Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Make the barbecue sauce ahead any time you are free. You can easily freeze it. It is also delicious over chicken or ribs. You can either pull the pork with two forks or chop it on a cutting board.

Barbecue Sauce:
1 can (28 oz) plum tomatoes, chopped with their juices
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups water
1-1/3 cups cider vinegar
salt to taste
1 pork butt (4 lbs) at room temperature
soft rolls, for serving
cole slaw, for serving
bread and butter pickles, for serving

Prepare the barbecue sauce at least a day before you plan to cook the meat. Place the tomatoes, molasses, honey, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a large heavy pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally.

Add the water and vinegar, then return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce gently, uncovered, over medium low heat for 1-1/2 hours more. Remove and discard the bay leaf, season with salt and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Makes 3 cups of sauce). Bring to room temperature before adding to the crock pot.

Place the pork in the crock pot. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over the pork and turn the meat to coat all over with the sauce. Cover the pot and cook on high heat for 5-1/2 hours.

Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside to cool. When the meat is cool enough to handle, trim off and discard the fat. Chop the meat coarsely with two knives, or pull it with two forks. Place the shredded meat in a large bowl. Pour the sauce through a gravy separator, discarding the fat. Warm the defatted sauce and toss with the shredded meat. Serve on rolls with cole slaw on top and pickles alongside.