Smokey BBQ Pulled Pork (Slow-cooker)

By: Susan Joy

This easy slow cooker healthy BBQ pulled pork recipe is made with your own seasonings. You get to forgo the additives, artificial flavours and colours in pre-made BBQ mixes and bottled sauces.

I’ve used pork shoulder as it’s a moist cut and helps create a rich, hearty flavour but this recipe can also be used with beef or boneless lamb. I love my Sweet Potato & Cassava Flour Wraps (recipe HERE) with the pulled pork. The wraps are very flexible and can be filled quite full without any worry of them falling apart. Pulled pork goes well with coleslaw and cauliflower & parsnip mash or my Irish Mash (recipe HERE).

Serves: 6 – 8 | Prep Time: 00:10 | *Cooking Time: 06:00 

* 6 hrs on high or 9 hrs on low in slow-cooker

Ingredients

  • 2kg boneless shoulder pork, roast 

BBQ COOKING SAUCE: 

  • 1 lge onion(s), diced 
  • 125ml (1/2 cups) beef broth/stock, or filtered water 
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste 
  • 3 Tbsp coconut aminos, or 2 Tbsp organic tamari 
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
  • 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard 
  • 1 Tbsp molasses (organic unsulphured) 
  • Juice from 1 lemon(s) 
  • 3 tsp minced garlic 
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika 
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt 
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1 tsp ground coriander 
  • 1 tsp cumin 
  • 1 tsp garam masala 
  • 1 tsp allspice 

Directions

Remove any string that may be wrapped around the pork and use a sharp knife to carefully slice off the layer of fat on top. Set the meat aside at room temperature and discard the fat or use to make pork crackle. Turn on your slow cooker to start warming while you prepare the cooking sauce.

Add all the BBQ cooking sauce ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker and mix well to combine (it can also be made the night before and left in the fridge to save time but add a little extra cooking time as the sauce is chilled).

Place your piece of pork into the sauce and roll it around to coat well. Place the lid on and leave to cook for 6 hours on high or 9 hours on low. Check the meat is cooked and falling apart by poking with a fork (should be soft and pulls away easily). Quite a lot of juice will come from the meat and the sauce will have increased.

Once the pork is soft and ready, use 2 forks to pull the meat apart while still in the slow cooker. Mix the shredded pork through the sauce and place the lid back on. Keep on low while you prepare your other dishes.

Serve the pulled pork in gluten/grain-free wraps or buns with coleslaw (use a slotted spoon to drain off excess sauce if using wraps). Delicious served over your favourite mash.

Article supplied with thanks to The JOYful Table.

About the Author: Susan is an author of The JOYful Table cookbook containing gluten & grain free, and Paleo inspired recipes for good health and wellbeing.