CROCK POT PULLED PORK
You'll need to make the barbecue sauce ahead of time for this dish. Make a double batch and freeze some for convenience. (It's delicious over chicken and ribs too!) Use two forks to pull the pork, or chop it up.
Barbecue Sauce:
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
1 pork butt (4 pounds), at room temperature
Soft rolls, coleslaw, and pickles, for serving
1. Prepare the barbecue sauce the day before you plan to cook the meat. Place the tomatoes, molasses, honey, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large heavy pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick.
2. Add the vinegar and 3 cups of water, and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 1 1/2 hours more. Remove and discard the bay leaf, season with salt, and set the sauce aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Makes 3 cups of sauce.) Bring to room temperature before adding to the crock pot.
3. Place the pork in the crock pot. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over the pork and turn it to coat well with the sauce. Cover the pot and cook on high heat for 5 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside to cool. When the meat is cool enough to handle, trim off and discard the fat. Chop the meat coarsely with two knives, or pull it with two forks. Place the shredded meat in a large bowl. Pour the sauce through a gravy separator, discarding the fat. Warm the defatted sauce and toss with the shredded meat. Serve the pork on rolls with coleslaw and pickles alongside.
