Recipe: Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork

There are few more enjoyable and fulfilling meals than a big plate of barbeque. Pulled pork is one of my favorite BBQ dishes, and I've sampled it in BBQ joints all around the country. I'd never really considered trying to make it at home, though, until recently. Barbeque is slow-cooked, and I couldn't imagine spending hours with a hot oven going to make dinner. Then, I got a crock-pot, and it became obvious that the solution to my "slow-cook" problem had presented itself.

The following recipe makes a big pile of pulled pork (I'd say about it serves sandwiches for about 8), which is great for family dinners, sandwiches for lunch, and parties or cookouts. The best part is that preparations are minimal, (there are only three ingredients) and it pretty much cooks itself in the crock-pot.

To start, you'll need a chunk of pork, about 3-4 pounds worth. You can use shoulder or loin cuts, although I prefer to use loin because it's a bit more tender. Trim the fat off the meat and cut it into manageable sized chunks (so it fits in the crock pot).

Chop up a large onion and drop it in the crock-pot with the pork. This will help give the meat a nice flavor. Next, you need an 18-ounce bottle of barbeque sauce. Use whatever kind you like…there are a million kinds out there. If you like spicy, use a spicy sauce. If you like honey, use a honey sauce. If you have a favorite brand, use that. I've actually had quite good luck simply using plain old Kraft.

Pour your BBQ sauce over the pork and onions in the crock-pot, set the crock-pot on low heat, and let it cook for about 6-8 hours. If you're home while it's cooking…be warned…it'll smell GREAT, and can be quite distracting. You'll know the meat is ready to be pulled if you poke at it with a fork and it crumbles easily.

Turn off the crock-pot and let the pork cool a bit. Take the pork out of the crock-pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks and pulling in opposite directions, slowly tear the pork into shreds. If the pork doesn't pull easily, it probably needs to cook longer. Shred the pork into whatever size pieces you prefer…it's totally up to whatever your taste. As you get piles of pork shredded, drop them back into the crock-pot (with the mix of BBQ sauce and onions) and stir it up. Keep it cooking on low heat until you're ready to serve it up.

This recipe has always been a big hit for me. I usually serve the pork on large bulkie rolls (toast the buns for an extra nice touch), but it can also be served right on the plate, perhaps with a nice southern-style side dish, and cornbread.

Enjoy!