Frequently asked questions
Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork?
Pulled pork relies on both the vinegar's acidity and the low-and-slow cooking process to tenderize the meat, breaking down the protein to give the dish its signature moist, fall-apart texture. Cider vinegar also provides a tangy counterpoint to the fatty pork.
Does pulled pork in a slow cooker need liquid?
Yes, you'll need some wet ingredients to make this barbecue pulled pork recipe, but not nearly as much as you might think. Specifically, the recipe calls for a cup of ketchup, three tablespoons of cider vinegar, and a couple tablespoons of molasses, plus a touch of Dijon mustard and chile sauce. The rest of the moisture comes from the meat. The pork releases liquid as it cooks, but that moisture is trapped inside the covered slow cooker, becoming imbued with the flavors of the recipe's other ingredients to make a sauce that keeps the meat juicy.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Using a slow cooker to prepare pulled pork is like cooking on autopilot. With less than half an hour of active work time, this recipe truly is a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Only a single small onion needs to be chopped; the entire time the meat is cooking is completely hands-off. Once the pork shoulder reaches melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, all that's left to do is effortlessly shred it while you reduce the sauce on the stove to your desired thickness.
Make ahead
The barbecue pulled pork can be refrigerated for up to four days.
Ingredients
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1 small onion, finely chopped
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1 cup ketchup
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1/4 cup dark brown sugar
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3 tablespoons cider vinegar
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2 tablespoons molasses
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1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
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2 teaspoons sambal oelek or other chile sauce
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4 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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Julia Hartbeck
Gather the Ingredients.
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Julia Hartbeck
In a medium bowl, mix the onion with the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, molasses, mustard, and sambal oelek.
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Julia Hartbeck
In a slow cooker, cover the pork with the ketchup mixture. Cook on high until the pork is very tender, about 6 hours.
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Julia Hartbeck
Transfer the pork to a work surface and, using 2 forks, shred the meat.
Julia Hartbeck
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Julia Hartbeck
Pour the sauce into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until thickened, about 15 minutes.
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Julia Hartbeck
Stir the shredded pork into the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
![Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/_Rv-6uuDqZGduXcXNjmeexbFcuQ=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/slow-cooker-barbecued-pulled-pork-hero-01-1b1072c0537945f2a1fcd6784f60a0b4.jpg)
Julia Hartbeck