Sweet Pulled Pork Barbacoa
This is a great slow cooker recipe. The pulled pork is tender and flavorful with a nice hint of sweetness. We used the meat for tacos, but you can use it to make nachos, burritos or sandwiches with a nice hearty bun. Traditionally, in Mexico, barbacoa is served on warm corn tortillas with guacamole and salsa.
Barbacoa refers to meat that was slow cooked over an open fire or in a pit. The word barbeque was derived from the Mexican word barbacoa and this loan word made its way to the US from Mexico with the cowboys and ranch hands in Texas.
If you prepare this meal a day in advance, you can cool and refrigerate the meat with the sauce. The fat from the pork will solidify on the top and can be easily removed with a spoon. Put the meat back in the slow cooker and bring back to temperature before serving.
Our Barbacoa Rub is blended with chipotle, guajillo, onion, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, Mexican oregano and cloves.
- 2 pounds pork shoulder
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Barbacoa Rub
- 2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken stock
- 1 ½ Tablespoons tomato paste
- Place the pork in the slow cooker
- In a bowl, thoroughly combine the brown sugar and the Barbacoa Rub.
- To the spice mixture add the chicken stock and the tomato paste, whisk to combine.
- Pour mixture over pork and set slow cooker to low heat for 7-8 hours. Pork should be fully cooked so it shreds easily when split with the tines of a fork.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker to shred. Siphon off excess fat from the remaining liquid in the slow cooker.
- Return shredded meat to the slow cooker and continue cooking on low for another 1-2 hours or until ready to serve. The longer the meat cooks, the more tender and flavorful it will be - don't be afraid to let it continue to cook.
- Serve on warm corn tortillas with salsa, Monterey Jack cheese, and a squeeze of lime.
