The Secret to Making Pulled Pork Just Like Grandma (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to pulled pork? ›

Pull the pork from the fridge to take the chill off while you chop a few onions and smash garlic cloves. Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy.

The heavenly triumvirate of salt, sugar and paprika gives you a subtle flavour that allows the pork to sing with its own pure flavour, and for you to get more creative with your serving sauces.

Typically, when you make pulled pork, you'll cook it in barbeque sauce or another acidic ingredient like vinegar, citrus, or Worcestershire sauce, which work to tenderize the pork. Now think about soda like any other marinade, working to help break down the meat for pull-apart results.

Skim the fat off the top of the cooking liquid. For more moist and flavorful pulled pork, you can mix some of the cooking liquid back into the pork. Start with a little, mix, then add more until the pork is as wet or dry as you like. Alternatively, for barbecue pulled pork, you can mix in barbecue sauce.

The best cuts of meat for pulled pork: The best cuts come for the shoulder of the pig, where there is a lot of marbling (internal fat) and collagen-rich connective tissue that respond well to low, slow cooking, yielding moist, juicy meat that is fall-apart tender.

Cumin. Cumin is a favourite in curries, but it also works incredibly well with pork. It is a go-to savoury spice for a reason: its distinct, earthy flavour.

For an all-American classic, I use a mix of ketchup, grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Coca-Cola. Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides. The pork will make more liquid as it cooks, and you need to leave room for that.

The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat. It also helps mellow out the darker, gamier-tasting parts of the butt.

Add your favorite toppings like sweet pineapple, pickled onions, some cilantro, or a squeeze of lime. Get the Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos recipe.

Why do people use root beer for pulled pork? ›

What does root beer do to pulled pork? Root beer is lightly acidic, and that acid breaks down the tough fibers in the meat, which tenderizes it. The sweetness of the soft drink complements the pork without adding a root beer flavor, and the sugar caramelizes the edges.

As the muscle has a good amount of fat, it stays tender and succulent even after prolonged cooking. Don't forget to moisturize: Brining or curing the meat is important to prevent it from drying out in the smoker. As hot smoke tends to rip off the moisture from the meat, adding extra moisture will balance it.

Beer – This has multiple purposes. It's used as (1) the liquid in the pan to prevent the pan from drying out during the slow-roasting, (2) for extra flavour on the pork flesh, and (3) making tasty pan juices which are later tossed through the shredded pork and stirred into the homemade BBQ sauce.