A Man's Recipe: BBQ pulled pork sandwiches

Okay, so I made this recipe last night for the Super Bowl and I will be honest...I was not a fan. In general, I am not a huge fan of 1. pork and 2. BBQ (I know, I know, I live in North Carolina, I should probably get it together). My fiancé, however, loves both of these things. I was sick all last week, and because he took such great care of me, I wanted to make something special for him.

Ladies: if your man loves BBQ and loves pork, MAKE HIM THIS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY. He will be so impressed.

I made this in my Crock Pot, but if you don't have a Crock Pot, I imagine a large pot will work as well. I got this recipe from Good Housekeeping, and while it isn't my most favorite thing, my fiancé certainly enjoyed it.

Here's what you need...

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, diced (this way my addition - everything needs garlic in my opinion)

1/2 cup of ketchup

1/3 cup of cider vinegar

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of tomato paste

2 tbsp of paprika

2 tbsp of yellow mustard

2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce (I used low sodium)

1 and 1/2 tsp of salt

1 and 1/4 tsp of pepper

Pork shoulder blade roast, cut into chunks (I used one with the bone still in it - adds more flavor)*


*This could also EASILY be made with chicken (what I will do next time). Just throw 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in as a substitute for the pork.

Buns, coleslaw, hot sauce and whatever else you may want for toppings!

Here is what you do...

1. Cut your pork into large chunks. I also cut away big chunks of fat.

2. Stir your onion, garlic, ketchup, vinegar, paprika, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper into your slow cooker. 

3. Place your pork in the sauce and turn it a few times to coat it.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (if you're doing in a large pot, just put it on low heat and cover with a lid.

5. After 8-10 hours, remove the pork from the sauce and place in a bowl. With a fork, tear the pork into shreds and remove the bone. This should be VERY easy at this point.

6. Put the shredded pork back in the crock pot and let it simmer with the sauce for 30-45 minutes.

7. Put it on a toasted bun with any of your toppings and enjoy!!

Apparently, it tastes even better today. My fiancé has been picking at it all afternoon. It makes me happy to have made him something he's loving :) I HIGHLY suggest this for Valentine's Day if you plan on cooking something special for your man at home.