Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

sweet baby ray’s awesome ten-hour pulled pork

(6 ratings)
Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
Wichita, KS

I LOVE pulled pork… those ten hours in the slow cooker are absolutely heaven as those aromas fill the house with what is to come. It is almost torture, but well worth the wait… Trust me. Did I say ten-hour pulled pork… well, actually it is ten hours plus two days… my bad. This recipe is a labor of love, and started with a recipe I used at a pub in Chicago, and then tweaked over the years. It takes a bit of time, but I promise you that it will be more than worth the wait. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

(6 ratings)
yield 12 serving(s)
cook time 10 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For sweet baby ray’s awesome ten-hour pulled pork

  • THE PORK
  • 6 lb
    pork roast
  • 2 1/2 c
    Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
  • 1/2 c
    amber beer (if you want, you can substitute water)
  • THE SPICE RUB
  • 4 Tbsp
    paprika, sweet or hot, up to you
  • 2 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    salt, kosher variety
  • 2 Tbsp
    ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp
    dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tbsp
    black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 tsp
    cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 Tbsp
    dried oregano

How To Make sweet baby ray’s awesome ten-hour pulled pork

  • 1
    Chef’s Note: The roast that you get will really make this thing rock. I use a pork shoulder with the bone in, because the ten-hour slow cooking gives it a chance to draw out the entire flavor from the bone, and flavor the pork. However, you could experiment with other cuts of pork, and see what happens.
  • 2
    Gather and prep all your ingredients. The work of a chef is never done.
  • 3
    Thoroughly combine all the spice rub ingredients together.
  • 4
    Chef’s Note: I’m using a mild paprika, and a mild chili powder; however, there are HOT versions of both these spices, as I’m sure you’re well aware. If you are using a hotter paprika and/or chili powder, then watch how much cayenne you put in the rub. But then, this is all about what YOU want. Make it as hot or mild as you desire.
  • 5
    Rub the dry spice ingredients into the pork roast.
  • 6
    Chef’s Tip: To help the spices penetrate the pork, use a small pairing knife and cut slits into the pork. Make them about an inch in depth.
  • 7
    Chef’s Note: Take your time here, and give it a thorough rubdown. Rub, Rub, Rub-a-Dub.
  • 8
    Wrap the roast in cling wrap, or cling foil (double layer), and place into the fridge overnight.
  • 9
    Chef’s Tip: Give those spices a good chance to know the pork. In my opinion: from an absolute minimum of 8 hours, up to 2 days. I leave mine in the fridge for the full two days (just don’t forget it’s in there).
  • 10
    Chef’s Note: Once you’ve placed the roast in the fridge there is nothing left to do but wait. Tick, Toc, Tick Toc.
  • 11
    After the prescribed waiting time, place the roast into your slow cooker... along with the beer (or water), and allow to slow cook for ten hours. Don't forget to remove the cling wrap...
  • 12
    Chef’s Note: At the end of this process, the pork roast will be fall-off-the-bone tender.
  • 13
    Chef’s Tip: If you’re going for a bigger roast; say 7 or 8 pounds, you’ll probably have to add an additional 1 to 1.5 hours to the cooking time, in order to get it fork tender.
  • 14
    Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred.
  • 15
    Chef’s Note: They actually do make pork shredders (they look like something out of a horror movie: (Think) Nightmare on Elm Street), but the easiest way is just use two forks, and have at it. Or, you could always use your hands.
  • 16
    Chef’s Note: Remove the remaining liquid from the slow cooker, and pour down the sink. Or, if you used beer, you might try to drink it… or not.
  • 17
    Return all the shredded pork back into the slow cooker, add 1.5 cups of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, combine with the pork, and cook on low for an additional hour.
  • 18
    Chef's Note: I use Sweet Baby Ray's classic BBQ sauce; however, you could use any BBQ sauce that you like.
  • 19
    Take a nice sturdy bun (like a Kaiser), and slice it open… Don’t slice your hand.
  • 20
    Lay a generous amount of BBQ pork on the bottom, half. OH YEAH!
  • 21
    Add some additional Sweet Baby Ray’s to the top, or put it in a side bowl for dipping… up to you (I prefer on the side).
  • 22
    Add some coleslaw.
  • 23
    Chef’s Note: The coleslaw is optional; however, I consider a good pulled-pork sandwich without coleslaw a sacrilege.
  • 24
    Cover with the top, and serve with some tomatoes, and freshly made dill slices. Enjoy.
  • 25
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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