Slow-Cooker Georgia Pulled Pork Barbecue

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total: 13 hr 10 min
  • Prep: 1 hr 10 min
  • Cook: 12 hr
Barbecue is serious business in a lot of Southern families, and Trisha Yearwood's is no exception. Throughout her childhood in Georgia, her father's pulled pork-an all-day project-was a must on the Fourth of July and at other summer get-togethers. "He would slow-cook it on a covered grill and have to keep going back to baste it all day long." Now that Trisha throws the family's annual Fourth of July party, she has figured out a way to adapt her dad's recipe for the slow cooker, so she won't have to keep disappearing to tend to the meat.
Advertisement

Ingredients

For the roast: 

2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, quartered

4 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 4- to 6-pound Boston butt pork roast, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat

For the sauce:

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup tomato juice

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 teaspoon sugar

For the sandwiches:

Buns, mustard and coleslaw, for serving

Directions

  1. Prepare the roast: Put the quartered onions in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper and rub it all over the pork roast. Add the roast to the slow cooker on top of the onions.
  2. Make the sauce: Chop the onion and puree in a blender. You may need to add a drop of water to the blender to help the onions completely puree. Place the pureed onion in a 2-quart saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, tomato juice, 1/2 tablespoon black pepper, the garlic powder, cayenne and hot sauce and mix well. Increase the heat to medium high, return to a boil, then stir in the sugar. Remove from the heat.
  3. Drizzle 1 cup sauce over the roast in the slow cooker. Continue to cook the remaining sauce over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, allowing it to reduce by half. Then remove the sauce from the heat, allow it to cool completely and refrigerate for later use.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the roast in the slow cooker on low for 8 to 12 hours, checking after 8 hours for tenderness. Remove the meat and onions from the slow cooker. Discard the onions and finely shred the pork, using two forks. Reserve the juices from the slow cooker to add to the meat for desired juiciness. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on buns with a little mustard and coleslaw.

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Anonymous

Had to adjust for sodium restricted family member but was easy to do. Turned out great no added salt, switched juice for no salt added tomato sauce, added coriander. BBQ sauce was snappy and good.

See All Reviews