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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Homemade Polenta

Name: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Homemade Polenta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 9 h
Yield: 8-10 servings pork, 6-8 servings polenta
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 7-8 pounds pork butt or shoulder; 2 tablespoons Kosher salt; 1 Â½ tablespoons liquid smoke; Barbecue sauce, for serving; Â½ cup yellow cornmeal; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons butter; Â½ cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese, grated (optional)

It might sound like a fancy restaurant dish, but Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Homemade Polenta is an easy way to feed a crowd on a budget. This recipe uses a low-cost cut of pork slow-cooked with liquid smoke until flavorful and tender. Serve it over a bed of creamy polenta with barbecue sauce for a delicious no-fuss dinner.

Jessi Heggan

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Makes: 8-10 servings pork, 6-8 servings polenta
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours
Recipe Created By: Mary Carter
Featured In: Mississippi Farm Country

Ingredients

Pork:

7-8 pounds pork butt or shoulder
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons liquid smoke
Barbecue sauce, for serving

Polenta:

½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

For the pork: Rub salt evenly over the pork. Place in the slow cooker and pour the liquid smoke over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours, flipping halfway through the cooking process.
Remove pork from the slow cooker and allow to rest and cool for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
While pork rests, prepare the polenta. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal, salt and butter. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until there are no lumps. Add cheese, if desired, and continue whisking until completely combined. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Once pork has cooled, trim off the fat and use a fork to shred the meat. Serve pulled pork warm with barbecue sauce and polenta.

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Tips & Notes

Money-Saving Tips:

Boston Butt is a very budget-friendly cut of pork and generally quite large. Be prepared to freeze half of this recipe for later if you’re not cooking for a crowd.
For the polenta, you can buy store-brand plain yellow cornmeal. It costs significantly less than the polenta found in specialty foods sections of most stores, and the results are the same.