Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches

I was going to make burgers for the 4th of July.  However, we have had rain and thunderstorms every day this week.  So, I am stuck inside.  I could have made hamburgers on the stove top, but with the thunderstorms come heat and humidity.  So, standing over the stove was out of the question.  Instead, I made Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches.  BBQ is a quintessential American meal.  Add some Mactastic Macaroni Salad, Spicy, Sweet Broccoli Slaw, slices of melon, and a Summer Cocktail and you have a fantastic Independence Day dinner. 

You can make the salad and slaw the day before. 

Servings:  4-6

Time:   Prep: 15 minutes Slow Cook:  6-8 hours, cook: 10 minutes
Hardware: knives & cutting board, measuring cups & spoons, a can opener, crock pot, wooden spoon, fine strainer, a small bowl, a sauce pot, and un-powdered latex gloves

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ - 3 pound butt pork roast
• 1 large onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock
• 2 cups ketchup
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 dash liquid smoke (This is optional)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ⅛ cup cold water
• Hamburger buns, pickles, sliced onions, mustard

BBQ Pulled Pork

1. Roughly chop the onion and garlic.  Add them to the crock pot.
2. Stir the stock, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, hot sauce, and smoke into the crock pot. 
3. If your butcher tied the roast, remove the butcher’s twine. Add the roast fat side up to the crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
4. When the meat is fork tender remove it from the liquid.  Wearing the gloves, shred the pork.  Discard any fat or gristle.  Set the pork aside.
5. Strain 2 cups of the liquid in the crock pot through the strainer into the sauce pot.  Turn the heat up to medium high and boil the liquid for 5 minutes.
6. Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in the small bowl until there are no lumps. Add the cornstarch-y water to the boiling liquid and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring often.  It should thicken.
7. Add the shredded pork to the sauce and remove from the heat.
8. Serve the pork on the hamburger buns.  Offer your guests pickles, onions, and yellow mustard.