PULLED PORK IN A SLOW COOKER RECIPES

Steps:

• Trim off any large pieces of fat from the surface of the pork. Sprinkle the salt, sugar, and pepper evenly over all sides of the pork, then pat the seasonings into the meat. If not cooking immediately, place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to cook, place the pork shoulder (and any accumulated juices if seasoned overnight) in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Pour the water, around, but not on top of, the pork. Scatter the garlic and onion around the pork.
• Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded, 10 to 12 hours. Transfer the pork to a clean cutting board or rimmed baking sheet. When it is cool enough to handle, use 2 forks or your fingers to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bone (if present) and any large pieces of fat.
• Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup or bowl and discard the solids. Skim the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Reserve the cooking liquid to keep leftovers moist. Transfer to a serving bowl if serving as-is. If serving as tacos or barbecue sandwiches, transfer back to the slow cooker for seasoning.
• Option 1: TacosSprinkle the pulled pork with the low-sodium taco seasoning mix and toss to coat. Serve on warm tortillas with jalapenos, tomato, and onion, or your favorite taco toppings.
• Option 2: Barbecue SandwichesAdd barbecue sauce to the pulled pork and toss to coat. Serve on hamburger buns with pickles, more barbecue sauce, and coleslaw, if desired.

Steps:

• Rub the pork with salt and pepper, and then set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (See notes below if you plan to sear the pork first).
• Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic then cook, occasionally stirring, until they are sweet and browned around the edges. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring until the tomato paste turns from bright red to orange in color; about 3 minutes. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Rest the seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker then pour the onion and spice mixture on top. Wiggle the pork around the bottom of the slow cooker so that some of the onion and spice mixture slides underneath. Cover with lid and cook until the pork can be easily shredded; LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6.
• Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone in it, remove and discard it. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any connective tissue, and large clumps of fat.
• Remove the cooking liquid and skim most of the fat from its surface. Discard the fat then set the cooking liquid aside.
• If using barbecue sauce, add it to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded pork. For even more flavor, add back some of the reserved cooking liquid. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, add the shredded pork and the cooking liquid back to the slow cooker. Taste and season with salt, additional vinegar, or hot sauce as needed.