Dump Meals

Pork Freezer bag

Pulled Pork

dumpmeals.com/recipes/pulled-pork/

Pork shoulder cut into pieces, rubbed with paprika and brown sugar, cooked until it shreds. Serve on buns.

Serves
10
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours
Slow cooker
4-quart

Pulled pork starts with pork shoulder, a tough, well-marbled cut that turns soft and shreds apart after a long, moist cook. The rub is simple: smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder and salt. A splash of cider vinegar and some broth keep the pot moist and add a little tang.

The shoulder is cut into 2-inch chunks so the heat can reach the center, as extension guidance recommends for large cuts. When it is done, shred it, toss it with barbecue sauce, and pile it on buns with coleslaw. Sweet pickles on the side are a classic partner. Extra pork freezes well in portions.

Pile it on buns with coleslaw, or serve it over baked potatoes. The cooking liquid is rich, so skim off the fat on top before stirring some of it back into the meat. A little goes a long way.

Ingredients

Into the slow cooker

  • 3½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Near the end

  • 1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

To serve

  • hamburger buns
  • coleslaw, for serving

Directions

  1. If your meat is frozen, thaw it completely in the refrigerator first. Never put frozen meat in the slow cooker.
  2. Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt, and rub it all over the pork.
  3. Put the pork in a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour in the vinegar and broth. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat. If it doesn't, add a little more broth.
  4. Cover. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours.
  5. Check the pork. It must read at least 145°F and be fork-tender. Rest 3 minutes.
  6. Shred with two forks. Stir in some of the cooking liquid and the barbecue sauce.
  7. Serve on buns with coleslaw.

It's done when every piece of pork reads at least 145°F in the center, and it is fork-tender and shreds easily. Let it rest 3 minutes first. Check with a food thermometer.

Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until hot all the way through (165°F), not in the slow cooker. Slow cooker safety

Make it a freezer dump bag

Put the pork pieces, rub, vinegar and broth in one gallon freezer bag. Keep the barbecue sauce for cook day. Press out the air, seal, label and freeze flat.

Bag: gallon freezer bag. Keeps: 3 months for best quality; safe indefinitely at 0°F in the freezer.

Pulled Pork

Frozen on:

Thaw in the refrigerator 24 to 36 hours, until no ice is left in the middle. Never cook it from frozen, and cook it within 2 days of thawing. Dump into a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Check with a food thermometer that the pork reads at least 145°F and is fork-tender, then let it rest 3 minutes. Shred the pork and stir in one 18-ounce bottle barbecue sauce.

Best within 3 months of the date above.

Plan several bags at once with one shopping list and printable labels.

The planner prints this label free. A designed set for all 17 freezer recipes, plus blanks, is in the Freezer Bag Labels pack ($7).

This recipe is one of the ten in The Freezer Session ($12): ten dump bags, one shopping trip, one afternoon.

Cooking for two

Use 1.75 lb pork in 2-inch chunks, half the rub, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup broth and half the barbecue sauce. Use a 2-quart slow cooker, so the food still fills it about halfway. Check at 6 hours on low.

More in Cooking for two in a slow cooker.

Tips

  • Trim large pieces of fat before cooking. Leave a thin layer for flavor.
  • Add the barbecue sauce at the end so it does not turn bitter.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until they reach 165°F. Do not reheat them in the slow cooker.

Food-safety sources

More pork

  • Carnitas Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Pork shoulder cooked with orange, lime, cumin and oregano, shredded, and crisped under the broiler.
  • Hawaiian Pork with Pineapple Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Pork shoulder pieces cooked in pineapple juice, soy sauce and ginger, shredded and served over rice.
  • Sausage with Peppers and Onions Low 4 to 6 hours, or high 2 to 3 hours Browned Italian sausage links with bell peppers, onions and marinara, ready for rolls or pasta.
  • Split Pea Soup with Ham Low 7 to 9 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Dried green split peas, diced ham, carrots and celery slow-cooked into a thick soup. No soaking needed.