Pulled Pork

There's nothing like a slow-smoked pork butt or shoulder, shredded and tossed with a homemade barbecue sauce.   But few of us have that kind of time and equipment to make this great Southern delicacy.   I've figured out how to do a darn-good version of this using my crock pot and hope that you enjoy it as much as our family does.

I start with the cut of pork called a "country spare rib" but you can use shoulder, butt, or anything else with sufficient connective tissue and fat in it.  Use about 1.5 pounds for every 4 people you want to serve.

In a crock pot, mix 1/2 cut apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup apple juice/cider, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke.   Place the meat into this mixture, and set your crock pot for 6-8 hours.

When it's done, shred the meat using two forks, and then toss with a ladle of two of the braising liquid and your favorite barbecue sauce.  My recommendation is Pierce's BBQ sauce, from Williamsburg, VA.   You can order some here:  http://www.pierces.com/shop_at_pierces.asp.

Pulled pork is traditionally served on white bread or a soft roll, with a bit of coleslaw on top (http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/cole-slaw.html)-- sounds like an odd choice for the uninitiated, but trust me, it's amazing!

This meat can be prepared over the weekend and simply microwaved the night you want to eat it.   I've also frozen batches of this and defrosted it when needed and it was wonderful.