Description
Melissa’s pulled pork delivers mouthwatering Southern comfort through tender meat infused with smoky barbecue sauce. Slow cooking creates rich, hearty flavors you’ll savor with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5–6 lbs (2.3–2.7 kg) bone-in pork shoulder roast
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Trim pork shoulder, leaving a thin fat layer. Create strategic incisions and insert garlic cloves into each cut for enhanced flavor infusion.
- Seasoning Technique: Blend kosher salt, dark brown sugar, ground mustard, and black pepper into a dynamic rub. Thoroughly massage seasoning across the entire meat surface, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Position meat in slow cooker with fat layer facing downward.
- Aromatic Foundation: Layer thinly sliced onions and fragrant thyme sprigs around the pork perimeter. Gently pour apple cider into the slow cooker, carefully maintaining the seasoning coating.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover and set slow cooker to high (6 hours) or low (8-10 hours). Cook until meat becomes incredibly tender and easily separates with minimal fork pressure.
- Finishing and Shredding: Remove thyme sprigs. Use two forks to methodically shred meat, incorporating caramelized onions and cooking liquid for maximum flavor complexity.
- Sandwich Assembly: Toast pretzel rolls until golden. Spread Dijon mustard inside each roll. Pile pulled pork and caramelized onions generously, creating a mouthwatering sandwich experience.
Notes
- Precision in Fat Trimming: Keep a thin 1/4-inch fat layer to ensure juicy, flavorful meat that doesn’t become greasy or dry during slow cooking.
- Garlic Infusion Technique: Inserting garlic cloves directly into meat cuts intensifies flavor penetration, creating deeper, more complex taste profiles throughout the pork.
- Strategic Seasoning Approach: Massage spice blend thoroughly, covering every surface to guarantee even flavor distribution and maximum taste development.
- Temperature and Time Mastery: Slow cooking allows connective tissues to break down completely, transforming tough meat into melt-in-your-mouth texture – low and slow is the secret to perfect pulled pork.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg