Oh wow! I LOVE BBQ! This Lighter Pulled Pork is an easy Crockpot recipe. The reason it’s light is because I used a pork loin (NOT pork tenderloin! There is a difference!) instead of pork butt/shoulder. Pork loin is a really cheap cut of meat. I think I got $1.99/lb which is crazy!
Pork loin has less fat and more protein than pork butt which is traditionally used for BBQ. You do have to be careful not to over cook the loin.
Also, I don’t know if this would be a good substitute for other recipes that call for a pork butt ( I have experimented).
I choose to use a rub before I put this lean piece of meat in the Crockpot. It add’s SOOOOO much flavor.
I decided to make my own rub, but you can buy some pretty good pre-mixed rubs at the grocery store. Just look in the spice aisle. I use brown sugar (a must for me), chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Now you want this rub to sit on the meat for a long time to have any effect.
I am a planner, so I started the rub the night before I was planning on cooking the loin. Then in the morning (whenever I got up) I started the loin in the Crockpot for 6 hours on HIGH. It was delicious.
After you slather on the rub all over the meat wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it on a tray/dish. This way it won’t make a mess in your fridge.
I like to serve my pulled pork on a hearty bun with some Cole slaw. Now I don’t have a Cole slaw recipe (Jill I need your Grandma’s recipe in my life!). I just buy a package of Cole slaw, and I LOVE Marzetti’s Original Slaw dressing (sometimes I add a boiled egg to it!).
And here is Nolan helping with pictures…
Did I mention he is more obsessed with BBQ than I am? It’s our weakness.
Lighter Pulled Pork
Lighter Pulled Pork is an awesome Crockpot recipe. Using a pork loin instead of pork butt makes this dinner recipe a lighter option.
- Prep Time: 9 hours
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 15 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pork loin
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork loin, and wrap the loin in plastic wrap. Let the rub marinate overnight or up to 24 hours for the best flavor.
- Place the pork loin in a Crockpot, and pour in 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Shred the pork with a fork and mix into it’s juices.
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