Pulled Pork

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

Cook Time 8

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch and Dinner

Servings 8 to 10 servings

Equipment

Slow cooker, preferably with an ovenproof insert

Ingredients

Pork butt or Boston butt, about 7-8 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 cups apple juice

Instructions

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 bottom of 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 shallow 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.
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.

Notes

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