Pulled Pork

Seasoned with herbs and spices, studded with cloves of garlic then slow cooked in the essence of sweet apple juice – this cut of pork turns into a succulent piece of meat, full of flavor, fork tender, and literally falling off the bone.

I discovered pulled pork later in life while traveling to Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Much like any good brisket or roast, slow cooking is the trick. And like any brisket or roast, if you don’t season the meat the result is really quite boring.

Emily discovered this recipe and it never disappoints. As a native Texan who attended Auburn before living in Georgia, then settling in Alabama, the girl knows good barbecue!

Pulled pork starts with a generous cut of meat from the upper shoulder of the pig known as pork butt or Boston butt. It has a lot of marbling and benefits from a long, slow cooking process. The blend in the dry rub offers a mix of mild spices and herbs balanced by a touch of sweetness from brown sugar. Garlic cloves are tucked into pockets cut into the meat and soften while cooking, creating luscious layers of flavor while the pork braises in a cooking liquid of pure apple juice.

This makes enough to feed a crowd but if you’re not feeding a large group you can certainly cook a smaller portion of meat. The larger cut requires a 7-quart slow cooker for ample room. All-Clad makes an excellent large slow cooker with an aluminum insert that’s safe for oven use and quite handy for the initial roast in the oven.

A bit of preplanning is required. You want to season the meat the day before you cook it, giving the dry rub time to work its way into the meat. Then it’s a long, slow cook to develop those flavors and end up with a fork-tender piece of pork. Your patience will be greatly rewarded.

Pulled Pork

Pork butt or Boston butt, about  7 to 8 pounds

14 garlic cloves, or 7 large cloves cut in half

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed when measuring

4 tablespoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 teaspoons ground coriander

3 tablespoons dry mustard

4 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed*

4 teaspoons garlic powder

2-½ cups apple juice

Using a sharp knife cut slits into the pork, creating pockets evenly spaced on both sides of the meat. Press a garlic clove into each pocket.

Whisk together the brown sugar, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme, coriander, dry mustard, fennel seed, and garlic powder until well blended.

Place the pork shoulder in a large container – one with a lid is perfect. Spread the sugar and spice rub over the entire piece of pork, pressing gently into the meat as you go. You might not need all the dry rub to cover the pork. As long as you haven’t exposed it to raw meat you can save it for later or toss it into a sauce for serving.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to cook the pork place it in the ovenproof insert of your slow cooker. If the insert to your slow cooker is not ovenproof use a roasting pan. Roast the pork at 350-degrees for one hour.

Transfer the pork to your slow cooker and pour the apple juice into the pan. Cover and cook the pork on the low setting for about 7 hours or until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork.

Carefully move the pork roast to a cutting board with inset or grooves or a pan to catch the drippings.

Using two large forks, pull the meat into pieces.

Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce or ladle a portion of the cooking liquid over the meat and perhaps a bit of coleslaw on a hot roll!

If you have leftovers, store the meat in the cooking liquid, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in your slow cooker on low for 1 to 2 hours.

Serves 8 to 10.

*Crushing the fennel seeds helps to release their flavor. You can use a mortar and pestle or a small grinder.