Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Ingredients

3-4 lb. pork shoulder
1/4 cup water (optional – depends on how much sauce you want to form)
1 bay leaf
1 Onion sliced thin
3 cloves garlic smashed

Spice Rub

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or up to 2 tsp if you like it spicy)

2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons paprika (you can use Picante for even more spice)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons salt

For the spice rub (from Cook’s Illustrated):
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or up to 2 tsp if you like it spicy)
 2 tablespoons ground cumin
 4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 2 tablespoons salt Mix together the spice rub in a large Ziploc bag, shaking it to combine the spices thoroughly. Add the pork shoulder and vigorously shake the bag until the pork is fully covered in the spice rub. Place the bag with the pork shoulder in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (the longer the pork is allowed to marinate, the stronger the flavor will be).

On cooking day, remove the pork shoulder from the Ziploc bag and place it in the crock pot. Add the ¼ cup of water, if desired, and place the pot on low. spread onion on bottom with smashed garlic. Cover the pot with the lid and allow to cook for an hour. Turn the pork shoulder over after an hour and continue to cook for another hour. Turn the pork shoulder over one more time and let it continue to cook for another four hours. After six hours, check to see if the pork is starting to tenderize. If it is, shred the pork using a fork (or tongs) and stir the shredded meat around in the sauce created during the slow roasting. This process could take 1 or two more hours depending on how tender you want the meet. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour (depending on your crock pot).

You can serve the pulled pork by itself on bun or with: barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and pickles.

I personally like non mayonnaise based coleslaw. Here is a Bobby flay one that's great.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/coleslaw-with-cumin-lime-vinaigrette-recipe2/index.html

NOTE: I did brine the pork for 8 hours before I did dry rub, I'm not sure you need to but the flavor depth was amazing.