Contrary to popular belief, the Boston butt is actually the cut of meat from the upper portion of the pig's shoulder. These roasts come with fat marbled through the muscle, which lends loads of flavor to the dish. The Boston butt is used often to create pulled pork because the meat is flavorful and tender when cooked low and slow. For this reason, using a slow cooker to cook the Boston butt for several hours will result in well seasoned, tender barbecue that will fall off the bone.
Step 1
Rinse the outside of the pork well with cool, running water. Pat the outside of the meat dry with a paper towel.
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Step 2
Rub the outside of the pork with the olive oil until the meat is coated evenly. Sprinkle the spices evenly on the meat and massage the spices in. Wrap the butt in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
Step 3
Take the pork out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic. Place the butt in the slow cooker.
Step 4
Top the pork with the garlic and onions. Pour the apple cider over the pork, followed by the apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke. Finish by covering the pork with water until it is completely submerged.
Step 5
Turn the heat to high and cook for 3 hours. Turn the heat to medium after 3 hours and cook for another 5 hours. Turn the heat down to low to finish the cooking for 2 hours.
Step 6
Take the lid off the slow cooker and use a pair of metal tongs to remove the meat and place in a large bowl.
Step 7
To make barbecue, or pulled pork, use two forks to separate the meat by inserting the forks back to back in the meat and pulling in opposite directions. Top the pulled pork with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Things You'll Need
5 to 6 lb. Boston butt
Paper towel
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Plastic wrap
Slow cooker
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Large onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
Tip
Pour the barbecue sauce on the meat after it has been removed from the slow cooker to prevent the sauce from burning.
Warning
Place the slow cooker on a countertop away from the reach of children. Never leave the slow cooker unattended while the heat is on high.
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