Bourbon BBQ Slow Cooker Pork

May is National Barbecue Month in the U.S., and I celebrated with friends and family over some tasty Slow Cooker BBQ Pork in a homemade Four Roses spiked BBQ sauce. The sauce used in this slow cooker recipe could easily be mixed and used on the grill, too. I'd recommend whisking it up, using half to marinate your meat overnight, and retaining the other half to brush onto your meat as it cooks on the grill. Whether you use this sauce indoors or out, the flavor is bright and tangy with a nice, smooth kick. Pull out your best meat and vegetables and get to cooking!

Yield: Serves About 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Medium Sweet Onion, deskinned and cut into large chunks

• 6 Cloves Garlic, deskinned

• 1/2 Cup Beef Broth

• 3.5 Lbs. Pork Shoulder or Boston Butt, most fat removed

• FOR SAUCE1/2 Cup Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

• 1/2 Cup Honey

• 1 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste

• 2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard

• 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

• 2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

• 1 1/2 Tbsp Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt

• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin

• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

• FOR ADDITIONAL BBQ SAUCE (use after cooking)

• 3 Tbsp Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

• 3 Tbsp Honey

• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

• 1/2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard

• 1 Tsp Paprika (not smoked)

• 1 Tsp Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt

• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Layer bottom of slow cooker with Onions and Garlic. Pour Beef Broth over Onions.

2. Layer Pork on top of Onions and Broth.

3. In a small bowl whisk together Bourbon, Honey, Tomato Paste, Mustard, Brown Sugar, Smoked Paprika, Smoked Sea Salt, Cumin and Cinnamon to make a BBQ sauce.

4. Pour the BBQ sauce over the Pork and use a BBQ Brush or Spoon to smear BBQ sauce all around the Pork.

5. Cover slow cooker and set to cook for about 7 hours on a low setting. The Pork should be cooked through and easy to shred with a fork. (Do not overcook or the Pork will start to dry out.) Remove the Pork from the slow cooker onto a plate, leaving any sauce and juice in the crock, and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for Additional BBQ Sauce: Bourbon, Honey, Brown Sugar, Mustard, Paprika, Smoked Sea Salt and Cayenne and set aside.

7. After Pork has rested, shred apart and remove any excess bits of fat you may notice. Place the shredded Pork in a bowl and pour the additional BBQ sauce over the top. Stir to combine. Serve warm on a sandwich with buns and homemade pickles, or with sides of Baked Beans and Cole Slaw. Enjoy!

Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork