Slow Cooker Maple Pulled Pork

This dish is so easy and so delicious. I put this in my slow cooker and let it go for the afternoon. Although I did make one change to the recipe. That was to add the pulled pork into an ovenproof dish and put it under the broiler for just a few minutes. Doing this tightens up the sauce and gets some nice crispy edges on the pork without drying it out.

I made this dish two ways. The first as it’s written on hamburger buns. The second way was making the pulled pork into BBQ quesadillas by adding some maple BBQ sauce to the pork, about a cup. Lay a buttered tortilla butter side down over a pan heated over medium heat. Add enough pork to cover the tortilla, top with sharp cheddar cheese and about 1/4 cup of your favorite coleslaw. Top with a second tortilla with it being butter side up. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned.

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 pound pork shoulder (this will feed 6-8)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cayenne/ divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• hamburger or slider buns for serving

DIRECTIONS

Combine spices, using only a 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne and rub all over the pork shoulder. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours, cook until it is fork tender and easily falls apart. When it’s done cooking, shred the pork and leave it in the slow cooker. Add the vinegar and maple syrup along the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Mix everything well in the slow cooker coating all of the pork. Continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes.

This is the point I put the pork in an oven safe dish and under the broiler for just a few minutes to tighten the sauce and get some crispy bits on the pork. This step is optional. Serve warm on hamburger or slider buns. If you have leftovers as I did, go ahead and make those delicious quesadillas.

Enjoy!