Pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) is one of my favorite sale stock up items. I have shared my chile verde recipe, which is a family favorite, but I need to have more than one recipe because I get bored eating the same foods repeatedly. I need variety in my life. This slow cooker smokey pulled pork is another one of our favorite recipes for this cut of meat.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coarse ground salt
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground mustard
- 5 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt)
Instructions
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Mix spice rub ingredients, brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and ground mustard, in a small bowl.
Evenly spread the rub over the pork shoulder. I used a 5# piece here, but there is enough spice rub for up up to 7# of meat.
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Allow the meat to rest for several hours, ideally overnight, in the fridge, so that that meat is truly seasoned all the the way through. Cook on low in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours. The longer the meat cooks the more tender it will be. Once cooked, through, use two forks to pull the pork.
A little tip for parents who are trying to get their picky-eater to eat this dish (see me waving my hand over here?), don't use all of the spice rub. Use 1/2-2/3 of it. Hubs and I adore the smoked paprika, but that flavor may be a little overwhelming for younger palates.
Recipe Notes
Serving ideas:
I like to make a baked potato (I make mine in the microwave) and serve the meat over it. Potatoes are one of my favorite starches because they are rich in potassium and when you live in Charleston, you need to get those electrolytes anyway you can.
Hubs made mac 'n cheese and served the pork over that. Oh.My.Gosh. This was amazing. Talk about combining all the amazing flavors of a good barbecue.
Little Bit likes it just as small pieces of tender meat, or on a sandwich like a traditional pulled pork sandwich.
