Ingredients
Scale
- 1 boneless or bone-in pork butt (also known as pork shoulder), 4½ to 5 pounds, with the twine or netting removed
- 2 teaspoons of salt, add extra as needed
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of ancho or mild chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 1 cup of water
- 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
For Serving (Optional)
Instructions
- Season the pork using salt and pepper, then leave it aside while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring periodically until the onions and garlic are delicious and caramelized around the edges. Combine the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin in a mixing bowl. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the color of the tomato paste changes from a brilliant red to orange, this should take about 3 minutes. Cook for 1 minute extra after adding in the apple cider vinegar, water and fish sauce, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- In the bottom of a slow cooker, place the seasoned pork, then add in the onion and spice combination on top. Move the pork around in the slow cooker’s bottom, allowing some of the combination of the onion and spice to seep underneath. Cover the slow cooker and let it cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, or until the pork is easily shreddable.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a chopping board. Remove any bones from the pork and discard them. Shred the meat with two forks, removing any connective tissue and large clumps of fat.
- Skim the majority of the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Remove the fat and set aside the cooking liquid.
- If you choose to use barbecue sauce in your recipe, pour it into the slow cooker with the shredded pork and stir well to combine. Return part of the reserved cooking liquid for even additional flavor. If you’re not adding barbecue sauce, then simply return the shredded pork to the slow cooker along with the cooking liquid. Season to taste with salt, vinegar, or chili sauce, if desired.
This recipe delivers delicious pulled pork that can be used in a variety of meals, from salads, to burgers. The entire cooking procedure lasts for 8 hours and 30 minutes, with a prep time of 30 minutes and a cook time of 8 hours. It’s a long process, but the delicious pork is definitely worth the wait.
If you’d like even more ideas to explore with slow cooker pork butt recipes, then we recommend this video recipe for you to see.