Monday, June 13, 2011

Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork


We have big news: We are having a little girl! Hubby is terrified and we're both excited. We have a couple of names picked out, but we won't be naming her until she is here. Now we're just preparing the nursery and making lists of all the baby stuff we need to buy-and there is a lot of it!

On to the recipe! I'm no longer meat-averse, but I am HATING all things chicken. Give me a steak or a roast any day, and I even ate a cheeseburger! I haven't had a cheeseburger in many, many years. This recipe, while not beef, was absolutely delicious. And it couldn't be easier. We started with a thawed roast, but next time I'll use a frozen one and cook it for longer. I really believe that low and slow theory is right on.

Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

2+ pound pork roast (you can use tenderloin, butt, shoulder, etc.)
1 can or bottle of root beer (we used A&W, but you could also use Dr. Pepper or another brand)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or half an onion, thinly sliced)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced)
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Place your roast, frozen or thawed, into your slow cooker. Rub onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper into the roast.



Pour your root beer all over the roast.



Cook on low 5-6 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove the roast to shred it and pour the root beer mixture into a separate bowl. Return the dry shredded pork to the slow cooker.



Pour on your BBQ sauce and mix. We used a Memphis style, because that's what we had on hand, but we prefer Carolina style (more vinegary), so we added a little apple cider vinegar.



Test your pulled pork and add a little bit of the root beer mixture to taste. This will sweeten it up and thin it out a little bit. Serve it up on toasted hamburger buns with corn on the cob and enjoy!