Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

This is worth the extra time it takes - most of the time is cooking & cooling (not active time) and the result is glorious! It makes a lot, you can freeze a portion of it once you've completed it. Cooking time does not include marinading the night before or the overnight cooling in fridge. Making this is a two day commitment....but again not active cooking the whole time!

• Ready In: 14 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 16-20
• Yields: 20 cups pulled pork

Ingredients

• 8 -9  lbs  pork shoulder
• 3  tablespoons chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper
•  nonstick cooking spray
• 48  ounces  spaghetti sauce (I used basic Ragu, used most of a 64 oz jar)
• 2  cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1⁄2 cups white vinegar
• 3  medium yellow onions, coarsely choppied
• 6  garlic cloves, chopped (optional, I can't tolerate garlic)
• 1  apple, peeled and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 6  tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Season pork with salt, pepper and chili powder (mix spices and rub all over pork that has been rinsed & dried). For extra flavor, do this the night before and let it sit and "dry marinade" overnight in the fridge (covered).
2. In the morning, spray 6 1/2 quart slow cooker (crockpot) with cooking spray, then add pork.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl, then pour over pork.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until internal temperature of the pork reaches at least 195 degrees F and meat is literally falling off the bone.
5. Transfer cooked pork and sauce into large bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. The next day skim the fat that has risen to the surface of the sauce (it will be yellowish-red) and discard.
7. Strain the de-fatted sauce into the crockpot (can put colander in opening of crockpot pouring sauce & pork into colandar with sauce only going into the crockpot).
8. Shred the pork with your fingers and put into the crockpot with the sauce (will very easily fall off the bone and be easy to shred). Discard the fat.
9. Stir well and cook on low for about 4 hours to give the sauce time to seep into the shredded bits.
10. Serve with sandwich buns, or with thick slabs of home-made bread, or on egg noodles or even with rice.
11. Yum!