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Crock Pot Pulled Pork…One Pot and 4 Ingredients!

Β Tender, saucy AND healthy pulled pork made in one pot, over night, without much effort at all. Β Covered inΒ Β a sweet and tangy Hard Apple Cider this will be one hard dish to beat! Β One pot. Β Freezer friendly. Β Uber Saucy. Β Sounds like a perfect week night meal to me!Β 

Crock Pot Pulled Pork...One Pot and 4 Ingredients (9 of 8)

Β This is what evening dinners are made of in the summer months. Β Delicious, messy, perfection.

Our friends, Roman and Irena (yes they are fellow Ruski’s and no not all my friends are Ruski’s) had invited us over for a Memorial Day BBQ/House warming party at their newly purchased and redecorated house. Β I was expecting the typical…some kebabs, a few salads and lots of mojitos, as Roman reigns as the mojito champion. Β He is constantly creating mojito flavors that leave you refreshed and seriously buzzed— the ultimate backyard BBQ combination…except when you have a rampant toddler running wild.

Point taken. Β I put the mojito down and chased after my munchkin all while attempting to work off the mojito haze already in progress.

Ahh but as always I digress. Β  Apparently, as the boys grilled, they realized that the flames were not as strong as they should be and something must be off. Β And it was off. Β Their monster grill was producing one pathetic flame that was barely enough to sear a marshmellow. Β Geniuses forgot to check the fuel gauge and we were out of propane.

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

And so all of the boys set out to get a new propane tank…apparently it takes 4 big guys to get one 20 pound propane tank.

In the meantime, the girls mingled, sipped mojitos and sangria and chatted. Β I noticed a smell permeating the air that was both sweet and savory. Β Irena decided to make a crock pot pulled pork juuuuuust in case. Β Rightfully so because at this point the odds of getting grilled foods were not looking too high.

I told her I loved pulled pork but I hate how fatty pork butts are.

***Time for a mini butchering lesson. Β The pork butt is actually not the butt of the pig it is a part of the shoulder. Β It is typically good for long cooking methods like smoking and braising. Β It has a great deal of fat on it and a lot of tendons…but when it cooks for a long time it all melts down and is heaven. Β Fatty, pork heaven.***

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

Then she told me that she used the big piece of pork loin roast from Costco. Β Well there is a revelation! Lean pork used for pulled pork? Β Never heard of that…

Irena mentioned that all she did was throw it into the crock pot, cover with root beer and let it go on low for 7.5 hours.

Look I will be honest. Β I was not at all expecting this pulled pork to be the moist, savory goodness that it happened to be. Β I expected dry and overly sweet stringy meat. Β But this was AMAZING. Β And the fact that I had no guilt eating it was an even bigger winner!

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

I set out to Costco the very next day to recreate this dish…Except I forgot the root beer. Β Nice. Β I pulled a classic Mila.

I did however have a fridge full of Angry Orchard Hard Cider.

Secret Ingredient Pulled Pork

I figured if apple sauce goes so well with pork why wouldn’t hard apple cider. Β It did guys. Β It sooooo did.

I threw the pork in with one large onion and covered it 3/4 of the way with the cider. Β I cooked it for 7.5 hours overnight. Β And it came out amazingly. Β Minimal fat. Β And easily shredable. (is that a word?) Β  I actually placed it in the fridge right after it was cooked and shredded it that night after work.

I took two forks and then started shredding it.

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

Then I just decided to use my hands instead and ended up with perfect shreds.

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

And you cannot have pulled pork without smokey BBQ sauce. Β So that’s what I did…Gave it some KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and threw it all back in the pot to warm up and get all smothery. (again not sure if this is a word…but it sounds particularly fitting.)

By the way, I left the onions in there because hubby loves smothered onions on his sammies.

A healthy and super easy one pot crock pot pulled pork that is filled with tangy and sweet flavors and leaves all the calories behind!

And then I ate.

And it was fabulous! Sweet and tangy. Β And the cider gave it that “I can’t quite put my finger on it” flavor.

But the best part…I did not feel guilty. Β Not one bit. Β And neither will you.

See…I even threw it on one of those thin buns.

Serve up on its own, or on bread or even in tacos, quesadillas…the possibilities are endless! Β And the effort is minimal!
Crock Pot Pulled Pork...One Pot and 4 Ingredients (8 of 8)

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Secret Ingredient Pulled Pork

Secret Ingredient Crockpot Pulled Pork


  • Author: Mila
  • Total Time: 425 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x

Description

 Tender, saucy AND healthy pulled pork made in one pot, over night, without much effort at all. Covered in a sweet and tangy Hard Apple Cider this will be one hard dish to beat! One pot. Freezer friendly. Uber Saucy. Sounds like a perfect week night meal to me! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 5 pound pork loin (not the tenderloins)
  • 3 bottles of Angry Orchard Cider or enough to cover the roast almost to the top
  • 1 large onion roughly chopped.
  • 1 cup of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  1. Add the pork into a crockpot with one large onion and covered it 3/4 of the way with the cider.
  2. Cook it for 7.5 hours overnight.
  3. I actually placed it in the fridge right after it was cooked and shredded it that night after work. It was much easier to shred. If you cannot cool it completely, at least let it cool so you can handle it with your hands.
  4. I took two forks and then started shredding it. You can use your hands as well.  Add in the BBQ sauce and mix well to combine.

Notes

  1. Β This is extremely freezer friendly. Β Just place into freezer proof Ziplock bags and lay flat in the freezer to use on sandwiches, in soups, over rice, in enchiladas…the possibilities are endless!
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 420 minutes
  • Category: BBQ, Main Course, Main Entree
  • Cuisine: BBQ

 

 

Crock Pot Pulled Pork...One Pot and 4 Ingredients (Collage)***Originally published June 2nd 2014***

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32 Comments

    1. Thank you for coming by for our linky party!!!! I have made a lot of pulled pork but this one is my fave!

  1. This is awesome! My husband was just asking (begging) for some pulled pork. So simple and love the idea of a trimmer piece of meat.

    1. Jodie…I really love this one…I made it twice already and freeze it every time just to make sure we have it on hand in the freezer when the craving strikes!

    1. Lorraine… Those boys are all the same πŸ™‚ the reason I love this pulled pork is cause of how lean it is! Almost guilt free!

  2. Ooo…. this looks mouthwateringly amazing! Leave it to the ladies to save the day πŸ˜‰ I’ve never tried using a hard cider in the crock pot with a pork shoulder – it sounds totally delicious! So trying this!

    1. Lol obviously we save the day…grill masters my a$$! Try it…make a double batch and use it for EVERYTHING!

  3. Apple Cider!! That’s such an AWESOME idea!! πŸ˜€ I tend to hesitate when it comes to crock pot pulled pork… I don’t know why! I think it’s when it looks too “Mushy” but yours looks AMAZING!! I have to try this! I would keep the onions in there too! (I love them! :D)

  4. When you say that you placed it in the refrigerator right after it cooked, I’m assuming you let the meat cool first? Otherwise it would be a breeding ground for bacteria and no one wants food poisoning. Sounds like a great base for a recipe otherwise, I’ll be sure to try cooking with hard cider!

  5. Hi Mila,

    I haven’t received an update from you in a while (there is something wrong with my email)…but saw your post on another blog I follow “Chef in Disguise.” Hope you are doing well!! This Pulled Pork looks fantastic and I think I will make it!

    1. Hey Jenn!!!! How are you darling!!!! You can always reach me right here on the blog!!!! Yes chef in disguise is fab πŸ™‚ Thank you so much for the warm words! Hope you are well πŸ™‚

  6. I just realized I forgot the root beer as well, and came across your recipe. Looks great! I have hard cider. Question though, do you think the alcohol cooks out?

    1. Yes the alcohol cooks out and any small amounts that remain are most definitely harmless πŸ™‚

  7. Hi sweetie! I am going to make this recipe this weekend! Can you please tell me if this really calls for a 15 pound pork loin?

  8. I would like to try this recipe in my Instant pot on the Pressure cooker mode. Any idea how long I should cook a 4 lb tenderloin? How else should I adjust the recipe? Less liquid perhaps?

    1. I would do it for the same amount of liquid if not more! You need it totally submerged so you may want to cut it in half. This is a SUPER lean meat so it could dry out! I would set it for 50 minutes on high pressure. Make sure when it’s done you do NPR and only then shred it.

  9. Hello! This pulled pork sounds perfect. My 1 question is, on what temperature does it cook? Thanks. ‍

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