Take the Good Luck Route with the World’s Easiest & Most Delicious Pulled Pork
This recipe is linked to Crockpot Wednesdays.
I can’t say I am superstitious. I am known to exit via a different door than I entered, I love black cats, and so forth, but I do think you go for good luck whenever possible. That, and the fact that I do love good pork, had me cooking this recipe using a Boston Butt in my crock pot yesterday.
A Google search led me to this explanation for eating pork for the New Year. (Of course, there are all numbers of explanations on why we eat pork … and black-eyed peas, and such.) This version regarding pork said the tradition is a Pennsylvania Dutch one. “One eats pork on New Years Day because it’s a time to look forward and pigs cannot look back. Therefore, pork is for good luck. Also, a side note, that supposedly a Pennsylvania Dutchman would never eat chicken on New Year’s Day because they can scratch backward.” Whether it’s true or not, I LOVE it!!! … especially the part about the chickens. Too funny. (Okay, there will be a moratorium on rotisserie chickens from the store for at least 48 hours! BTW, the grocery store I frequent uses Perdue rotisserie chickens and all the varieties I’ve seen there are gluten free. You can check out the latest GF listing from Perdue.)
The pork butt recipe I use came from the newspaper many years ago. I have no idea who the originator was. I have found numerous variations online, but not the exact recipe I use. Most are more complicated than our old standby recipe. It only has THREE ingredients and it is fabulous! Yes, you read that right … THREE. You don’t even have to measure anything. Trust me, you will be very happy with the smells coming from your crock pot all day and later when you are standing beside it, eating the delicious pulled pork with a fork (or, gasp, your fingers) straight out of the crock pot.
The World’s Easiest and Most Delicious Pulled Pork (or as we like to call it at my house, Fabulous Pork Butt—it just sounds sillier)
(Please click here for a printable version of this recipe.)one Boston (pork) butt (a pork shoulder or pork roast will work, also, but Boston Butts often go on sale for as little as $.99 per lb and they are usually huge … plus, there is almost no waste, just the bone and fat that falls away)
light brown sugar (for “smooshing”)
Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is the best to use–it’s gluten free)
Place pork in crock pot. With fingers, smoosh brown sugar all over exposed surface. (“Smooshing” means you are just patting some brown sugar onto the surface.) Then shake Worcestershire sauce (from the bottle) over the brown-sugared surface until all is fairly well covered. (You won’t be using huge amounts, maybe two tablespoon or so if you want to measure and spoon over the surface. The shaking out part is fun though and you can’t go wrong with any amount.) I like to use enough Worcestershire sauce to moisten as much as possible of the brown sugar. Cook for 8 – 10 hours on low until pork falls apart or pulls out easily when you test it with a fork. If you get impatient or want to jumpstart the recipe, turn up the crock pot to high for a bit. A general rule of thumb is that one hour of cooking on high equals two hours on low. If I am going to use high mode, I normally do that at the beginning and then turn the crock pot down to low for slow cooking for the latter part. )
Voila! Your ugly pork butt has just transformed itself into the most beautiful pulled pork! But, more importantly, it’s yummmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy … the yumminess factor is like Pi–nobody knows how far ”out” it really goes. LOL
Extract meat from crock pot and serve with your favorite GF rolls, green salad, chips, cole slaw, or whatever. I just eat mine in a bowl with some potato chips on the side usually. Last night, I just ate the pulled pork in a bowl. Fabulous. Once again, it earned its name. We’ll be having it for lunch and dinner today for sure and we’ll be very happy to be eating these “leftovers.”
If you need additional spiciness, you can make the following multipurpose sauce that the famous household guru Heloise shared years ago. It works great for pulled pork, steaks, or anything that needs just a little bit more zestiness or tang. (Prepared barbecue sauces can work fine, too. Just ensure they are gluten free, if needed.) Again though, most of the time, I don’t even use any sauce–the pulled pork by itself is that tasty!
Tasty Sauce
1 cup ketchup (Heinz is gluten free, except Heinz’s organic ketchup)
1 cup Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is gluten free, plus French’s was last time I checked–be sure to check again)
Additional Notes:
If you are avoiding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), as many of us are these days just to ensure better health, both the worcestershire sauce and ketchup mentioned here contain HFCS. I confess that occasionally to rarely I still eat some foods that contain HFCS. If you know of good ones without HFCS that are, of course, also GF, please share that info for all.
This recipe makes a lot. That means you can serve a big family or a huge gathering of guests, freeze some for future delectable and easy meals, make some equally fabulous pork friend rice, put a good bit aside to take to a friend who just had a baby … you get the picture. )
This pulled pork is a gorgeous light brown and delicate and succulent. Make it yourself. I am pretty certain you will feel incredible gratitude and good luck will follow!
Happy 2009 to all!
Shirley
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Comments
46 Responses to “Take the Good Luck Route with the World’s Easiest & Most Delicious Pulled Pork”
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This sounds delicious! We love pork shoulder and as a matter of fact, I have 3 in the freezer now because they were on sale for .99 lb.
There are so many great ways to prepare it! One crockpot method we use is to place coarsely chopped onion in bottom of pot, add pork shoulder, chicken broth, cumin, salt, garlic, whatever else sounds good to you. Squeeze an orange or two into the pot and cook away. We like to place this in corn tortillas and eat but I think it’d be great in a dish with some soft polenta, the juices ladeled over all.
Thanks for the recipes, Shirley. I think pork shoulder will be on the menu this week!
Oh yes, the day I discovered that those cheap and nasty-named pork butt roasts were one of life’s hidden treasures was a good one.
They love the crock pot, take any kind of sauce, feed a crowd, and make you look like a Domestic Goddess even if you’re really just a Throw Something Together kind of cook!
Therese–Onion, cumin, garlic, and orange with pork … what’s not to like about that combo? I just finished eating my own fabulous pork butt for lunch and, yet, I am still salivating over your recipe! And, placing that mixture in corn tortillas or over polenta … either would be delicious. Watch out, there may be a run on pork butts and shoulders at the store! LOL Seriously, I love going to the freezer and pulling out the makings of such a meal. The other ingredients are usually ones we have on hand. There are some Christmas oranges on the counter as we speak …
V–”Nasty-named pork butt roasts” … you’ll get a kick out of this. When I went to one photo website and searched on pork butt, I got a warning message about looking for inappropriate and possible sexual content! What a hoot! Guess the pork factor didn’t rule out sexy. LOL And, we all know you are a Domestic Goddess of sorts … now, don’t pretend otherwise. Swamp cake comes to mind.
Shirley,
Great (and easy!) recipe you have here. Wow, it sounds wonderful. My son loves “pulled pork” sandwiches and this looks to be an easy way to create them. Also, pork is WAY high in B vitamins. It’s definitely good stuff, so don’t shy away from good pork. Yum, this does sound good. No need for a photo, my mouth is watering just imagining the smell in the house after hours in the crock pot. I’m definitely going to do this next time I go skiing. I love to come back to a wonderful smelling house and dinner ready and waiting.
Melissa
Melissa, I’m so glad you shared the vitamin B info. Encouragement to eat this delicious pork is exactly what we need–I appreciate you being our “resident” nutritional therapist! And, yes, the pork would be perfect at the end of one of your ski days.
One thing I should mention for all to consider, too, is never forget you can just cook in your crock pot overnight if timing doesn’t work out for a day of cooking. I’ve done this a lot when I wanted to take a meal to a co-worker or friend near my work place or make a meal for a work luncheon. I usually have more energy and focus at night than I do first thing in the morning, too. LOL I’ve also been known to prepare everything in the crock and stick it in the refrigerator overnight. With slow cooking, it doesn’t affect the crock pot any and it gives a slightly slower start for a longer day of cooking–something that comes in handy for us working girls. (Many crock pots today have the automatic turnoff and shift to warming feature, but not all.)
PORK IS SEXY I like some butt and I am a little superstitious so this one sounds good to me. I will have to give it a try some times. I need a bigger crock pot. Shirley, LOL
KDJones–LOL All NC boys are crazy about pork … you guys roast a pig at the drop of a hat!
Excellent point on the size of the crock pot. I used an oval 6-qt crock pot for this pork butt. On a rare occasion, if I get a smaller pork butt, I can use my West Bend oblong slow cooker, but it’s still has a 6-qt capacity. Shop now … there are some good deals out there. Report back after you’ve tried the recipe. I promise it will become a Jones family favorite!
And this is why i have chosen the noble, noble pig. Always good luck! Unfortuneatly I made a prime rib yesterday…oh well!
Cathy–Thanks so much for stopping by! Well, of course … I wasn’t even thinking of Noble Pig (www.noblepig.com) when I posted my fave pork recipe … how silly of me.
Prime rib. 
Looking forward to you posting that recipe on your site. So many of your recipes are naturally gluten free … GFE, that’s what we are looking for!
Pork – the new health food. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this!
LOL, Kay. Glad to make your day! We have to thank Melissa for educating us on the merits of pork! … I mean other than the obvious, tasty ones.
Boston butt slow-cooked with plenty of sauerkraut was the New Year’s Day dinner at the Dept.! And leftovers make great sandwiches. If you have a Dutch oven, it’s even better.
See … you had a GFE meal! That’s how easy it can be.
Dutch ovens are great. I especially like it when camping buddies bring Dutch ovens up to our mountain property and cook in the campfire for us. Well, that only happened once to date, but the experience was wonderful. The stew our friends made was incredibly good. (This same couple had a mobile antique cabinet that helds spices just for camping!)
Hello all I am an internet friend of Shirleys for almost 9 years.
I truly believe I am gluten intolerant. I am trying to eat gluten free right now.
Are their people out there who are gluten intolerant but have never been formally told by the Dr’s they are.
I have had thyroid problems, cancer, cannot lose weight, can eat a whole loaf of bread and not feel hungry but feel really bloated. I feel awful I MEAN awful if I eat pasta. I am overweight and cannot get it off.
SIGH.
I am so loving all the Gluten free blogs listed.
Thanks
Katie
Shirley your website is very professional looking and attractive! The Waiting story is a real grabber. And what I think I like best of all is the stated purpose of making gluten-free living EASY. I’m looking forward functional tips on things like
* Preparing to be a dinner guest: how much do you quiz the cook beforehand? Do you say anything or just bring your own food? etc
* Working with the food server at a restaurant.
* Most effective ways to promote gluten-free goods at grocerery stores, coffee-houses, pastry places, restaurants (list of email addresses to community relations office of corporate offices of chains?).
* Lists of places that have made gluten-free provisions, by state and city, perhaps through an existing website service.
* Recipe for a gluten-free mix that can be used to substitute for wheat in any recipe.
* Ditto for soup or gravy thickener.
* The easiest best way one can text for gluten tolerance.
These are some of the things that you have already provided our local group and that helped me navigate new waters and feel more confident and even “normal” while I was at it.
Karen–Thanks so much for all the warm fuzzies!
We can all do GFE, truly we can. Thanks for the “to do” list. I’ll try to work my way through it with the aid of our knowledgeable readers and their suggestions. I think most of these topics will easily work their way into the blog posts and discussions. Have you made a list of all the meals (entrees, side dishes, etc.) that you have always loved that are naturally GF or can easily be GF? That’s a powerful and uplifting task. I highly recommend it. Look forward to your input and “challenges” in the future. 
Katie–I am so glad to see you here again. I hope some others will respond to your query soon with details on their own experiences. In the interim, please let me offer info based on some other folks’ experiences … our support group members’, friends’, and what I’ve seen on other GF blogs. In an ideal world, all of us who have gluten issues could take a celiac test and get a firm diagnosis and proceed on a happy path to being gluten free and well. But, many still find they have a hard time convincing their doctor to test them, or they get tested and test negative, or they don’t have insurance to cover the cost of celiac testing (gold standard is blood test and biopsy–not inexpensive), and so forth. A lot of these folks do other testing for gluten issues; e.g., sensitivity testing, gene testing. They often find validation there for their gluten issues, although some of this testing is controversial because it is not always accepted through the medical community. However, many people are grateful to get that validation, get the impetus to go gluten free, and see the symptoms go away and their health return over time. Still others do the research, hear a convincing presentation on the harmful effects of gluten, and decide just like that to go gluten free and never look back! We have several families who belong to our support group who went that route. They are healthier and happier than they have ever been.
Major, major kudos to you for going gluten free! So many of the issues you mention could well be related to gluten issues. For example, bloating, observed after consuming gluten, is a common complaint. Again, I hope some others will weigh in. Kay from Gluten Free Kay did an excellent post just the other day on what led her to be gluten free. You can check it out here. http://glutenfreekay.blogspot.com/2009/01/deja-vu.html Remember all of us can have different symptoms, but usually there’s some overlap. Hope this helps a bit!
Could you folks who have gone gluten free without a diagnosis (or know someone who has), please share your knowledge with Katie? Thanks!
Hi Katie,
My health has improved DRAMATICALLY from going gluten free, even though many, MANY doctors found nothing wrong with me. I spent an entire year following their advice, submitting to gobs of tests, taking their meds, spending enough money to buy a used car, and getting worse by the minute.
When they all told me I should lose weight, you know, for my health, I tried the strict South Beach regimen for three weeks. Lost one pound. Sheesh!
After a lot of internet research and (perhaps) a sign from God, I decided to try a gluten free diet. I started feeling better immediately, even though I made a lot of glutenous mistakes. I lost probably ten pounds while making mistakes in the first five months. When I cleaned out my house and got rid of all possible contamination, the pounds started falling off like crazy. I’ve lost 20 more since last May.
I think wheat was kind of like heroin for me. And wheat made sugar kind of like heroin as well. I am amazed that my body now recognizes and is satisfied with foods that are good for me. Eating right is not the challenge it has been all the rest of my life. The cravings are GONE! I eat three balanced meals every day. I am never hungry. Mindless eating is a thing of the past. Although socially, it’s still tough for me to watch others indulge in recreational overeating.
I was sick and puffed up for five years while I let doctors try to find out what was wrong with me. I asked every doctor, “Could all these symptoms be caused by one thing?” Every single doctor said, “NO!” They continued to treat my symptoms individually with expensive meds that made me sicker. I was frustrated and hopeless and sick and broke.
My life is mostly back to normal health these days. Hope has returned. Energy has returned. I wish the doctors would give me all my money back. Ha ha!
Check out my recent post about my first year gluten free on my blog: http://glutenfreekay.blogspot.com/2009/01/deja-vu.html
Hope you take the plunge and find it works for you! Half-way won’t work. And nothing works overnight. Your body needs time to heal, but it really wants to heal!
Shirley thanks for the info
I am just plodding along with all this. I do feel better less bloated as well. I have a cracker that I found and LOVE. It has made this so much easier. OMG I just cannot believe it.
They are Mary’s Organic Crackers. Gluten,free . They provide that crunch when you need it.
I will keep trying to learn about things.
Katie
Kay
Thanks for responding to me. I have actually read your blog before. WOW. I know that I need to do this.
Tell me about cross contamination. I am new and need to know LOL
I am finding things I can eat that I like. I have gotten a memebership at a fantastic gym ( snazzy and a treat for me) I am eating gluten free ( or trying) and I hope that it helps me to feel better.
I am so encouraged when I read peoples stories.
Thanks
Katie
Kay-Special thanks for sharing your story here and doing it so well! I know that many reading will draw parallels to their own personal experiences. The “happily ever after” ending is the best part, of course! I think many of us with gluten issues are incredibly surprised how good we can feel after going gluten free. We never knew it was possible! Re: the addiction you and many others feel, it’s REAL … read here: http://www.celiac.com/articles/21635/1/Gluten-Celiac-Disease-and-the-Brain/Page1.html
Katie-You’re doing great! All of us go through a learning experience for several months. It’s not long before it becomes second nature to eat GF, especially if your approach is the GFE one. Gluten Free Steve (http://glutenfreesteve.wordpress.com/) shared in one of his posts that the nutritionist he initially consulted with told him that going GF is like learning a new language and it takes some time to learn it. That is such a great analogy. We wouldn’t expect to learn a new language overnight and the same is true of going GF. Going GFE makes it all easier IMO because you don’t have to learn a ton of new products right away. You focus on all the foods you know and love that are naturally GF and add in some specialty items that fill particular voids. Your new find of Mary’s Gone Crackers is a perfect example. These products can be great in that regard, but I suggest that you still concentrate on naturally GF snacks because they are readily available at all stores. There’s nothing worse than being addicted to even GF foods and running out of your “stash” and not being able to easily get any more. Nuts, apples, bananas, carrots, and such are readily available any time and are both nutritious and satisfying. As far as trying to be GF, we all make some mistakes at the beginning, but the more proficient we get, the more our body responds and the better we feel.
Kudos on all you are doing! If you’d like to read more stories. Click on the link on the sidebar on the right for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness then What is Celiac? and you’ll see personal stories. They are all so different, yet so inspiring.
Here’s some very quick info on cross contamination. There’s the possibility of cross contamination with store-bought products. For example, if a GF cereal is made in a facility where gluten-containing cereals are made, there’s the possibility of cross contamination. Mainstream oats (like Quaker and McCann’s) have been tested and contain wheat from cross contamination. (GF oats are available from four companies that I am aware of, but a small percentage of folks with gluten issues can’t tolerate oats. I, myself, can only have small amounts from time to time.)
There’s the possibility of cross contamination at home unless you have a completely GF household. For example, someone in the family may use a knife to get some mayo and spread it on a piece of bread. Then, he/she inserts the knife in the jar once more leaving the bread crumbs behind. You use mayo the next time not knowing and accidentally consume some gluten.
In restaurants, there are many possibilities for cross contamination without education of staff. For example, your eggs may be cooked on the grill where a grilled cheese was just cooked. For that particular order, you can request that your eggs be cooked in a clean pan.
Can’t get it all here in one comment, but I’ll be in touch and I am sure it’s a topic we’ll cover time and time again in the future.
Oh wow! My hubby will love this! Actually, I will love it too
Can’t wait! Oh, and I hope you don’t mind if I link to you 
Tiffany–Welcome to GFE! Thanks so much for stopping by. You’re right, you both will love this fabulous pork recipe! LOL Thanks so much for linking to me–must go check out your blog immediately!
Shirley,
That looks like an easy way to do pulled pork. I absolutely love boston butt. Since I grew up in NC, I am partial to slightly more involved methods – check out my NC pulled pork (http://www.ihatewheat.com/2008/09/north-carolina-barbecue.html).
I also have the great fortune of living in Alexandria VA, about a mile from a farmer’s market where the Babes in the Wood (www.forestfed.com) guys sell their forest fed pork. It is expensive, but I will never go back to grain fed by choice. This pork makes grocery store pork taste like tofu. If you can get local meat that is fed the food it wants to eat naturally, the taste (and nutritional and moral value) is WAY better.
But, no matter what kind of pork you get, low and slow is always the way to go!
Steve
http://www.iHateWheat.com
Steve–I think NC guys tend to like a vinegar-based barbecue better. Your barbecue sounds like it’s full of complex and fantastic flavors.
I just checked out the Babes in the Wood site. What a surprise that their farm and business is in Dilwyn, VA. (That’s where some of my husband’s family is. It’s a very small town. One of his mother’s first cousins was the mayor of Dilwyn for many years before he died a few months ago.) The forest-fed approach does make sense (the whole hunter/gatherer thinking for animals as it applies to them) and I greatly appreciate their other requirements as well–no hormones, antibiotics, artificial colorings, flavoring, or preservatives. BTW, I had a friend years ago who raised pigs and sold the meat. She fed them just about anything it turns out, including a LOT of stale bread. The meat had NO taste whatsoever.
Thanks for sharing this info. When I am in one of the locations where I can purchase their products, I definitely want to try them! Shirley
What’s with exiting from a different door than the one you entered through? Haven’t hear that one? I always learn something new at GFE.
I always make traditional pork and green chile posole on New Year’s Day, as it brings good luck for the upcoming year. Hey, you do whatever you can to make things work! Food is a perfect conduit for that.
Speaking of food, your pulled pork sounds delightful. My chef/son will love this as he’s into pulled pork like nobody’s business. I’ll pass it along!
Thanks, Shirley. Another good one!
Melissa
xo
Hey Melissa–Thanks for commenting on this much older post! There are so many superstitions really. Sometimes Mr. GFE won’t go out a different door than he came in. I think it depends on what kind of day he’s had. I don’t know the origins … will have to investigate.
This pulled pork is just so easy, and more importantly so good! I fed it to Son, his friend, and Mr. GFE, and at some myself and there’s plenty left. Love that, too! I like it with just the flavoring from cooking, but we also use a little of the simple sauce. Hope your son likes it! A chef son and a fly fisherman son … good profession indeed.
Posole is good, too. My friend from New Mexico makes it with a choice or red or green chile. She always serves it at her Christmas open house, but my favorite things she makes is rolled tacos. OMG, heaven!
Shirley
Wow, this looks yummy! Cooking in a slow cooker or crock pot is such an easy way to cook, and limited washing up! Not sure what pork butt is though.. maybe in Oz we have pork rump?? I will have to check this out so I can make this dish! Thanks!
Hi Vee–Welcome to gfe!
Thanks so much for the kind words! Yes, slow cooking is wonderful, especially for pork. I think pork butt and pork rump would be very close, if not equivalent. A pork shoulder will even work. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
All the best,
Shirley
Yum! Found you by searching gluten free pulled pork! Your site looks fab and I will bookmark and be back to read more after I get this in the crook pot, easy peasy works for this busy mom!
THANKS
Hi robyn–Welcome to gfe!
Thanks so very much for the kind words!!! I hope you’ll find some more great recipes and posts on gfe, and fingers crossed that you loved the “easy peasy” pulled pork (he,y that’s what I should have called it in my post!). 
Look forward to seeing you more here!
Shirley
I watched my mother suffer with GI issues my whole life. It was diagnosed as “ulcerative colits”. Back in the 60s, they’d just chop another piece of your intestines out trying to find SOMETHING to alleviate the misery. She lived with a colostomy bag for over 20 years and then finally had it converted to an “internal colostomy” and had that for ANOTHER 20 years. She lost all her teeth by 18. They removed her gallbladder at 37. She died young, by my standards, anyway, at 67. She had Sjogren’s and Reynaud’s and very early menopause.
I thought I’d escaped it all, with an iron gut and never being sick. Until I hit the “pause o’ men”. I got the gene test which came back positive for both the DQ2.2 AND DQ2.8 genes (which means a 31x more probability of developing celiac disease and at the very least a predisposition to gluten intolerance). I should have gone GF then, permanently, but was stupid enough to have the tests. The blood tests came back negative, as did the biopsy (though the gastro I went to I will NEVER GO BACK TO), and nobody would listen to me. I’ve had Hashimoto’s for years. Ding, ding, ding.
I’ve been off gluten since the last Thursday of September 2011; it’s been a very, very long haul. I am finally, finally starting to feel there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. The GI issues that suddenly cropped up have resolved; the neurological issues are very, very, very slow to get better.
Sorry if this is long, but, you know, I wish my mom was here so I could get her to at least try GF – although I know in my heart her response would be “Why the @@*#! would I want to @@*! do that? That sounds like it would @@*!! suck!”
Hi PattyBoots–I’m sorry you’ve been through so very much personally and with your mom. Wow. It’s heartbreaking to look back and think “if I’d only known.” And even though you know what your mom’s response to the suggestion of a gf diet would most likely be, you still wish you had the chance. I know she would have benefitted from your wonderful gf cooking if she were still with you, dear. I’m so very glad you are doing better. And you are right … neurological issues can take much longer to heal. IMHO, you probably also need supplementation for those specific issues to heal, and per the guidance of a good healthcare professional. I am so proud of all you’ve done so far! It can be a tough adustment, especially with doubts and a long road of healing.
Hugs,
Shirley
Sounds delish! We have been a fan of the great old Boston Butt for many years for BBQ but I’ve never used these seasonings…I usually load the crock pot with onions and a little garlic or seasoning spice….will certainly have to give this a try! Thanks for always sharing wonderful ideas and great recipes!
Lisa–I hope you’ll try this one. It’s so simple and so incredibly good. I’ve converted many with it!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, dear!
Shirley
Looks delicious! We use Hunt’s ketchup at our house because it is free of high fructose corn syrup and free of citric acid, also. I does contain “natural flavoring,” though, so if you’re sensitive to those kind of things you will want to check on that first.