Comfort Me With
20130724-260856-slow-cooker-pulled-pork.jpg

[Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti]

This dish calls for a slow cooker, but if you don't have one, you can cook it in a covered Dutch oven. Either way, this pulled pork is a long, slow braise that will leave your house smelling amazing, and that's my idea of the perfect meal.

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in San Francisco. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. She also publishes a monthly culinary newsletter full of stories, review, and helpful tips. Stephanie's cookbook, Melt: the Art of Macaroni and Cheese, celebrates America's favorite dish by recreating it with specialty cheeses. Available for preorder now.

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About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 8 hours
Special equipment: slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 small boneless, skin-off pork shoulder roast, about 2 pounds
  • 1 can of Dr Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 cups store-bought or homemade Kansas City-style barbecue sauce
  • 6 soft hamburger buns

Procedures

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, brown the pork on all sides. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker. Return the pan to the stove.

  2. Pour Dr Pepper into the pan and deglaze, using a spatula to scrape up all the pork bits on the bottom. Let cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom occasionally.

  3. Pour the Dr Pepper over the meat in the slow cooker. Add honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

  4. After the meat has cooked for 7 hours, drain off any excess liquid and shred the meat into small bits with two forks. Add the barbecue sauce to the pork and stir well. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 1 more hour.

  5. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Fill the burger buns with pork and serve immediately.