Pulled Pork Barbecue (Slow Cooker) with Homemade Rub and BBQ Sauce
Prep Time: 8 hours | Cook Time: 10 hours | Total Time: 18 hours | Serves: 8
Barbeque? Barbecue? BBQ? No matter the spellings, this word puts an image, smell, or flavor in your mind. Maybe it’s a restaurant experience, or a neighbor’s cookout, or maybe it’s the smell as you’ve driven by a food truck smoking pork, putting out that ridiculously amazing aroma that pulls you off your path. Either scenario, hopefully everyone has had at least one good, over-the-top experience with flavorful, smoky barbecue.
Growing up, barbecue was just part of family trips. Ridgewood’s Barbecue was always planned for visits to east Tennessee. Everything that I’ve ever tasted from there was that over-the-top amazing. They sell their sauce, so a jar (or two) always made it home. Still located in Bluff City, Tn, this literally “out of the way” restaurant is worth the drive if you’re in the area. And, no, you’re probably not lost, just keep driving until you see that nostalgic yellow sign.
I’m not a professional BBQ smoker, but I have perfected what we love at our house and I want to share it with you. It’s a simple recipe. I wouldn’t skip the overnight brine just because of time. Make time if you can. It’s truly worth it. Your pork will stay moist for days of reheating. (Just look at those juices on the plate!)
I have slow-cooked both boneless and bone-in pork butts and shoulders. It’s a good idea to have a digital thermometer for checking the meat near the end of cook time. It is a good gauge for how long you need to cook your meat. The size of your pork, plus the personality of your slow cooker will determine how long to cook. The thermometer is a handy tool for this.
Alchemy Spice Co. out of Chattanooga, TN offers a wide range of “brilliantly flavored seasonings” to bring spice and umph to your dishes. I was happily surprised when I tried this blend. My local Publix had a display of local (TN) products, which I will peruse often to see what piques my interest. This specific spice blend caught my eye, and I am quite impressed. The Memphis Dry Rub is my go-to if I don’t have all the spices for my own rub recipe. It’s a great option. Their site offers oils and salts, too! Check them out!
I love my Barbecue Sauce recipe. It took some time to develop, but I am quite pleased, if I do say so myself. Try it if you’re desiring something homemade, or use your favorite sauce. This Barbecue Sauce recipe easily doubles. And it is so simple to make!
My Quick and Easy Coleslaw is a great, traditional side dish, or topping, for the barbecue to create a full meal. Like heat? Try my Spicy Coleslaw! Fresh jalapeno peppers and chile-garlic paste bring the heat.
I hope your mouth is already watering. Mine is.
Enjoy!
Pulled Pork Barbecue (Slow Cooker) with Homemade Rub and BBQ Sauce
Pulled Pork could not be easier in the slow cooker with an easy brine, homemade rub and homemade sauce.
Equipment
- slow cooker
- Slow Cooker liners, optional
- 2.5 gallon zip-top bag, or stockpot
Ingredients
Brine:
- 3 quarts cold water, divided
- 1 cup kosher salt, not table salt
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons whole, black peppercorns
- 3/4 cup molasses
Pork Dry Rub:
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika, mild or hot
- 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed, light or dark
Pork:
- 5 - 7 pounds pork butt or shoulder
- buns, for serving
- Barbecue Sauce, for serving, my recipe below
- Coleslaw or Spicy Slaw
Barbecue Sauce:
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, hot or mild
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons golden mustard, such as Gulden's, not yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
Instructions
Brine your pork:
- The night before you plan to serve the pork, make the brine (give yourself about 8 to 12 hours to brine, plus about 10 to 12 hours to cook on low in a slow cooker). Heat (either in microwave or stovetop) one quart of water to almost boiling. Dissolve the salt in the water. Pour it into a 2-gallon zip-top bag or another bowl/stockpot to hold all three quarts of the brine and the pork butt. Add the other two quarts of cold water and remaining brine ingredients. (You can add a cup or two of ice cubes if the water is still quite warm.) Add the pork butt and seal the bag. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 12 hours.
- After brining, remove the pork from the bag/container and discard the marinade. Pull off any stuck-on peppercorns or bay leaves and discard.
Make the rub and cook the pork:
- Line the slow cooker with a liner, if using. Place the pork in the slow cooker (or in a shallow pan) and allow it to sit while you make the rub.
- Place all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl and combine well, breaking up lumps of brown sugar and spices as necessary.
- Pat the pork butt dry and rub all the sides of the pork with the dry rub. Place the pork in the slow cooker, “fat cap” side facing up. (As it cooks, some fat will melt and help flavor the pork and aid in moisture.)
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the temperature to low. Allow the pork to cook for 10 to 12 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone, around 205-210 degrees. **If you know your slow cooker tends to cook on the hotter side, even on low setting, you will need to adjust your timing. Use a digital probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it in a shallow baking dish, such as a 9x13”. Allow the pork to cool enough to be able to shred it apart with your fingers. Or, you can use 2 forks to shred, but I like to be able to feel the fat and remove it as I shred. Plus, you can catch any bone that might break off and be able keep that out of your pulled pork. See Notes for using the liquid from the pork, if desired.
- Serve warm on buns with any toppings you enjoy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Make the Barbecue Sauce:
- Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring often, simmer the sauce for 30 minutes to allow the sugar to melt and the flavors to marry.
- Serve with the Pulled Pork Barbecue, Quick and Easy Coleslaw, or Spicy Slaw.
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to label with the date and contents.
Notes
The nutritional chart is for the Barbecue Sauce only. The size of your pork and any toppings will be difficult to determine, therefore I have listed the sauce only. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.
Use the liquid from the pork. Reserve about 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker after you remove the pork. Set it in the refrigerator until the fat on the top has solidified. Remove the fat and discard, or you can keep the fat. Once the pork has been shredded, pour the juices, starting with half a cup, over the meat and toss to coat. Add more liquid if you prefer. If you discarded the solidified fat, just gently reheat the juices to become pourable.
Using slow cooker liners are helpful with cleanup. They’re not always leak-proof, but do well for the most part. A double layer of liners will be more effective, if you’re willing to use two.
I use a 2.5-gallon Ziplock bag to hold my brine and pork. Then I put that bag in a large bowl just in case of leaks. A large stockpot that will hold all the brine and the pork butt will do very well, too.
I would not skip the brining step. It’s worth the early shopping and planning to have moist pork. Even reheating leftovers in the microwave, the meat does not dry out hardly at all.
The brine recipe is adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe.
The rub recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe.
The very cool spoon handle you see in the BBQ Sauce is from a cutlery line by InoxArtisans.
Nutrition Facts
Pulled Pork Barbecue (Slow Cooker) with Homemade Rub and BBQ Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
50.07
% Daily Value*
Fat
0.1
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
0.01
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.03
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.01
g
Sodium
204.33
mg
9
%
Potassium
202.76
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
12.53
g
4
%
Fiber
0.37
g
2
%
Sugar
10.23
g
11
%
Protein
0.48
g
1
%
Vitamin C
2.24
mg
3
%
Calcium
21.59
mg
2
%
Iron
0.65
mg
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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