Name: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Carolina Vinegar Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 4 lb boneless pork shoulder; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 1 yellow onion, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp ketchup; 1 tsp red pepper flakes; 8 soft buns, split; To finish vinegar slaw

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Carolina Vinegar Sauce

Pork shoulder cooked low until it falls apart, then tossed in a sharp, peppery vinegar sauce instead of something sweet and sticky.

Serves

Prep

15 min

Cook

8 hours

Written

July 31, 2026

Method

Pat the pork dry and rub on all sides with the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Lay the onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker, set the pork on top, and pour the broth around the edges — not over the rub.

Cover and cook on low until the pork falls apart under light pressure from a fork, 8 to 9 hours.

Whisk the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and set aside while the pork finishes.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board, discard the fat cap, and shred the meat with two forks, ladling in a little of the cooking liquid if it looks dry.

Toss the shredded pork with enough vinegar sauce to coat and glisten, tasting as you go.

Pile onto the buns and top with vinegar slaw before the bread has a chance to go soggy.

Notes

The sauce is the point: a lot of pulled pork gets buried under something sweet, and the shoulder is rich enough already. This one leans on cider vinegar and just enough ketchup to round out the edge, which is closer to a Piedmont-style dip than a barbecue sauce — it cuts the fat instead of adding to it.

Low and slow isn’t negotiable here. The collagen in the shoulder needs the full 8 hours to break down; cranking the heat to save time gets you tough, dry meat that shreds in stringy clumps instead of soft ones. Leftovers keep well for a few days and reheat better with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid.