Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Hard Apple Cider Brine

Yum

So a BBQ Pulled Pork recipe is something I have been tinkering with over the years. I got a good slow cooker BBQ Pulled Pork recipe several years ago and have tweaked it over time. Something I never saw with Pulled Pork was a brine of hard apple cider, so I combined the two.

If you are unfamiliar, a brine is pretty simple. Essentially you are soaking a meat in an acidic base plus adding extra flavors with it. The acidic base of the brine helps break down the cell walls of the meat, leaving your finished product more tender, more juicy as it absorbs liquid from the brine, and imparts a little extra flavor with what you put in it. Two of the biggest brines in popular culture are a buttermilk brine for fried chicken and teriyaki marinades. Brining has become a huge bonus to my cooking here at home and I hope you try it out for yourself if you never have...maybe even with this recipe!

So for this recipe you'll need a 4-6 pound boneless pork shoulder, a slow cooker and something large enough to hold the pork plus brine in. I used a large mixing bowl, it just needs to be something you can submerge the pork and keep enclosed for a minimum of 6 hours to overnight.

For the Brine You Will Need:

5 Cups of Hard Apple Cider
5 Cups of Water
3/4 Cup of Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Rosemary Sprigs
2 Bay Leaves
1 Yellow Onion Sliced
6 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/4th tsp Cayenne

-----------------------------

This part is pretty simple. Take your container for brining, be in a large plastic bag or a mixing bowl and add the ingredients. If in a container whisk together to ensure everything is evenly distributed before adding the pork, then add the pork and cover with plastic wrap. If in a plastic bag, add the brine, then the pork, then seal it and gently shake/press everything around to make sure it's all covered. Then put it in the refrigerator for a six hour minimum to overnight maximum. 

For The Rub You Will Need:

 

1 Tbsp Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
*1 Tbsp Hickory Smoked Sea Salt*

Take these above ingredients, stir together in a small bowl and set aside. Take out your container of brine and remove the pulled pork, saving one cup of the brine for slow cooker. You then want to give the pork a good washing in the sink, then pat dry with paper towels. For the next part you want to make sure the pork is dry so it will accept the rub. Then use your fingers to take the rub mixture and spread all over the pork. It doesn't need to be a thick coating, but make sure the entire surface of the pork is covered. The next step is adding it to the slow cooker.

* the hickory smoked sea salt I have is a specialty item I have and I used it to help impart a smoky flavor in the pork since I'm using a slow cooker. If you do not have it, I'm pretty sure regular kosher/sea salt will do just as well*

-----------------------------

Slow Cooker Base:

2 Medium Yellow Onions Thinly Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves Sliced or Minced
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Cup Brining Liquid

After Cooking -- 2 Cups BBQ Sauce I used a combo, one cup sweet, one cup spicy/tangy

So this is where it all comes together. Add your onions, garlic, chicken broth and reserved brining liquid to the base of the slow cooker. Then add your pork and cover with lid. Cook on 4-6 hours high or 6-8 hours low. Pull your meat out, it will be super tender so try to get any pieces that fall off. Drain out your liquid out of your slow cooker so that it is empty. Shred with your preferred method, then add the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and stir in that two cups of BBQ sauce. Then it's ready to eat! I added an additional step of taking it back out and putting it on a sheet pan in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes to try and get it a little crispy. Serve with extra BBQ sauce either by itself or on your favorite buns of choice. I used potato rolls.

What I Would/Could Do Differently:

This recipe is super versatile, and I am confident you could do this same recipe with chicken in place of pork. I originally wanted Brioche buns for my finished product but when it came time to shop for ingredients there were none in stock. Since this is such a savory dish I like pairing it with a sweet bread, so Hawaiian or Brioche buns would be my first choice, but potato rolls worked nicely. You should also toast up your buns with a little butter before serving for an extra crunch and bite of flavor. On the day I did this recipe however, everyone was very hungry and we agreed we couldn't wait any longer.

Hope people try this and enjoy!