When I have little time for making dinner (or when I don’t really feel like cooking), I turn to my slow cooker to make dinner for us. And I usually make something large enough that will give us a couple of nights of good dinners. It’s a relief to come home to “dinner already done,” and it’s a whole lot healthier than picking up fast food. These slow cooker root beer pulled pork sandwiches are a repeat recipe at my house. Everyone loves them!
How to make Root Beer Pulled Pork:
Purchase a pork roast- butt or shoulder cut, and trim it of any obvious excess fat slabs.
Sprinkle on an envelope of dried onion soup mix (or some dehydrated onions).
With clean hands, rub the mix into the meat on all sides. Give it a good sprinkle of salt and pepper too.
Place your seasoned roast into your slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix a can of root beer with a half cup of your favorite bbq sauce. I like the Jack Daniel’s brand, but Sweet Baby Rays is pretty darn good too.
Pour the root beer-BBQ sauce mixture over your pork roast. Then let it cook LOW and slow for 10 or 11 hours.
The best slow cooker:
I view the slow cooker as an absolutely essential small appliance to keep in your kitchen. It’s important to have a good slow cooker that has helpful features. My favorite slow cooker is this Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker. I’ve had it for many years now, and it’s still going strong. The features this slow cooker offers are awesome.
The lid locks, so it’s easy to take with you if you’re going to a party. Both the insert and the lid are dishwasher safe. It has digital programming, so you can mix and match temperature and cooking times. When cooking time is up, it automatically switches to “warm,” so you don’t have to be home when it’s done.
When your roast has reached an internal temperature of over 190 degrees F., the meat should pull easily apart and away from the bone. At this point you can remove the roast to a cutting board and use two forks to pull apart the meat into shreds. It then goes back into the (almost drained) slow cooker with more BBQ sauce and is left to heat for a few minutes.
Serve a good scoopful of pulled pork on a warmed bun. We like ours with potato salad (easy to make ahead) and pickles.
And you can see just how very tender this pork turns out to be. Perfect. And easy. And stress-free for those busy (or lazy) days. Enjoy!
Here are a few more sandwich recipes you might like to try:
Barbecue Beef Sandwiches Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches Cajun Cheesesteak Sandwiches Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches Salmon BLT Sandwiches Muffuletta Sandwiches Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
