Normally, I don’t use the slow-cooker too much in the summertime. I find it makes such delicious stews and soups which are typically cold-weather cuisine. But, I was excited to give this recipe a try using some fresh, summer peaches from the market and of course anything BBQ sauce related seems summery to me! The recipe calls for peach preserves but I ended up making my own kind by sautéing the peaches in the broth mixture of step 2. I mushed them up as they softened and then poured them right over the pork in the slow-cooker.

Bourbon Peach Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2014

I wasn’t sure if the sauce would come out tasting sweet still but voila it was! The peaches really did a nice job flavoring the barbecue sauce. To make the sauce part go faster for step 3, I used a fat separator. These things are worth a few bucks because even though I don’t use them too often they save so much time, especially for making gravy with drippings from whole turkey or chicken. The pork pulled easily apart with two forks and we had leftovers for 3 more meals. So this recipe makes a LOT of food. It would be perfect for a summer get-together especially since you can make it ahead of time and just keep it warm or reheat it on the stovetop mixed with its sauce. Happy Summer!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Barbecue Sauce

Recipe by: Cooking Light, July 2014

Yield: Serves 12
Hands-on: 30 Minutes
Total: 7 Hours

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; rub evenly over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place pork in a 6-quart electric slow cooker.

2. Add stock and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) to skillet; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add preserves, stirring with a whisk. Pour mixture over pork; top with onion and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW 6 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender. Remove pork from pan, reserving liquid; cool slightly. Shred with 2 forks. Remove onion with a slotted spoon; add to pork.

3. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into skillet, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Stir bourbon into drippings; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.

4. Combine 2 tablespoons cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; add cornstarch mixture to sauce, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle sauce over pork; toss gently to coat.