Root Beer Pulled Pork

I have a confession…

I’m not the biggest fan of slow cookers. I know, I know. Probably an unpopular opinion. Don’t get me wrong… some things NEED to go in a slow cooker, but there are some things that should not. I know that a lot of time, a slow cooker is used out of convenience. That’s really the biggest draw to a slow cooker- is the convenience of it. I travel down to Columbus a lot (my parents and sister live there) and I will always toss a meal in a slow cooker to come home to. 

In my opinion, the best thing to put in a slow cooker is any cut of meat that you can cook slowly for hours and hours until it’s falling apart. More specifically, one of the best things to put in a slow cooker is a pork Boston butt roast. This Root Beer Pulled Pork is ah-mazing. It’s sweet and smoky and oh-so tender. This is a recipe that only gets better the longer that you cook it. You could cook it on high for 4 hours, but I’d really recommend cooking it on low for 8 hours. 

I know that there are root beer pulled pork recipes out there that advertise only 3 or 4 ingredients… and I’m sure that’s convenient, but you want these extra flavors cooked into your pork. Trust me. 

You could literally do anything with this pork. Have it as a sandwich, make some nachos out of it, throw it on a potato or a sweet potato, tacos, a burrito… endless options. Here’s the insanely sandwich that I made with the Root Beer Pulled Pork 👇🏻

Start by whisking together the root beer, brown sugar, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika and 2 tsp EACH salt and pepper.

Note: use a good root beer. I consider myself a root beer connoisseur, so I’d recommend Boylan or Sioux City if you can get your hands on them. Just don’t go cheap because your pork is going to have the flavor of the root beer.

Make sure that your pork roast is trimmed of excess fat. Then season it generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat 2 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet. Add the pork and sear until there is a golden crust on all sides.

Once all of the sides are browned, place the pork into the slow cooker and pour the root beer marinade over it. Cook on low for 8 hours (recommended) or on high for 4 hours. 

When the time is up, pull the pork out and shred it. Discard any fatty pieces. Now you have the option to eat the pork as is, with your favorite bbq sauce or make a root beer au jus. 

If you want to make the root beer au jus, strain the juices left behind through a mesh strainer. Place the strained liquid in a sauce pan and add 2 tbsp of brown sugar and stir. Combine 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water. Bring the sauce to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Lower the heat to medium and let simmer until thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Ladle a little over the pulled pork and toss it until incorporated. Serve with a some on the side, if desired. 

Here’s what the pork will look like when you’re done…

Now as I stated above, you could do almost anything with this pork. I chose to make a sandwich out of it. I grabbed some fresh-baked brioche buns from the bakery and made a Jalapeño-Lime Slaw to top it with, along with a few spoonfuls of the root beer au jus. 🤤 Here’s my sando 👇🏻

Here’s the link to the Jalapeño-Lime Slaw-

https://cupcakes-and-sarcasm.com/recipe/jalapeno-slaw-with-cilantro-lime-vinaigrette/

Print Recipe

Root Beer Pulled Pork

Sweet, smoky, tender pulled pork that won’t disappoint.

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cook Time

4-8 Hours

Servings

Servings

Ingredients

• 4 LB Boston Butt Pork Roast, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 Bottles of Root Beer Don’t skimp on quality, I like Boyle’s or Sioux City
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tsp Liquid Smoke
• 2 Tsp Salt Plus extra for seasoning pork
• 2 Tsp Black Pepper Plus extra for seasoning pork
• 2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp Paprika

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 4-8 Hours Servings Servings Ingredients 4 LB Boston Butt Pork Roast, trimmed of excess fat 1 Tbsp EVOO 2 Bottles of Root Beer Don’t skimp on quality, I like Boyle’s or Sioux City 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Tsp Liquid Smoke 2 Tsp Salt Plus extra for seasoning pork 2 Tsp Black Pepper Plus extra for seasoning pork 2 Tsp Onion Powder 2 Tsp Garlic Powder 1 Tsp Chili Powder 1 Tsp Paprika

Instructions

1. Trim your pork roast of any excess fat and season all sides well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet over high heat. Add the pork roast and sear all sides until there is a nice crust on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the root beer, brown sugar, liquid smoke and spices.
3. Place the pork in the slow cooker and pour the root beer mixture over top of it. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
4. When the time is up, the pork will be falling apart. At this point, you can enjoy the root beer pulled pork with whatever bbq sauce that you like or you can make a sort of root beer au jus.
5. If you’d like the au jus, strain the liquid left behind in the slow cooker with a mesh strainer. Add the liquid to a large sauce pan and add 2 tbsp of brown sugar. In a small cup or bowl, stir together 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water.
6. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the au jus and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until thickened slightly. Spoon a little onto the pulled pork and stir. Serve with extra on the side, if desired.

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