Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork

My wife is a country fanatic...she loves everything country, southern, western (she had custom cowboy boots made to go with her wedding dress). I enjoy fantastic barbecue, so when Nicole asked me a couple of years ago to make pulled pork, I was game for a go. The result of my tweaking and tasting is a simple, yet delectable BBQ Pulled Pork that melts in your mouth.

I must advise you in advance, this is a long process (takes place over two days), so though you don't need to do much in between, you must have some patience. Only time can give you the slow cooked, fall apart, succulent taste and texture of BBQ Pulled Pork. So, this is a good recipe to start before you go to bed, to finish up the following day.

Prep time is split, because you have to work on this dish mid-way through the cooking process as well the beginning. I'll explain that in detail as we progress. For now, here are you ingredients and what to expect.

Prep time: 45 Minutes (split into 15 and 30 minutes segments) Cook Time: 14-18 hours

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

3 - 4 lb. Boneless Pork Tenderloin
2 Bottles BBQ Sauce (pick your favorite, I like Cattleman's best...stay away from Kraft, Heinz and other "commercial" brands)
1 Large Onion (Cut into 1/4" rings and separated)
3 Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Sliced)

Directions:

Set-up crockpot in a location that is not going to have a problem with heat exposure for a long time - make sure not to set-up directly under a kitchen cabinet, as steam and heat from the crockpot over time can cause your cabinets to warp or delaminate.

Lightly coat the bottom of the crockpot with a layer of BBQ sauce. Use just enough so you cannot see the bottom of the crockpot.

Peel onion by first cutting off each end of the onion, then making one vertical slice through the first layer of onion from top to bottom. Peel off skin and first layer of onion to expose the edible flesh of the onion, then slice horizontally 1/4" rings. Break each ring apart into its respective layers and place in the crockpot, covering the bottom.

After placing onions in the crockpot, peel the three cloves of garlic and slice each clove into thin strips. This step does not have to be perfect, if you cannot slice them thinly, just quarter the cloves and put them in the crockpot - the important part is the cloves are cut open, allowing the flavor to fully infiltrate the sauce as it breaks down.

After adding the garlic and onion to the crockpot, pour in the remaining portion of the first bottle of BBQ sauce.

Next, inspect your Pork Tenderloin roast. If there is any noticeable section of fat on the exterior of the roast, slice it off. After that, place the roast in the crockpot, pour entire second bottle of sauce over top of the roast, cover and set heat to low. Allow to cook overnight.

Approximately 10 hours later (when you wake up in the morning, have your coffee and are ready for some physical work), take the roast out of the crockpot and place on a cutting board. At this point, the roast will already be falling apart when you attempt to pick it up, so be careful when lifting the roast. Use tongs and a strong spatula to avoid the roast falling apart and splattering hot BBQ sauce on you. Keep the crockpot on, as you are not done cooking yet.

Once you get the roast to the cutting board, take two forks (one in each hand) and begin pulling the fork from top to bottom of the roast with the grain (you'll know the grain because the pork will want to fall off in long strips in the direction of the grain). As you pull the pieces off, use both forks together to hold and further pull the pork apart so that you have small, long strands of pork. As you pull the pork, return the pulled pieces back to the crockpot. Continue this until the entire roast is pulled.

^Tip^ Keep in mind that this step takes time - and if you have carpel tunnel or tendinitis as I do, it can be a little painful. Don't be afraid to take breaks. The roast is not going anywhere, so a short break is not going to hurt it and you may need it.

Once all the pork is returned to the crockpot, stir the pulled pork into the BBQ sauce. Once well mixed, return the lid to the crockpot and continue to cook on low for another 4-6 hours.

If you crockpot has multiple heat settings (High, Low and Warm), then this step is for you. If not, go to the next step. Approximately 1.5 hours prior to serving, set your crockpot to "Warm". This will lower the temperature even more, allowing your beautiful pulled pork to begin to thicken. Up until this point, the sauce may still look a little wet. High heat keeps liquids moving freely, even on the Low setting. So, turning down to Warm will drop the temperature just enough to allow the pulled pork sauce to thicken and really finish the process.

If your crockpot only has a High and Low setting, then approximately 30 minutes prior to serving, turn the crockpot off and leave covered. This will allow the sauces to thicken and the dish will "finish itself".

Serve with your favorite sides (corn, potatoes, green beans) or with rolls for pulled pork sandwiches. This dish always goes well at backyard BBQ's and parties...people just LOVE pulled pork. You'll be a hero and the long hours put into cooking it will be rewarded with compliments all around.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. As you can see, it is very simple and very tasty. I personally make this dish at least once a month and for some reason, every time I post on Facebook that I am making it, my sister-in-law is usually at my dinner table within an hour. She doesn't get out of bed for anybody and yet pulled pork is like an instant wake-up call....interesting.

As always, good luck and...

Yours in cooking,
Chris