I’m embarrassed to say that before two months ago, I had never made pulled pork at home.
I mean, sure, I’d throw a pork shoulder into the crock pot with some barbecue sauce and hope for the best, but actually planning for homemade pulled pork? It just never happened.
However, that changed the weekend Winston came home from the bar exam because I cooked up a barbecue feast that included pulled pork.
I didn’t initially want to make it, but when it became clear that we might not have enough ribs for the number of guests who were attending, I purchased a pork shoulder and decided to wing it.
And that is exactly what I did.
When I got home, I threw it in the crock pot after coating it liberally with some Memphis-style dry rub. I let it cook on slow for four hours, then I transfered it from the crock pot (and its own juices) to a baking dish and popped it in the 225 degree oven for another four hours.
Then, when the meat was falling off the bone, I had my handsome husband pull the pork apart, making it perfect for pulled pork sandwiches, one of my favorite barbecue main dishes. (You should ask my family about this. It seems that whenever we go out for barbecue, I’m the lone soul getting a pulled pork sandwich because I love them so much.)
We let the pork sit with aluminum foil over it and put it back in the oven (which was off) to heat through for our guests.
Doesn’t it look delightful?

Pulled Pork Shoulder
Knock the socks off guests with this Memphis-style Pulled Pork Shoulder, cooked in the slow cooker, then finished in oven. Once the pork shoulder is falling apart, shred it, then serve on a sandwich with slaw for the perfect summertime dinner!
Ingredients
- 4 lb. pork shoulder, bone in
- ¼ cup Barbecue dry rub seasoning, more to taste if need be
Instructions
- Use a paper towel to pat the pork shoulder dry after taking it out of its packaging.
- Liberally season the pork shoulder with the barbecue dry rub. The entire exterior of the meat should be coated.
- Place the pork into the slow cooker and cook on low for four hours.
- Pull pork out of its juices and place in a lined baking dish.
- Season the pork with more barbecue dry rub.
- Cook in a 225°F oven for another four hours.
- When the meat is falling off the bone, use forks to pull the meat apart and shred.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
You can use this recipe for bigger or smaller pork shoulders. Just adjust the seasoning as necessary, as you'll want the exterior of the meat to be coated pretty well.
If you can't find a pork shoulder with the bone in, you can use a boneless shoulder instead. The cook time might be a little shorter, but it won't make a huge difference in the amount of effort or time this recipe calls for.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 442Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 35g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
Personally, the best thing about this recipe for me is that it’s simple. And while it requires quite a time commitment, the actual hands-on time is slim to none.
Once the pork is pulled and warmed through, all you need to do is scoop a liberal amount into a crunchy bun and top with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.
Then enjoy!
Gretchen Alice says
Great, now I’m STARVING for some pulled pork.
Erin says
Go get you some! You live in Texas… I would hope y’all have pulled pork somewhere, right?!
Erin says
Also, holy crap, I sound SOUTHERN by that last comment. 😉
mandy says
Holy yum! This looks delicious Erin! I love that you just sort of winged it and the end result was amazing.
Erin says
Thanks, Mandy! I wing it a lot in the kitchen, but this was one of those experiments that turned out! 😉
Erin says
I love pulled pork! I like to make it in the crock pot with bbq sauce and coke, but I’ll have to try it with just the dry rub! I bet it’s delicious!
Erin says
Thanks for your comment, Erin! Give this recipe a try. I’d love to know what you think!
I’ve never made pulled pork with BBQ sauce and Coke. Do you have a recipe? I’d love to give it a shot to see the differences because it sounds amazing!
Jessica says
Sweet baby jesus this looks amazing. I LOVE PULLED PORK. Ugh, I need to get some this weekend. LOVE YOU!