Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork – Sweet, Spicy Heaven

Screw you down-turned economy…you can’t take the joy out of my life.  I have a crock pot, ha HA!  I can make meals for a whole week at a time should I choose – and I do.  Last week was slow cooker chili, next week it is corn beef and cabbage…oh yeah.

The miracle of tasty joy this week, BBQ Pulled Pork from scratch…and yeah, it’s that awesome.

There are two parts to this recipe, the meat and the sauce.  Here is what you need from the grocery store: 4 pound pork roast, 2 onions, cloves (optional), beer (optional but you should opt for it), 2 bottles of BBQ sauce (trust me on this get “Sweet Baby Ray’s” it has a white label, pick the flavors you like best), one orange, can of chipotle peppers (in the international section), honey/sugar (whichever you prefer), small packet of apple cider mix (usually near the teas and coco).  Got everything…OK let’s cook – slowly.

To Cook the Sauce:

• 1/2 hour before you are going to shred the meat start the sauce. (Or not, you could just dump everything into the cooker – I like to simmer and taste test mine first but it isn’t the end of the world if you don’t.)
• Over a very low heat combine:
• 2 bottles of BBQ sauce
• 1/3 – 1/2 can of chipotle peppers mushed to a pulp with fork and knife (freeze rest in a zippy bag for later use)
• Small package of apple cider mix
• Slice 1/2 to 1 orange and put it in the mix, peel and all. (I like a full orange, it gives it a lot of kick, but for your first try start with 1/2 an orange and see what you prefer.)
• Depending on your family’s spice tolerance test the sauce here and add sugar or honey to cut the flavor until it is sweet enough for you.  Remember to give it a moment after you test it…the kick comes in a second, not right away.
• Salt and pepper to taste along with any other spices you like.  Diced onions, go right ahead; pressed garlic, no problem; cumin, could be fun.  I have put everything and anything in this mix and only gone wrong once with too much pepper.  Have fun with it…just add things slowly.

To Cook the Meat:

• Set cooker on 2/3 or high and cook for 8-12 hours.
• Slice 2 onions, layer on bottom of cooker place meat in and layer onions on top of meat as well
• Press 5 or 6 cloves into the flesh of the meat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Empty one can of beer into cooker – as in every other recipe I think Guinness is the best
• Fill the rest of cooker with water until 2/3 full
• I turn the meat over half way through…I have no idea if that is required…but I do it.
• When you are done cooking remove and discard everything but the meat (or you could be thrifty and make soup from the stock, go nuts) use two forks and shred the shit out of the meat…this is fun if you have had a bad day.
• Put meat back in the cooker and add BBQ Sauce in, cook for 3 more hours on low setting.

Remove meat from cooker, throw out orange slices and toast some buns in the oven.

Direct quote when James came home yesterday, “Oh my god, this is what heaven smells like, is it done?”

Enjoy!