The BEST pulled pork recipe in the crock pot! Get the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork with almost zero effort from your slow cooker. It’s such an easy recipe, the results are AMAZING, and you can feed a crowd an impressive dinner lickety-split. I’m also including instructions for oven roasted pulled pork! Also try my Smoked Pulled Pork recipe. And don’t forget the BBQ Sauce! Originally published July 15, 2022.
Let me tell you the scariest part about moving to a new house. It’s not the new neighbors, it’s not the new commute, it’s not the new grocery store where I have to relearn where everything is (although that is also pretty high on my inconveniences list, not gonna lie. WHERE IS THE BBQ SAUCE IN THIS DANG STORE I’VE LOOKED ON 17 AISLES.)
No, the worst part is the fact that being in a new house, you know exactly how many times something has happened since “the move”. Some things are pleasant, like oh, we’re having our first dinner in our new dining room! Or oh, we’re having friends over to swim in the pool for the second time! How nice.
But then it gets dark. How many times have I wiped my kitchen counters corner to corner since moving here? I will tell you, not once. How many times have I vacuumed? Not a single room. I’m not telling you how long exactly we’ve been here, so that you can hold back your Judgy McJudgerson stare.
But even I’m starting to get a little squirmy over here. You mean I still haven’t yet given my 2-year-old a bath in the new house? NOT EVEN ONCE?? (In my defense, we swim in the pool every day. That’s like, totally the same as a bath for a toddler, right?)
Okay, fine. Judge me all you want for the lack of general hygiene going on over here. At least we’re not starving. I may not find time to bathe my children, but there’s always time for easy summer dinners. Bust out the slow cooker.
A pork shoulder, slow-cooked and pulled into succulent little shreds, can become a thousand different meals.
How to get tender pulled pork
There are actually two secrets to getting the most tender pulled pork. First, you gotta start with the best cut of meat: go for the Boston Butt, aka pork butt! (“Pork shoulder” cut is a close second) Despite its name, pork butt is a shoulder cut with lots of fat marbling, a uniform shape, and lots of muscle that makes it ideal to cook down into fall-apart deliciousness.
The second secret is cook time. The shoulder cut comes from a part of the pig with lots of connective tissues and fat. If the meat isn’t cooked long enough, those tissues will stay intact and you’ll have tough pork; your teeth will have to do the work, no thank you. We want low and slow heat to melt these connective tissues over time, leaving behind perfectly tender meat!
How long does pulled pork take to cook in the oven?
Now for the low and slow part. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and keep cooking the pork for another 3-5 hours. We need all the collagen and connective tissues to break down slooooowly; that’s what gives us the tender, juicy texture we want.
Do not rely on times for cooking this pork, rely on your meat thermometer. The pork is done when it reaches 195 to 200 degrees F. 200 degrees is what we are shooting for, but remember that the internal temperature of the pork will rise a few degrees even after you take it out of the oven.
You might think this pork looks burned. You are wrong. This is the gorgeous, blackened, incredibly flavorful “bark” on the outer edge of oven roasted pulled pork. It’s divine! Ready to shred??
How to Shred Pulled Pork With Forks : Delicious Recipes & Kitchen Skills
FAQ
Does pork shoulder shred well?
Can you use a pork shoulder for shredded pork?
What is the best joint of pork for shredding?
What is pork shoulder best for?
Is pork shoulder a good cut of pork?
Pork shoulder does all that. That’s why most recipes that show you how to make pulled pork call for this cut. Your recipe may specify pork shoulder blade roast, pork shoulder roast, or boneless pork shoulder; all of these are from the shoulder and are great for making pulled pork. What About Pork Loin?
Why is pork not recommended to eat?
This is not true, some cuts like sirloin and pork rump steak, for example, are very healthy, even healthier than beef and chicken. Only the fattest cuts like bacon and crackling should be avoided.
Can you cook pork if it’s not shredding?
Pork that isn’t shredding due to undercooked meat is easier to fix. Just put the meat back on the smoker until it’s reached at least 195 degrees. Let it rest for at least 45 minutes, then attempt to shred it again. Similarly, if you cooked the pork to the correct temperature too quickly, try finishing it off in a crock pot or the oven.
Can you buy a whole pork shoulder?
It’s possible to purchase an entire pork shoulder, but as these are serious hunks of meat that typically weigh between 12 and 16 pounds, we would recommend sticking with the pork butt. The meat will shred more easily, and it’s a better value overall. The rectangular shape also makes it easier to handle.