Slow cookers, otherwise known by the brand name Crockpot, are appliances that allow for users to start the cooking process hours before a meal and leave the food to cook without supervision.

If someone has the time to quickly set up the Crockpot when they get up in the morning, by dinner time they will have a fully cooked meal ready to be served when they get home. This magical appliance is a great option for college students who are on campus all day.

My favorite meal to throw in a slow cooker is pulled pork. This stringy meal is perfect by itself or in sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas or mixed bowls. This article will dive deeper into my personal recipe for slow-cooked pulled pork that can be molded to fit anyone’s specific taste.

To start off, the main ingredient of this recipe is pork. I use pork shoulder, otherwise known as picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast or pork butt according to pork.org. I’ve found this to be the best type of pork as it falls apart perfectly. Usually a four pound pork shoulder will do the trick.

Spices will be needed to add more flavor to the pork. The spices I use and their measurements are:

• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup of apple juice, water, apple cider vinegar or your favorite beer

Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl. These are the spices that I’ve found work for my tastebuds, but the amount of these spices or even the contents of this list can be adjusted to taste. Feel free to experiment with this recipe to find the perfect spice level.

Once all the spices have been mixed together, rub the mixture into the pork shoulder and place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Sprinkle any of the leftover spice mixture on top of the pork.

This final step is optional, but I add a little liquid to the slow cooker for the pork to roast in. I usually use apple juice, but water, apple cider vinegar or beer all work too. 

Now it’s time to place the lid on and put the slow cooker on low heat. Let the pork sit for the next eight hours to fully cook and separate into pulled pork. Give the pork a good stir at least half an hour before serving to break up the pieces still stuck together.

I love to eat my pulled pork on a bun with some barbeque sauce. This recipe usually makes around six or seven servings, so it’s perfect for leftovers or to feed friends and family. 

Make sure to keep this article in your back pocket next time you need a dinner meal ready to go but don’t have the time or energy to make it when you get home.

Fisher can be reached at [email protected].