Bourbon BBQ Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Bourbon BBQ Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

At City Spirits Liquors, we’re all about boozing up your food – alcohol lends some dishes particular flavors that can’t be achieved with any other liquid, and helps bring out bright, delicious flavors in sauces.

So we’ve put together a recipe for Bourbon BBQ slow-cooker pulled pork. Easy, delicious, and loaded with flavor, this recipe is sure to please any meat lover

 

INGREDIENTS LIST

Sauce

½ onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

6oz bourbon whiskey (Jim Beam and Knob Creek are great choices)

½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tbsp salt

2 cups ketchup

¼ cup tomato paste

⅓ vinegar (apple cider preferred)

2 tbsp liquid smoke

¼ worcestershire sauce

½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed

Hot sauce (to taste)

 

Pork

Canola oil

1 pork tenderloin or pork shoulder – 3-5lb range

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 large bottle root beer (at least 32oz)

 

Prepare The Pork

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other large pan on very high heat, and grease with canola oil, or another high flash-point oil.
2. Pat your pork loin dry with a paper towel. Then, rub the pork with salt. Hold off on the pepper – it’ll burn during the next step.
3. Sear the pork loin or pork shoulder, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat. Pepper liberally, and then place the pork in your slow cooker.
4. Cover the pork about halfway with your root beer – depending on the size of the pork shoulder/tenderloin, this may take 12-24 oz of liquid.
5. Set your slow-cooker on LOW for 8-10 hours – depending on the size of your pork roast. Trust us – it’ll be worth the wait. Now, we turn to the sauce.

 

Sauce It Up!

1. Put a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Combine your whiskey, onions, and garlic. Simmer until the onions become translucent – usually within 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the remainder of your ingredients. Reduce heat further to medium-low, and continue to simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, or until it takes on a thick, homogenized consistency.
4. Remove sauce from heat. Run sauce through a strainer, or use a stick blender if you prefer smooth sauce.
5. Cool in the pan. Store in a jar or bottle and refrigerate if not using right away. Stored properly, it will last for over a month. You can also safely freeze your sauce in a Ziplock, if you plan on making larger batches and saving sauce for the future.

NOTE: If your pork tenderloin or shoulder is over 3lb in size, you may wish to double the ingredients for the sauce recipe.

 

Combine The Pork And The BBQ Sauce – And Taste The Magic!

After 8-10 hours, your pork will be ready.

1. Remove your pork from your slow-cooker. Place in a large serving or mixing bowl, and shred it with two forks, or your hands. The meat should fall apart readily. If you’re using a pork shoulder, remove the bone and discard.
2. When the meat is shredded, pour the entire saucepan or jar of homemade BBQ sauce onto your pork. Mix well and serve the pork over hamburger buns, rice, or by itself.
3. Store in a large plastic or glass storage container. Eat within 5 days.