It’s a mainstay of Fourth of July picnics, Father’s Day cookouts, tailgates and and just about any sporting event, but for those of us with food allergies, pulled pork is usually a no-go because of the sneaky way soy, gluten and dairy can make their way into rubs and sauces. This version’s good to go! It needs a full 8 hours to reach peak tenderness in the slow cooker, and fills the house with a festive smell all day that’ll get everyone’s mouth watering. I like to serve it with coleslaw (made with egg-free mayo), pickles and avocado oil potato chips. Add a fruit salad, and your parties are solved all summer long.
This meal can be made into a freezer meal (see “Make it a freezer meal” instructions below.) To make freezer meal prep easier, I suggest investing in baggy stands to hold your freezer bags upright, and reusable freezer bags to cut down on single use plastics.
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Equipment
- Mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 small boneless pork butt, twine removed
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (check for your allergens; we use Blue Sky)
Instructions
- Make a bed of onions and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker crock, then add the chicken stock.
- Pat the pork butt dry and remove twine.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, salt and cinnamon and stir.
- Rub spice mixture on all sides of the pork.
- Place the meat on top of the onions and garlic in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees.
- Remove pork to a cutting board and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.
- Strain the onions and garlic from the liquid left in the slow cooker, then return the onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Shred the pork, discarding any fat and bones.
- Return shredded pork to slow cooker, add barbecue sauce to taste and stir to combine.
To make it a freezer meal:
- Remove twine from pork butt and pat to dry.
- Make spice mixture and rub on all sides of pork.
- Add pork to freezer bag and top with onions and garlic.
- Thaw in refrigerator, then on cook day, pour contents into slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, then follow steps 7-9 above.
