Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Soda and BBQ Sauce

The verdicts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons hot or sweet smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 to 4 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of most of its excess fat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing
• 1 yellow onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 (12-ounce) can dark soda, like Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or birch beer
• ½ to 1 ½ cups homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce
• Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. If you have time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. If you don't, no worries; proceed to Step 2.
2. Lightly grease the crock of a slow cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes each side. Add onion, if using, to the slow cooker. Add the pork on top of the onion. Pour soda over the pork and set the slow cooker to low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat has collapsed and shreds easily.
3. Drain most of the liquid from the slow cooker and shred the meat directly in the pot. Add about ½ cup of the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. (At this point, if you like crisp bits in your pulled pork, you can spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan and place under a broiler for a couple minutes then return to the slow cooker.) Taste and add more barbecue sauce, hot sauce, salt or pepper, if desired. Serve with soft rolls and extra sauce on the side.

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