Pulled Pork for the Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 T paprika
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/4 t ground black pepper
• 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces
• 12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls, warmed
• Dill pickles (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow-cooker pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.
2. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting until pork is very tender (8 to 10 hours).
3. With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly.
4. While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if necessary.