Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork with Sweet Vinegar Sauce

I've published several pulled pork recipes by now. I can't really recommend one over the others, because each is deserving, each is different. But this spice-rubbed tender pork with a sweet vinegar sauce is a new favorite! I found the recipe in a new issue of Cooking Light (Sadly, my subscription expired. BUT they publish all of the new issue recipes online every month, so I'm not deprived!). I drastically changed the cooking method of this pork roast, because I didn't want to sit at home all afternoon and watch the oven. I wanted to shop!! So I used my slow cooker. The original recipe required basting the meat every hour with a vinegar sauce. This part probably isn't necessary when using a crock pot because the meat stays extremely moist, but I managed a quick baste every so often throughout the course of the afternoon.

In under 5 hours I had tender succulent pulled pork. It practically fell apart on the plate. I tossed the finished pork with a little bit of the barbecue sauce, and reserved the rest to serve on top at the table. We piled the pork high on yummy onion buns and finished the meal off with homemade potato salad (up next!).

If you're interested in slow-roasting your pork in the oven, visit this link to the original recipe. Note that I halved all of the ingredients but the sauce. If you plan on making the full recipe (from the Cooking Light web site), I suggest doubling the sauce. It just wasn't enough to make us happy!

INGREDIENTS
Pork:
1  Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 1/2  tsp.  smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp.  chili powder
1/2  tsp. salt
1 tsp.  ground cumin
1/2 tsp.  freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp.  ground chipotle chile pepper
1  (2 1/2 lb.)  pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of fat (mine still had the bone in, but the original recipe recommended boneless)
1/2 cup water
1/4  cup  apple cider vinegar
1/6  cup  ketchup

Sauce:
3/4  cup  apple cider vinegar
1/2  cup  ketchup
3  Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2  tsp. smoked paprika
1  tsp. chili powder

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine spices for rub (brown sugar through ground chipotle pepper). Rub spices over the entire surface of the pork.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar and ketchup. Set aside.

3. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour in 1/2 cup water. Turn on high and cook for 4-6 hours, basting every so often with the vinegar and ketchup mixture, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone (if your pork has a bone). When finished, remove the pork to a plate or cutting board and shred, removing any fat or gristle.

4. To prepare the sauce, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

5. Toss the pork with a little bit of the sauce. Serve on buns (optional) with extra sauce.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)