Name: Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 480 min
Ingredients: 4-6 lb. Pork Steak Ready Shoulder Butt Roast, bone in; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 1 tbsp dry mustard; 1 tbsp cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp black pepper; 6 cups apple juice; 2 cups water; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup salt; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp peppercorns; 2 tbsp dry rub mix

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Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork is a favourite in our house. Pulled pork, so good, It's converted even the pickiest adults. An easy crock pot recipe, made even better with an apple juice brine. This pulled pork recipe is loaded with spicy flavour, the perfect kick! Serve it as is or on a bun with coleslaw and a bit of your favourite barbecue sauce. The leftovers are amazing on pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, in a big salad or gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.

Do you clean your fridge out before a trip and then come home to bare shelves? Me too! We just got back from a trip to Canada. Four flights and 16 hours of driving for a surprise birthday party. It was the best, the party not the travel! But, we came home to an empty refrigerator and I refuse to grocery shop at midnight.

So I figured it would be grilled cheese sandwiches for the next day’s dinner. Bread and cheese are staples we always have on hand, except for yesterday. I guess in my pre-travel excitement I forgot to pick up an extra loaf to freeze. In my search, however, I did come across a freezer bag of Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork, which I had made a few weeks back and our dinner was saved. Maybe this should be called hero pulled pork.

Not only is this pulled pork ready to go, but it’s also so so so good. I’m generally the only true pulled pork fan in our house. If we go to a barbecue joint, you can bet, I’ll be ordering pork. For some crazy reason though, I seem to be the only one who thinks pork is the best-pulled meat. That is until I made this Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork and served it.

It’s converted my husband who, if you’ve been following along know that his meat of choice is chicken and only chicken. Boring! When I served this pork for the first time, he went back for seconds. SECONDS! Rest assured, if my husband, who is the good-enough-for-the-blog barometer, goes for seconds, you will love this.

And it’s easy! It doesn’t taste easy, but it is. It’s loaded with all kinds of spices, soaked in an apple juice brine and cooked low and slow. Let’s chat for a minute about brine. We’ve all heard that brining your meat makes it extra moist and here it’s no exception. It’s a must! The meat stays extra tender and I wouldn’t skip this step. The extra flavour that gets infused is second to none.

How to make Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork

Trim your roast of as much extra fat as you can and then place it in your slow cooker’s removable pot. Then mix together the spices and store in an air-tight container, you’ll use them all but keeping it in an airtight container keeps the brown sugar from hardening. Combine two tablespoons of the spices with other brine ingredients and stir until the sugar and salt mostly dissolve. Pour this mixture over the pork and let marinate for at least 12 hours, I do this overnight.

In the morning, drain off the brine and rub the remaining dry rub mixture all over the roast, get it everywhere! Set the removable pot into the slow cooker and cook on low for at least 8 hours. When it’s ready, I remove the pork and shred it with two forks. I toss it back in the slow cooker to soak up some more of the juices that have accumulated. Then top with your favourite barbecue sauce, if you wish.

How to serve Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork

with a side of coleslaw and corn on the cob
on top of a salad
in a bun with extra barbecue sauce and coleslaw
as the main ingredient on a pizza
in a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich
top a baked potato with it
inside tacos
on top of poutine (everyone loves poutine, not just us Canadians)

In our house, we tend to start with a couple of sides and then use the leftovers to make buns loaded with the pulled pork and topped with coleslaw. We also use the meat in fancy-schmancy grilled cheese sandwiches, the next day. So over the top! Or mix it into giant salads. It’s ridiculously tasty with a bit of kick and in my opinion, probably better as leftovers.

If you end up with extras, after you’ve filled your leftover meal quota, this pulled pork freezes beautifully so you can pull it out again next month and enjoy it all over again!

Loved Slow Cooker Brined Pulled Pork? Check out these other delicious main dish recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:

If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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