I posted recently about some slow cooker recipes that I plan on trying this winter. I have some favourite slow cooker recipes of my own though, that I thought I might share.
I found this Pulled Pork recipe many years ago in the Toronto Star newspaper food section. I have no idea when, since I had just torn it out but I know it’s probably at least 10 or 15 years. It’s very tasty and a meal that everyone in my family likes, which as anyone who cooks for a family knows, there aren’t too many of those!
Worried about the 1/4 cup of chili powder? Fear not! This pulled pork is not super spicy. The chili powder cooks down wonderfully and blends with the meat and vegetables to produce a flavourful but not super spicy hot dish (it’s on par with most pots of chili on the spicy scale). You’ll have to trust me on this one. (I don’t have a huge tolerance for heat myself, and I’d warn you if it was hot. Really! :)
This is a great recipe for any day but I love to make it on the weekend. I think it’s always great when you can put on supper at mid-day, let it cook all afternoon and then be able to just sit down and enjoy it at supper, without any fuss or muss. Serve this on crusty buns with a side of coleslaw for a great and easy supper!
This can be made in a slow cooker or on the stovetop in a covered Dutch Oven.
Recipe: Pulled Pork
Summary: This pulled pork can be made in either a slow cooker or in a Dutch oven on the stove top.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into large chunks if necessary to fit into your pot (pork shoulder works well for this as it is inexpensive and benefits from the long cook time, but any pork roast will work)
- 2 cups onion, diced
- 2 red peppers, seeded and diced
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) chili powder
- 2 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or Dutch oven and stir to combine a bit (not easy, since it’s very dry at this point but just move things around a bit, to coat). Cook, covered, for 3-4 hours on the stove top over medium-low heat or until the pork is tender enough to shred. For the Slow cooker, cook for 4-5 hours over high heat or if you want it to cook longer, you can reduce the heat a bit. (If the roast is exposed on the top, I like to open the lid every hour or so and flip it over but it isn’t really necessary if it’s not convenient.)
- About 1/2 hour before serving, take a fork to the pork and “pull” into shredded pieces, discarding any bone or fatty pieces. (Note, if you have a non-stick coated slow cooker, you may want to transfer the pork chunks to a plate to shred and then return to pan, to avoid scratching the non-stick surface.) Stir and let simmer about another 1/2 hour, uncovered, to thicken up the sauce.
- Serve on crusty rolls with coleslaw (on the sandwich or on the side).
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 3 hours | Total time: 3 hours 15 min
Number of servings (yield): 8
Oh dear Christine, I’m not sure why. I just made this last week – a bit bigger roast and it was “shreddable” in about 4 hours. What cut of pork was it (shoulder? loin?)
Jen! Help please! I have a 2lb roast, it has been in a large slow cooker on high for 5.5 hours and not only is it not even close to pull apart, it hasnt even reached 160 degrees F internally. We ordered take out. I read that to “melt” and pull apart the roast will need to reach 198F for some time. Any guidance you could offer will be great. I will leave on another four hours or til it pulls apart, whichever comes first… Any thoughts? Slow cooker has worked fine til today. No indication that it has lost the burner or heat element, ie it is giving off heat…..
Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it, Vanessa.
This recipe is the best pulled pork recipe that I have tried yet. It will be a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Marie, I know. It sounds like a lot of chili powder. I thought the same thing when I first made it. I can assure you though that it is not spicy hot. I don’t know why exactly. Maybe because of the way the pork is braised and cooked over a long time but it is only just pleasantly flavourful and not spicy. This pulled pork has been a favourite in our family and even my very picky teenage daughter gives it the thumbs up :)
I printed the recipe because it sounds tasty & easy, BUT I am wondering about the 1/4 cup of chili powder ??? Is the pork SPICY HOT????Please let me know. Thank you for sharing. M.J.
You can add garlic to this as well. You mention above that you would like to use the cooker in the winter, but in the summer it is great as well. Try South Asian recipes, they are very summery!