There’s nothing like a big heaping spoonful of homemade coleslaw on a good Southern-style pulled pork sandwich! All that’s missing is a nice frosty glass of sweet tea – sweetened with honey, of course!
This super easy Southern-style BBQ pork recipe freezes great! So if you’re into the
“Cook Once, Eat Twice or More” mindset, then simply follow the recipe notes below to double this. Then place half in the freezer for an even easier and quicker future meal.
I like to use 100% pure unfiltered organic apple juice, because it adds a nice sweet undertone to the pulled pork. However, you can certainly substitute with filtered water.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder roast (also called pork butt roast, see note below)
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pure unfiltered organic apple juice
- 1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Place half of the thinly sliced onions in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Then add the pork shoulder and top with the remaining onion slices.
- Pour the apple juice over the roast and onions.
- Cover and cook on low approximately 6-7 hours.
- When cooking time is completed, remove the meat and place on a large platter. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat or bones.
- Strain the cooking liquid and onions into a bowl. Then rinse and wipe out the crockpot. Reserve 1/4 cup of the strained cooking liquid and discard the remaining liquid and onions.
- Place the shredded pork back into the crockpot with the reserved 1/4 cup of strained cooking liquid. Add just enough barbecue sauce to well coat the pork (usually about 1 ½ cups).
- Cover and continue to cook on low for approximately 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the pulled pork on warm gluten-free rolls with a side of homemade coleslaw and extra BBQ sauce, if desired.
Notes
Note about Pork Shoulder/Butt: Pork shoulder roast (also called pork butt) contains much more fat than pork tenderloin and also costs significantly less (bonus). The extra fat in pork shoulder leads to heightened flavor and a moister quality of meat. So please do not substitute with pork loin in this recipe, or the results will be less than satisfying.
Cook Once, Eat Twice: To get two or more meals from this recipe, I recommend purchasing a 4-pound pork shoulder roast (or two 2-pound roasts placed side-by-side in your crockpot). Then add 2 sliced onions and 1 cup of apple juice. Then cook as directed. (Be prepared that cooking time will take a bit longer with one large or two smaller roasts – usually about 8-10 hours.)
After shredding the pork, put half of the meat in a freezer-safe container and freeze for a future meal. Use the other half to complete your pulled pork meal. (If you decide to make double the pulled pork all at one time, make sure to double the reserved cooking liquid and BBQ sauce.)
The plain shredded pork can be thawed at a later date and used to make more BBQ pulled pork, or simply use it as a topping for baked sweet potatoes for a quick and delicious meal!
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