Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with Chipotle Slaw

You got the vegetarian version on Monday, but as promised, here is the real deal.  Pulled Pork is one of my most requested dishes.   I make it year round, even in the summer. This is an absolute must have for Superbowl Sunday.  Using the slow cooker keeps you and your house cool and makes entertaining just that much easier.  This dish is fairly simple, as long as you don't mind getting your hands dirty!

If you haven't used a slow cooker, it's a great kitchen tool, especially when you're entertaining.  It takes about 5 minutes to assemble the pork in the cooker.  Turn it on before you go to bed.  You'll wake up in the morning with your mouth watering from the tantalizing scent wafting through your house.  Pork for breakfast?  Why not? 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked paprika, just use 2 tablespoons of regular paprika)
1 tablespoon regular paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 6 to 8 pound pork butt or shoulder
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
buns, tortillas or rice (you can serve this a variety of ways. I like to use slider or small buns if I am serving this as part of a buffet.)



Combine paprika, garlic powder, seasoned salt, onion powder and pepper.  Place pork in a 6 quart slow cooker, fat side up.  Rub spice mixture over the top and sides of the pork.






Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours, until pork is so tender it falls apart.
Resist the urge to lift the cover and check inside; every time you remove the cover, you loose about 30 minutes of cooking time.





Remove pork, break apart, and let cool slightly.
Remove juices, set aside and let fat rise to the top.
Skim the fat and save the juice to add back to the pork.



Use 2 forks  or your hands to pull the pork into shreds.  I find that using your hands is much more effective.  Just be sure to break the pork into sections.  This allows the smaller sections to cool so they are easier to handle.

Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, add the juice back, and stir in about 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce.  If it's too thick you can add a little beef or vegetable broth.  Set the cooker to High for 30 minutes and cook, covered, to allow flavors to blend.

Set slow cooker to keep warm.  Serve pork on buns or with rice and chipotle slaw.

The pork can be cooked and shredded early in the day or even the day before.  Refrigerate, until about an hour before you need to serve it.  Simply pop it back in the slow cooker; set it on high for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once it's hot, set the slow cooker to keep warm and serve.

Chipotle Slaw

1 10-ounce package cole slaw mix

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder ( spicy, add to taste)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve with Pulled Pork.