Slow-cooked pork sandwiches

Photo by Joel

Don't they look like little monsters?

Some people get really excited about pulled pork. I mostly get excited about how easy it is to make. There's just something about taking a few minutes in the morning to plop stuff in the crockpot and coming home to aromatic insanity. But yes, it also tastes good.

I've seen lots and lots of recipes for pulled pork, but this one is the easiest for me, and you can make a really great barbecue sauce with what's left in the pot.

Slow-cooked pork
Adapted slightly from King Arthur's Flour
3-4 lb. boneless pork shoulder (I personally prefer boneless to make things that much easier with clean-up, and it's sometimes less fatty)
kosher salt
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 small onion, peeled and sliced 1/2- to 1-inch thick
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

Rub salt all over the pork, then pat on the brown sugar. Place the onions in the bottom of the crockpot. Place pork on top and drizzle the Worcestershire and vinegar over it. Cover and cook on high for four hours, then turn down to low for another 4 hours or so (or just cook it on low the whole time. I'm sure it will be fine).

If making a day in advance, refrigerate pork and cooking liquid separately (you can shred the pork whenever). If making the day of, remove the pork and place the cooking liquid in a container to cool at least 15 minutes in the fridge to help separate the fat.

BBQ sauce

Cooking liquid from pork (will have congealed if it sat in the fridge for awhile, but that's fine)
1/2 c. ketchup
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. hot sauce (I use Tapatio)

If you haven't already, remove the top layer of fat from the cooking liquid, and bring to a boil in a heavy skillet. Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the ketchup, liquid smoke and hot sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes, until it's reduced down and the spoon leaves a short trail in the pan.

Either place the pork in the pan with the sauce, or toss the sauce with the pork in a separate dish. Serve on your favorite vehicle (I love small hard sesame buns). Top with coleslaw, if you're that kind of pork-sandwich-eater.