So here’s my second pulled pork recipe of the year. This one is from Chow.com, and it lives up to the “easy” in the title. Put stuff in the slow cooker and just leave it alone. I made this back in August, when I also made and put up my own peach barbecue sauce with the summer season’s haul. I think I may have even made this recipe the same day I made that heavenly peach cobbler. The barbecue sauce is still a work in progress, this is the second year I’ve made it (last year I threw in habaneros). I improved my notes from last year, but last year I didn’t write down the barbecue sauce recipes I looked at for ideas. I looked at more than a dozen to compare ingredients and quantities, and then in the end I added stuff as I tasted the sauce. I did not use ketchup. I’ve put the recipe for it after the pork, and it was enough to make 4 or 5 pint jars and can them.

Chow.com’s Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional, my recipe follows)

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth.

Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic.

Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine.

If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Jackie’s Peach Barbecue Sauce
Makes about 4 pints

1 Vidalia onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (9 cups) crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 cups pureed peaches
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup Worcestershire
2 chipotles in adobo, minced (OR, 2 habanero peppers if you’d like it with more kick)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika

Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.

Stir in everything but the brown sugar, molasses and peaches. Bring to a simmer and add the molasses. Continue to simmer and add the brown sugar, whisking until it’s dissolved and getting thicker.

Add the pureed peaches.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to get thicker. Add a little more molasses if necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put up like you normally would.