Pulled Pork Recipe (VIDEO) (2025)

FAQs

What is the secret to pulled pork? ›

Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed. You can shred the pork during smoking or in the crockpot.

Pour 1 1/2 cups liquid, such as low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, tomato juice, light or amber beer, white or red wine, orange juice, or a mix of several liquids (and optional liquid smoke) over the pork.

To reheat in the Slow cooker: Add the pork and leftover juices to slow cooker (add additional liquid if needed–apple juice, broth or water– to keep is moist).

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Typically, when you make pulled pork, you'll cook it in barbeque sauce or another acidic ingredient like vinegar, citrus, or Worcestershire sauce, which work to tenderize the pork. Now think about soda like any other marinade, working to help break down the meat for pull-apart results.

Combine apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Creole seasoning, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pout into a squeeze bottle and store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

If you can't find apple cider, use unsweetened (and preferably unfiltered) apple juice. Note 3. You'll notice a thick coating of fat on the pork – keep this intact!

I roasted two identical pork shoulders until they were both equally tender. One at 375°F (which took about 3 hours), and second at 250°F (which took about 8 hours).

The gelatin also thickens a bit as the meat cools during the rest, so more of it stays in the meat when sliced or pulled. Many competition barbecue teams will wrap briskets and pork butts in aluminum foil during the final stages of cooking and add broth, juice, or other flavorful concoctions to the foil package.

Why is my pulled pork always dry? ›

Dryness: If your pulled pork turns out dry, it might be due to overcooking or not enough fat content in the cut used. To avoid this, ensure you're using a cut like pork shoulder (butt roast) and keeping the cooking temperature low.

Here's our baseline: Porters/Stouts work best with all kinds of pork, like pulled pork. Ambers or brown beer work best with beef and or brisket. We like Hazy, clowdy IPAs for chicken or pork because of how light yet diverse it can be.

What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork? Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.

We use brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a good amount of salt & pepper, and a pinch of cayenne! Make sure you use all of the seasoning! Also, really rub it into the pulled pork, get all of the nooks and crannies!

Remove the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and skim as much fat as possible. Discard the excess fat (which will float to the top) and then stir the liquid back into the pork to keep it extra moist and flavorful.

Slow cook for 6-8 hours if you split the meat in half, and about 8-10 hours if you left the pork butt whole. The trick to good pulled pork is cooking low and slow! We want all the collagen and connective tissues to break down and give us that tender, delicious texture.