Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork with Peach Barbecue Sauce + A Giveaway

I'm not sure where to start: there are so many exciting things going on here! We've got a tangy, sweet, paleo peach barbecue sauce, spice-rubbed, slow-cooked pork that's perfect on its own or drenched in the aforementioned sauce, and a pair of hard-core, handy-dandy meat claws.

Was that too many adjectives? Is it possible for a tool to be both hard core and handy dandy? I apologize--there's just something about pulled pork that makes me a bit verbose. It's so tender, so easy, so versatile, and so GOOD.

For this recipe, a pork shoulder is coated in a simple spicy-sweet mix and popped in the slow cooker with an onion and a bit of olive oil. While the pork is cooking, you can put your feet up and enjoy the wonderful aroma permeating your house.

Or, you can make some peach barbecue sauce to go with it.

I am obsessed with this sauce. It's inspired by traditional South Carolina-style barbecue sauce, which is a bright yellow-orange hue thanks to copious amounts of mustard. My version has some mustard in it, too, but it's worlds better than the original because of the peaches. A whole pound of peaches! I know it's not peach season yet, but frozen peach slices work perfectly here. The peaches simmer to tender perfection with some sweet onion, fresh tomato, honey, smoked paprika, and sherry vinegar, and then the whole thing is blitzed to silky perfection in the blender. The resulting sauce perfectly straddles the line between savory and sweet, with pops of sour and spice.

Whether or not you opt to make the sauce, Chelsydale Kitchen Collections' meat claws are the perfect tool for shredding all that delicious pork. They're easy and fun to use, and allow you to channel your inner bear while preparing your food. They also come with a special brush for easy cleaning. In addition to shredding meat, they're useful for picking up pieces of meat while cooking or grilling (they're easier than tongs and give you a more secure grip) and tossing or serving salads. They make a fun gift, too.

To enter to win your own pair of meat claws, check out the giveaway widget at the end of this post!

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
Yield: About 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 or 10 hours

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon turbinado, coconut, or brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon bittersweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/2 large sweet onion, thickly sliced
One 4 to 4 1/2-pound pork shoulder (boneless or bone-in)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups peach barbecue sauce, optional (recipe below)
Fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

Mix the sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, and garlic granules in a small bowl. Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pat the pork dry and put it on top of the onions. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl and pour it over the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours, until the meat falls apart easily.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with meat claws. If you are not using the barbecue sauce, moisten the meat with a little of the liquid from the slow cooker and serve. If you are using the sauce, discard the onion and liquid in the slow cooker. Return the meat to the slow cooker, add the peach barbecue sauce, and stir. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for about an hour more, or until nice and hot. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired and enjoy!

Peach Barbecue Sauce
Yield: About 3 1/2 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, ghee, or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 lb frozen sliced peaches
2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
2 tablespoons raw, coconut, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon coconut aminos or tamari
1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon bittersweet smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup water

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the peach slices are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Let the sauce cool for a few minutes, and then carefully transfer to a blender and puree until very smooth (or use an immersion blender to puree the sauce in the pot). Taste and add more salt, pepper, honey, and/or cayenne if desired.

Use the sauce right away, or cool it to room temperature and store it in jars in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to a week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Chelsydale Kitchen Collections. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help me keep this site going!