of the pork, and stir it in.
- (optional step) Put the top back on and cook on high for another 30 minutes - 1 hour. This will pull some more of the liquid out and allow the sides to crisp up a little - yum!!
**Leftovers ideas: serve this with poached eggs on top or in an omelette!
What’s your favorite way to eat pulled pork? How about creative ideas for what to do with the leftovers?
Possibly a silly question, but…should I remove the strings from the butcher that’s on the pork before putting it in the slow cooker?
Hey Jen!
Not silly at all 🙂 You can, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to! Just make sure to remove it before you eat, haha!
Thanks! I made this on Monday and ended up leaving the strings on for the slow cooking. Also added some water to the bottom of the crock (to avoid the drippings burning). It came out SO GOOD. And I paired it with your roasted cauliflower rice which was perfecto! 🙂
Yay! I usually do that too. And ohh that combination is amazing! So glad you liked it!
Do I need the liquid smoke to seal the deal on this recipe or is it just as good without. Wanted to cook tomorrow…start marinating today but don’t have the liquid smoke!
Hey Eileen,
The liquid smoke adds a great flavor, but it’s by no means necessary for the recipe to “seal the deal”, as you said. Hope you enjoy!
D
Hello! Just made this and it smells like heaven in a crockpot! What do I do with the juice that I removed? Will I use it for anything or do I just get rid of it? Thanks!
Hey Zara,
Yay! I usually get rid of the juice. You can use some of it in the pot to keep the pork more moist, but I find it’s fine without 🙂
Hi! This sounds wonderful! I have a dutch oven instead of a slow cooker, so I was wondering if you could help with the conversion time and what temperature to set the oven to? Thanks!
Hey Leighton,
Thank you! I haven’t made this recipe the dutch oven, but here’s how I think it would work best: cut the meat into 3-4 chunks before putting the seasoning on, then brown the meat on all sides in the dutch oven on the stovetop. Cook in a preheated oven at 325 F for about 4 hours with the lid on (for a 3-4 lb pork shoulder), turning halfway. Check to make sure it’s done, then shred with a fork! Let me know how it turns out 🙂