Delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I have long feared consuming messy foods in public. Chicken wings, corn-on-the-cob, ribs and ice cream on hot days are generally only eaten in the sanctity of my house where no one but my husband can see. Once you've established comfort in brushing your teeth in front of someone and changing into comfy pants about 5 minutes after getting home, you're not too concerned with the occasional bit of BBQ sauce on your nose whilst you enjoy some good old meat-stuffs.Pulled pork is one of those amazingly messy things I almost always think of to cook for a crowd. It's generally well loved by carnivores, and remarkably fast and easy. So if you're worried about taking a toothbrush to the sink before you have company come over, you can do so while your pulled pork simmers happily away on the counter, with each burp of the lid comes the reassurance that all you have to do is set out some buns and a side dish for that huge gaggle of guests that are coming hungry. I've made a lot of pulled pork recipes, and this one has hands down become the all-time favorite around here.

Delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 cup  BBQ sauce

-1/2 cup cider vinegar

-1/2 cup packed brown sugar

-1/4 cup  tomato paste

-2 tablespoons  paprika

-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

-2 tablespoons yellow mustard

-1 1/2 teaspoon salt

-1 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1 T. chili flakes ( optional)

-Dash hot sauce ( optional)

-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces

-12 sandwich buns 

-Dill pickles

Directions: 
In slow-cooker  stir onion, BBQ sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, chili flakes, hot sauce and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.

Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very tender.

With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly.

While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if needed.

The flavor in the meat and onions is rich and smoky from the paprika and hot sauce. I served these with pickles and fries on a white roll type bun, and it was a huge hit! IT may make a bit of a mess, but hey, it's worth it!

It's hard to deny the ease of the slow-cooker, especially when you have an arsenal of great recipes up your sleeve. Most everyone who has requested this recipe from me has made it for parties or football games, because it can easily be doubled if you have a big enough slow-cooker. Enjoy!