I feel a bit conflicted in the kitchen this time of year. The kids are back in school, Target is peddling sweaters, and apple orchards are begging us to come fill a wagon with Honeycrisps.
And yet, the garden is still pumping out tomatoes and zucchini and, (here in Ohio, at least) the temperatures have been hovering at an absolutely disrespectful 90 degrees.
Are we making apple pie or tomato pie?? It’s so confusing!
I’ll tell you what feels right to me in this in between season: a slow cooker sweet and spicy pulled pork recipe that easily fits into the busy back to school schedule, but still carries with it just a hint of summer.
This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prep and doesn’t involve the oven at all. By 5:30 PM, your house will smell like the best BBQ spot in the neighborhood.
This is the versatile, large scale cooking I love to do at the beginning of the week. On the first night, we pile it high on brioche buns with Sweet and Sour Coleslaw and a drizzle of Sweet Baby Ray’s.
On the next night, we’ll do tacos or bowls, add it to a baked mac and cheese, or stir it into an egg scramble.
If you aren’t cooking for a large group (or teenagers), you might even be able to ride the leftover train until Friday, and then order pizza, because there’s no longer four day week than the week after Labor Day.
Sweet And Spicy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
1 ½ Tablespoons smoked paprika (smoked paprika really makes the pork pop, but you can substitute regular paprika if you must).
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt (reduce to 2 teaspoons if using table salt)
2 teaspoons black pepper
½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (you control the heat! 1/2 teaspoon will be barely a whisper of warmth. 1 will give you a good kick at the end, but ramp it up further if you want to really feel the heat!)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
¼ cup honey
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (rice wine vinegar can be substituted, as can white wine vinegar, though reduce the amount by about a tablespoon.)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 onion (sliced in wedges)
3 ½-4 pounds pork shoulder (This might require two pork shoulders, or, if you have a really large 4 pounder, cut it in half before adding it to the crock pot.)
For the sandwiches:
brioche buns (toasted)
BBQ sauce of your choice
sliced jalapenos (optional)
Instructions
In a small bowl whisk together 1 1/2 Tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 teapoon mustard powder. Whisk in the 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic.
Toss onion slices at the bottom of your slow cooker and lay the pork shoulder pieces on top. Pour half the spice mixture over top, then flip the pork pieces over and pour the rest of the spice mixture in.
Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 9-10 hours.
Remove pork pieces from the slow cooker and shred with a fork, removing any large pieces of fat. Return to the slow cooker and stir.
To make the sandwiches, pile the pulled pork on the buns, top with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and jalapenos, if desired, and serve.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for about 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Use them in bowls, tacos, mac and cheese, burritos, or omelets!
For step by step photos, storage instructions, and more serving ideas, you can always visit the full post here: https://neighborfoodblog.com/easy-slow-cooker-sweet-and-spicy-pulled-pork/
Do you de-bone your pork shoulder yourself or buy it already de-boned?