What’s for Dinner? Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

August 26, 2015

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich | Sarcastic Cooking

Women be crazy! That’s what I would say if I were going to approach this blog post like a stand-up comedian, be it a not so good stand-up comedian. But yeah, women be crazy! And when I say women, I am clearly speaking of myself here.

Why am I so crazy? Well, it all went down over the weekend. I had been looking forward to this little thing called the heirloom tomato festival happening at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I added it to our Google calendar (much to Mike’s chagrin). I had been seeing a lot of pictures of these beautiful, ripe, and multicolored tomatoes all over my social media feed and I was getting sooo amped up! Yes, I know that in itself sounds crazy already but lay off me I am a food blogger/lover/hungry pregnant lady.

Saturday comes around and we leave the house way later than I wanted. The place is packed already. We rush over to the area where the festival is located. I see signs. I see seeds. I see…

ONE TABLE WITH TOMATOES ON IT!

What's for Dinner? Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork | Sarcastic Cooking

Just one! Does that sound like a festival to you? Yeah, me neither! OK, so I just shake off that feeling and head over to the table. I pick out two pints of mixed cherry heirlooms and take them to the little farmer girl to pay. Oh what’s that? Cash only. AAAAAAAHHHHHH! I put down my two pints and sulk away to find Mike and Andy.

I can feel the crazy tears coming. When I find Mike I tell him that it is cash only and I throw my wallet into the undercarriage of the stroller and stomp away muttering/half-crying. “It’s not even worth it anymore!” Mike wanting to be the hero of the day sent me and Andy off to admire the train exhibit while he ran to the ATM and then to the tomato vendor to buy the tomatoes I had left behind.

You would think that was the end of it. Nope. Crazy preggo lady ended up crying about the lack of tomato variety three times that day! Yep. It wasn’t until about six or seven o’clock that night that I finally was able to laugh at my craziness and let tomato-gate 2015 go.

Let it gooooooo! I kind of did. Let’s just say I may or may not have sent a semi-mean tweet out about the lack of tomatoes that day. Then I may or may not have gone to Whole Foods out of spite and bought a ton of expensive colorful tomatoes there. I told you. I let it go…kind of.

As you can clearly see, I in no way have my emotions under check, but I do have your dinner sitch under control! Slow cooker to the rescue! This recipe could not be easier! Throw it in the crock pot and go to bed. Wake up to the most delightful smells and the comfort in knowing all you have to do is slice some small sandwich rolls in half and then dinner is done!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The easiest slow cooker BBQ pulled pork sandwiches ever!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ Cup BBQ Sauce
  • ¾ Cup Light Colored Beer or Chicken Stock
  • 1 Garlic Clove grated
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1, 2-3 Pound Bone-In Pork Shoulder
  • ¼ Yellow Onion thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Combine the BBQ sauce, beer, and garlic in the bowl of the slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder into the liquid.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and cumin. Generously season the top of the pork shoulder with the mixture. Top with the onions. Cover with the lid.
  3. Set your slow cooker to low for 10-12 hours. I find it best to do it overnight for the next day’s dinner. Once the pork is cooked through, remove the bone and use a pair of tongs to break apart the meat into small chunks for sandwiches.
  4. Note: If there is still sometime before dinner is being served and you don’t want to have to reheat the meat, just leave the crock pot on simmer. It will allow the liquid to reduce even more and make the edges of the pork caramelized with the sauce.

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  • Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous)
    September 26, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    oh no! ): but maybe you saved yourself anyways. there’s a ghirardelli chocolate festival in sf every fall that i finally checked out last year, and 20 samples of chocolate/chocolatey items (chocolate ice cream, brownies, milkshakes, etc) is definitely too much of a good thing.

  • Julia
    September 2, 2015 at 6:52 am

    One of our favorite dinners is BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches around here mainly because they are Mike’s favorite. Your recipe looks great! And what is this about Heirloom Tomato Festival?! Sounds amazing. I loved the Chicago Botanical Gardens. We used to go on a Saturday early in the mooring with the kids and just walk around. So peaceful and beautiful.

  • Sadye
    August 28, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I can see myself reacting the same way … and I don’t even have the preggo excuse 🙂

    • Stefanie
      August 28, 2015 at 3:46 pm

      Hahaha I’m glad we are both irrational about tomatoes

  • Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
    August 27, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    That sounds like a totally disappointing tomato festival! A pulled pork sandwich seems like the perfect pick-me-up though. Yum! 🙂

    • Stefanie
      August 28, 2015 at 3:46 pm

      Can always count on any sort of pig product to cheer anybody up!