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This is one of our family’s favorite ways to prepare pulled pork. We learned the secret to perfectly tender pork with very little effort from my late father-in-law. He knew how to “set it and forget it” until morning. This slow cooker pulled pork is perfect for summer celebrations!
BONUS: We’re celebrating A&W® Root Beer ‘s 100th Anniversary with a one-of-a-kind homemade root beer BBQ sauce recipe.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches...the way Daddy Dale made them.
There’s probably one thing my father-in-law loved to do more than talk. Cooking! Dale loved to cook for the family. He took a lot of pride in his food and recipes, and was happy to share how to do it. Along the way I picked up a few of his tips and tricks. Now, I want to pass those things along to my daughters.
This recipe for slow cooker pulled pork is perfect for celebrating special summer moments. From backyard family gatherings to patriotic holidays, this recipe is great for feeding a crowd with very little effort.
Speaking of celebrations, we have partnered with A&W Root Beer to share their 100th Anniversary celebration with you. There is something special about the sweet taste of A&W Root Beer that our family loves. They’ve been making it for 100 years, so you know it is good.
Click here for more inspiration from Walmart and A&W Root Beer.
Grab A&W Root Beer at your local Walmart. I like to stock up to keep our fridge and coolers full all season long. Think camping, summer evenings on the porch watching the sunset, and creating classic treats like root beer floats + ice cream floats with the kids. Everything you need for special moments and gatherings is at Walmart.
Ingredients Needed for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork + Sauce:
- Boston Butt Pork Roast
- Yellow prepared mustard
- Dry BBQ spice rub
- A&W Root Beer
- Ketchup
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Liquid smoke
- Spices (Get the complete ingredient list in the recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Sure, you could stay up all night tending your smoker to get pulled pork. We have done that many times and it is great. But I’ve got to admit, Daddy Dale’s slow cooker pulled pork is one of my favorites. It is a great pulled pork recipe to have on hand to start the night before.
Which reminds me…the sauce. To celebrate A&W Root Beer, we have created a one of a kind bbq sauce to serve with our pulled pork sandwiches. Sweet + tangy with the signature taste of root beer.
Root beer is a great base for making sauce. It adds a sweetness and warm, spicy flavor that is very tasty served with pork or chicken. You’ve got to try it.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer BBQ Sauce:
- Coat the pork roast with yellow mustard, being sure to coat all of the surface area well. Sprinkle well with dry rub on all sides.
- Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerate for an hour. When you are ready to start cooking, unwrap the pork and place in a slow cooker or roaster set on 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slowly cook the pork for several hours or overnight until it pulls apart easily. Halfway through the cooking process, carefully turn the pork roast.
- Once the pork is done, transfer to a large aluminum pan and pull apart with your hands or forks. Sprinkle with extra rub and ladle some of the cooking juices over the top. Cover with foil and poke a few small slits into the foil.
- In a small aluminum pan, cover two handfuls of wood chips with cold water.
- Prepare a charcoal grill and let the briquets turn gray. Place the foil covered pan(s) of pulled pork and the soaked wood chips on the grill for INDIRECT HEAT and cover. The smoke from the wood chips and charcoal will seep into the pulled pork for smokey flavor.
- For the A&W Root Beer BBQ Sauce, combine the root beer, ketchup and all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan.
- Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool and transfer to a glass jar for serving and storage.
- Serve the slow cooker pulled pork on buns with your favorite slaw and a generous helping of the root beer bbq sauce. So YUM!
TIP: Set an alarm to go off half way through cooking so you don't forget to flip the pork.
My daughter's favorite part was rubbing the pork butt down with the mustard and spices. We like to use mustard on the pork because it helps the spice rub stick and adds more flavor.
Plus she LOVES pulled pork, and with this recipe, she can make it anytime.
Her grandfather would be so proud to see her cooking for everyone just like he did.
The kids had so much fun together creating this slow cooker pulled pork. Check out some of their behind the scenes giggling.
Check out these recipe ideas, too:
Wild Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Baked Beans on the Smoker
Daddy Dale's Tennessee Tomato Gravy
Look at the finished result! Pulled pork piled high on a bun, topped with our homemade root beer BBQ sauce and cabbage slaw.
Best served with an ice cold mug of A&W Root Beer. 🙂
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 pounds pork shoulder roast
- ⅔ cup mustard
- ⅔ cup bbq spice rub
- 12 ounces A&W Root Beer
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Coat the pork roast with yellow mustard, being sure to coat all of the surface area well. Sprinkle well with dry rub on all sides. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerate for an hour to overnight.
- When you are ready to start cooking, unwrap the pork and place in a slow cooker or roaster set on 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slowly cook the pork for several hours or overnight until it pulls apart easily. Halfway through the cooking process, carefully turn the pork roast once.
- Once the pork is done, transfer to a large aluminum pan and pull apart with your hands or forks. Sprinkle with extra rub and ladle some of the cooking juices over the top. Cover with foil and poke a few small slits into the foil.
- In a small aluminum pan, cover two handfuls of wood chips with cold water.Prepare a charcoal grill and let the briquets turn gray. Place the foil covered pan(s) of pulled pork and the soaked wood chips on the grill for INDIRECT HEAT and cover. The smoke from the wood chips and charcoal will seep into the pulled pork for smokey flavor. Smoke for 20 minutes.
- For the A&W Root Beer BBQ Sauce, combine the root beer, ketchup and all sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool and transfer to a glass jar for serving and storage.
- Serve the slow cooker pulled pork on buns with your favorite slaw and a generous helping of the root beer bbq sauce.
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