Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Barbecue Pulled Pork

Ingredients for the Pork

1 kg pork shoulder roast, boneless and skin-off
1 can of Dr Pepper (not diet)
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 cups homemade Kansas City-style barbecue sauce (or use store-bought)

Ingredients for the BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions for the BBQ Sauce

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic in, and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Pour in the ketchup and all the other ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and allow to cool enough for the sauce to be put into a blender. Blend until smooth, place into a sealed container in the fridge. This should keep for up to 1 month.

Directions for the Pork

In a heavy (preferably cast iron) frying pan, sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned. Remove from pan and place in slow cooker. Use the can of Dr Pepper to deglaze the frying pan, making sure to scrape up the bits on the bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour the liquid and scrapings over the pork in the slow cooker.
Pour over the honey and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper. Stir well, cover and cook on Low for 7 hours.
After the 7 hours, remove the meat and discard the cooking liquid. Shred the pork with 2 forks, and return the meat to the slow cooker. Pour the BBQ sauce over the meat, stir well to coat, then cook on Low for 2 more hour.
Season to taste, and serve. This is nice in burger buns.

My Notes

For the roast, I used maple syrup instead of honey. The liquids were quite fatty so I didn’t mind discarding it. The meat didn’t taste like Dr Pepper but it was lovely and pull-apart tender. For the barbecue sauce, I used maple syrup instead of molasses. I also skipped the chilli pepper and cayenne pepper entirely (because I am a wimp about spicy heat) and instead used about 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, and about 1 teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika. I also added about 1 teaspoon of onion powder. The sauce tasted quite sharp initially, but it mellowed out a bit sitting in the fridge for a few hours waiting for the pork to finish cooking. I definitely liked the taste of this sauce more than anything we can buy in UK shops.
The next time I make the BBQ sauce, I’ll add a little more heat. But just a bit. Because I’m a wimp. 😀
Freezes well.