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Easy Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork (Cooler Hold Optional)

Slow-cooked pork shoulder becomes tender enough to shred, with an optional cooler hold after cooking.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 lb pork shoulder bone-in or boneless
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup apple juice or cider
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard

Method
 

  1. Mix the brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Rub the mixture over the pork shoulder.
  2. Put the pork, apple juice and mustard in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8–10 hours, until a fork twists easily in the meat and it shreds without resistance; begin checking at 8 hours.
  3. Remove any bone and large pieces of fat. Shred the pork and moisten with the cooking juices. Serve hot.
  4. For transport immediately after cooking, put the covered hot pork into a prewarmed, emptied cooler and monitor that it stays at least 140°F. Otherwise refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers; reheat to 165°F before serving.

Notes

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. If holding for transport, use a clean insulated cooler and a food thermometer; the cooler does not cook the pork. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours.