Small Batch Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker Plus Bar-B-Que Sauce Recipe

Who likes pulled pork bar-b-que?  We don't have it often but we enjoy it when we do. 

Chuck and his police friends have always cooked the best food! One of their friends shared his church recipe which fed hundreds. That friend also shared the recipe with Chuck and he's made it for years here at home. It's delicious but more sauce than we could use or store here. I've been stocking up in the pantry and don't have enough room for those huge bottles.  

I wanted to make one similar to theirs but a lot smaller. My small batch recipe inspired by theirs but feeds 6 to 8 hungry people.  Sharing my adaptation of the recipe ...

Bar-B-Que has a different meaning in the South. When we say bar-b-que it means to add the bar-b-que sauce to any recipe.  This is pulled pork with bar-b-que sauce added. No matter how you cook it.  You could grill or smoke it outside, roast it in the oven at a very low temperature for hours then add the sauce. The choice is up to you. 

Small Batch Pulled Pork with Bar-B-Que Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

Small Boneless Pork Butt 2 1/2 to 3 pounds

Medium onion cut in half or quarters to sit fairly flat

Place the onion into the bottom of the slow cooker 

Put the pork roast on top of the onion fat side up

Put into the slow cooker on low overnight

Sauce - recipe below

* I got my pork butt from Butcherbox* They are always delicious

Directions 

Pork Butt Roast

Early the next morning check for tenderness 

Gently remove the roast only from the cooker 

Remove the liquid from the slow cooker and place it in a degreaser cup to cool and allow the fat/grease to separate from the broth. Discard the fat/grease. Save the broth because the pulled pork may need additional moisture.  If not needed there you could add the broth diluted with water to make rice as a side dish.

Place the roast into a baking pan with sides

Preheat oven to 475-F degrees.

Place roast in the oven

Watch and brown the top quickly then remove it from the oven - to prevent the meat from drying out

Let the roast sit for a few minutes. While it is resting mix up the sauce - see the recipe below

Take two large forks and pull the meat apart, removing and discarding the fat

Return to the Slow Cooker

Clean slow cooker

Turn the slow cooker back on to the warm setting

Place pulled pork back into the cooker

Add a scant amount of broth back into the cooker (no more than 1/4 cup total) to prevent drying

Slowly add a small amount of sauce - a - little - at - a - time gently mixing it into the pulled pork. 

You don't want it sitting in too much sauce you want it to look like pulled pork, not mush.

You will most likely have a lot of sauce left that can be added in later if needed

The cooker can be on warm for a few hours to incorporate the sauce and warm.

Have for lunch or refrigerate for later

You may also freeze at this time to use within 3 months or so.

Bar-B-Que Sauce Recipe  

Mustard/ketchup base - Small Batch

1/2 cup vinegar - your choice of white or apple cider (I used white)

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

A few dashes of black and red pepper

5 or 6 splashes of Texas Pete or your favorite hot sauce

Lemon juice a fresh lemon or Reallemon (I used Realemon 2 squeezes)

2-3 Heaping teaspoons of light brown sugar

Add the following to taste:  garlic powder, and onion powder 
* I used 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powder*

Taste and adjust the seasoning to your tastes.  Add more salt and peppers if you desire.

You don't have to heat but if used right away it helps keep your recipe hot.

Heat through whisking together to smooth. Bring to a boil then turn the stove down to low

Add to pulled pork as directed above. Store any leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to a month

Makes a pint of sauce

Excellent Homemade Hamburger Bun 

 

For a great go-to homemade yeast Hamburger Bun
Give yourself around 3 hours to make and try these.
I need to practice for a smoother rounder shape but

Let me tell you they are delicious no matter the shape 

King Arthur has one here