Slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches
Smoky, tender pulled pork that cooks itself all day, piled on soft buns with a tangy slaw, and there is plenty to freeze.
- 620 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 8
- About $1.75 a serving
- 670 calories
- Good the next day
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 4 big chunks
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 4 cups coleslaw mix
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 8 hamburger buns
- 1 cup dill pickles, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 tsp sugar
Each serving has about 670 calories, 35 g protein, 49 g carbs and 37 g fat, and costs about $1.75 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No coleslaw mix? Green cabbage or red cabbage works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper together in a small bowl.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
the pork dry and rub the spice mix all over every chunk.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: Big chunks cook faster than one whole roast and give you more of the tasty crust.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Scatter the onion over the bottom of the slow cooker, set the pork on top, and pour ¼ cup of the vinegar and ½ cup of water around the sides.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is and falls apart when you push on it.
Fork-tender. Fork-tender means cooked until a fork slides in with almost no push. It’s how you know potatoes, carrots or slow-cooked meat are soft all the way through.
How you’ll know: The fork slides in and out easily, and meat pulls apart with very little effort.
Timer: 480 min
Dolly’s tip: No peeking. Every time the lid comes off, the cooker loses heat and needs about 20 minutes to catch up.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Lift the pork onto a cutting board and it with two forks, pulling out and throwing away any big soft pieces of fat.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Spoon the fat off the top of the juices, then the pork, the BBQ sauce and ½ cup of the juices together in the pot.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: Those juices keep the pork moist for days. Save the extra to splash in when you reheat it.In a big bowl, the mayonnaise, the rest of the vinegar, the sugar and the rest of the salt, then in the coleslaw mix.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pile the pork onto the buns and top with slaw and pickles.
Dolly’s tip: To freeze, cool the extra pork with some juices and pack it flat in freezer bags for up to 3 months. For lunches, pack the slaw separately so the bun stays soft, not soggy.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
