Now you can have great pulled pork with the ease of crock pot cooking. Put it on in the morning and eat in the evening making this a weeknight-friendly recipe.
I love pulled pork, but most of us do. I have done fake pulled pork with other cuts of pork, but pork butt (AKA pork shoulder) is the “right” cut. Cooking it low and slow is the right way. And lastly it is cooked dry… not braised in liquids is the right way.
While I “knew” how I wanted to do this, I did the usual research. Mostly I was disgusted (but not always). There are recipes with condensed soup, packets of onion soup mix, broth, and many other things that should never touch a pork butt. There are recipes that are “done” in 4-6 hours on low… not possible.
So the plan… use my usual rub (but feel free to use your favorite). Wet with liquid smoke applies the rub and “roast” low and slow in a crock pot. Now the secret ingredient… aluminum foil… but don’t wrap it, elevate it to keep it out of the fat.
I used a three pounder, but I believe you could do 4 pounds the same and a five pounder might work. The three pounds produce enough for ten large sandwiches. So cheap eats if you calculate it.
Rate:
A very nice 5. Almost equal to my oven and grill versions.
Note: I like to take my pork butt to 195 range but really this was not going over 192. So settle for 185 but 195 or even 200 is really good. At 8 hours it was at 185, and I left it. I want a recipe that can be put on in the morning before you leave for work and be ready in 9-10 hours when you get home.
I put the rub on and cooked right away this time. That works quite well but if you plan ahead, then apply the rub the night before and wrap in plastic wrap.
Start with a pork butt AKA pork shoulder 3-4 pounds.
Prep a large crock pot with six balls of aluminum foil. Make about 2 inch balls but then squish down to 1 inch high and arrange in the bottom of the crock pot.
You may use the rub of your choice, or mine is ½ cup dark brown sugar, three tablespoons kosher salt, one tablespoon chili powder, one teaspoon garlic powder, one teaspoon onion powder and one teaspoon pepper.
Pat dry the pork and the coat with about two tablespoons good quality liquid smoke.
Generously apply the rub. You could wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight at this point or cook right away.
Place on the foil balls and cook on low undisturbed for 9-10 hours.
Bake until internal temp of 190 plus. About 9-10 hours, but will vary some with the thickness of the meat and the crock pot. Remove from crock pot onto a large sheet of heavy duty foil.
Wrap tight with the foil then wrap with several towels. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes but 1-2 hours is fine. Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10 | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 600 minutes |
|
|
| Now you can have great pulled pork with the ease of crock pot cooking. Put it on in the morning and eat in the evening making this a weeknight friendly recipe.
|
- 4 pounds Pork Butt aka Pork Shoulder
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke good quality
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Start with a pork butt AKA pork shoulder 3-4 pounds.
- Prep a large crock pot with 6 balls of aluminum foil. Make about 2 inch balls but then squish down to 1 inch high and arrange in the bottom of the crock pot.
- You may use the rub of your choice, or mine is ½ cup dark brown sugar, three tablespoons kosher salt, one tablespoon chili powder, one teaspoon garlic powder, one teaspoon onion powder and one teaspoon pepper.
- Pat dry the pork and the coat with about two tablespoons good quality liquid smoke.
- Generously apply the rub. You could wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight at this point or cook right away.
- Place on the foil balls and cook on low undisturbed for 9-10 hours.
- Bake until internal temp of 190 plus. About 9-10 hours may vary some with the thickness of the meat and the crock pot.
- Remove from crock pot onto a large sheet of heavy duty foil. Wrap tight with the foil then wrap with several towels. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes but 1-2 hours is fine.
- Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
________________________________
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
Last Updated
June 8, 2016
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Hi All, I’m DrDan and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. We present some of the best recipes with easy to follow step by step photo instructions to make your everyday cooking needs easier.
Leslie
Can you freeze this after it is made, since it serves 10? Recipe sounds great can’t wait to try. Thank you
DrDan
Yep it should freeze great.
Dan
Leslie
Made yesterday, delicous we ate way too much, however I was still able to freeze some for another meal. Thanks for the recipe.
DrDan
Thanks Leslie, I wanted an all day, put it on in the morning and eat that evening recipe. I always said I wasn’t going to do pulled pork in a crock pot but this is worthy. I don’t like leaving an oven or grill on if I’m not home.
Dan
Susan
This will be my second time making your recipe. It turned out so good that I couldn’t wait to make it again. I hope you won’t be mad, but I omitted the liquid smoke. It was still great! Also, leftovers froze very well. I grew up on NC BBQ & I love your method! Give it a 4.9999 out of 5!
DrDan
I just got back from NC and had some really good pork. I will take a 4.9999 any day.
About the liquid smoke, recipes are always just guidelines. So change what you want. I would say all liquid smoke is not the same. I only use Wright’s now since I have had some brands that were very poor.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Ruby Townsend
Do you use the high or low setting on the crock pot??
DrDan
Low. Implied but not stated. Fixed. If you have a very old pot, low is too low. So if the pot never has any boiling on low, you should use high and cut the time some.
Janet
I honestly thought this was going to be like a dry sock. But WOW! I did everything the same except skipped the liquid smoke. What I lifted carefully out of the crock pot was a moist, yummy ball of pork goodness. When my husband got home he thought we were having aluminum balls for dinner. Then I shared and he was in a pork butt coma as well. And SO easy. It is a 5 for me because I was not disappointed one iota.
DrDan
Hi Janet
The liquid smoke does add a little but not a lot. Give it a try sometime.
I have almost stopped doing pork butt on the grill (not quite). I either do the oven recipe or the slow cooker for my pulled pork.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for the note.
Dan
debi
My husband accidentally bought a “half butt boneless roast” didn’t realize it was pork he thought he was picking out a roast for crock pot Italian Beef. So do you think I can use that for this recipe? It sounds yummy.
Thanks,
debi
DrDan
Assuming that “half butt boneless roast” is what your store calls a boneless pork butt then it is fine. I have used both bone-in and boneless.
Check the oven recipe also https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/ which is the oven version which this recipe is based on.
Jake
What about searing it first before putting it in the crockpot? I want to mimic the grill as much as possible. Thanks!
DrDan
Nope, The rub will crust up like the grill.
Walter
Wow. All I can say is wow, I wasn’t suprised just amazed.
DrDan
Hi Walter,
It is surprising that that came out of a crock pot.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Adylure
I made this today for me and my boyfriend. We liked it a lot. I haven’t had very many pulled porks since my mother is Puerto Rican, therefore we would get Puerto Rican dishes growing up, so I was pleasantly pleased that I didn’t have to deal with a sloppy mess like most pulled porks that I have had. So thank you! ;D
Rebecca
Do I put any liquid in the bottom of the crock pot?
DrDan
No, it is a “dry roasting” similar to a smoker or grill.
Pam
I want to try your recipe. I have an 8lb bone in pork butt. Any idea how long I would cook that on low for this recipe?; Thanks
DrDan
I have no confidence you can do an 8 pounder in a crock pot. I would thing 4-5 pounds max.
I suggest the oven method https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/. Read the comments and you will have an idea about how long. Of course, the grill is alway possible also.
Dan