So Many Recipes...

     Yes, so many recipes, so little time.  I already have a reliable recipe for slow cooker pulled pork that I've used faithfully for several years.  But then I came across another one that looked interesting.  It was just a bit different so I thought I'd give it a whirl, against the advice of the home front.  After all, why fix something that isn't broken?  But I went ahead and followed the directions from the Slow Cooker Revolution cook book published by America's Test Kitchen.  The recipe called for a boneless pork butt roast to be dry rubbed with dark brown sugar, paprika, chili powder and cumin then wrapped tightly in Saran wrap and stored in the refrigerator overnight to intensify the flavors.
     Early the next morning I was up to get everything into the slow cooker for a day of low and slow cooking.  The recipe instructed me to place the pork roast on top of smoked ham hocks, but not having any on hand I substituted a smoked pork chop.  Low sodium chicken broth was added, along with some sliced onion (my addition) and the lid was on for the next 10 hours.
     Around mid-afternoon I began to build the flavoring for the sauce, combining cider vinegar, brown sugar and substituting barbeque sauce for the recommended ketchup and liquid smoke.  When the roast was finished I removed the meat from the slow cooker, strained the braising liquid to skim off the fat and poured it into a saucepan to simmer for a half hour, concentrating the sauce before whisking in the brown sugar-vinegar mixture.  While that was on the stove I shredded the meat and returned it to the slow cooker before pouring some of the thickened sauce gently over it.  Using a pair of tongs I tossed the meat and the sauce together and let it simmer, covered for another hour.
     The end result?  A perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and smoky flavors.  It was an authentic North Carolina pulled pork dinner that would make any Tarheel proud!