Author Notes
This is a modified version of a recipe that my husband's cousin makes, and it is a show-stopper! I use a dry rub on the pork and use beer as a cooking broth, which will leave your home smelling insanely delicious. The bright flavors in the mango salsa compliments the savory pulled pork, and you can alternate serving this recipe as sandwiches, sliders, or tacos. —Abbie C
Ingredients
- BBQ Pulled Pork
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2.5-3 pounds
pork butt (shoulder)
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1 1/2 teaspoons
Smoked Paprika (1tsp goes into spice rub, 1/2 goes into cooking liquid)
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1 1/2 teaspoons
ground cumin (1tsp goes into spice rub, 1/2 goes into cooking liquid)
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1 teaspoon
salt
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1/2 teaspoon
ground black pepper
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1
bottle of beer (I used Newcastle Brown Ale)
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4
garlic cloves (smashed)
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2
bay leaves
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1/2 cup
BBQ sauce (I used Annie's Sweet and Spicy)
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salt to taste
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soft corn tortillas, soft regular or slider rolls
- Mango Salsa
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2-3
just ripe mangos
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1/2
jalapeno pepper
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1/4
red onion
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1
lime
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1
handful of fresh cilantro
Directions
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Mix together the 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and rub on the pork butt. Brown the pork in a skillet over medium high heat, then transfer the meat into a slow cooker.
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Pour the beer over the pork, add the four garlic cloves, two bay leaves, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp of cumin. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for at least 9 hours.
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About an hour before the pork is done, dice the mango, onion, and jalapeno, roughly chop the cilantro, mince the garlic and mix all of these together in a medium-sized bowl. Squeeze the lime over the salsa and mix in.
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Remove pork from the slow cooker and pull apart using two forks. Also discard any large pieces of fat. Add back enough of the cooking juices to make the meat nice and moist. I also mush up the garlic cloves and mix with the pork.
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Add about 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce to the meat and mix until all of the meat is coated, and add a little salt if necessary. You can add more barbecue sauce if you'd like, but I usually mix in a little bit and keep the bottle handy for people who want to add more.
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Serve the pork onto the warmed up rolls (softer and slightly sweet rolls work really well e.g. challah/brioche), slider buns, or corn tortillas and top with the salsa. If making tacos, I usually brush the tortillas with a sparse amount of oil and heat in a skillet until slightly browned.
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