Zesty Honey-Mustard Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Why This Zesty Honey-Mustard Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Works

During the long, low cooking time, the pork shoulder slowly breaks down. All the tough parts that feel chewy at first start to loosen and melt. By the time it is done, the meat barely holds together and can be pulled apart with a fork. Because the slow cooker stays covered, the pork sits in its own juices along with the honey, mustard, and broth, so it stays moist instead of drying out.

As the hours pass, the honey, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard thin out from the heat and mix with the pork juices and chicken broth. The vinegar and spices spread through the liquid and soak into the meat. Fat from the pork melts into the sauce and gives it a silky feel. Once the pork is shredded and stirred back into that sauce, all the little pieces get coated. The meat soaks up even more liquid, so every bite is tender, juicy, and full of the zesty honey-mustard mix.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pork shoulder stay in huge, untrimmed chunks with a thick fat cap means the outside gets greasy while the inside cooks slowly. The fat doesn’t melt in evenly, so some bites end up chewy and rubbery while others are soft and falling apart.

Cooking on high instead of low often makes the meat tough. The outside fibers tighten up fast while the center is still catching up, so even after shredding, the pork feels stringy instead of tender.

Pouring in a lot more broth than listed turns the sauce watery. The honey-mustard mix gets thinned out, so it won’t cling to the shredded pork and the meat sits in a loose, soupy liquid instead of a glossy coating.

Skipping the step of mixing the shredded pork back into the slow-cooker juices leaves most of the sauce at the bottom. The meat on the plate tastes plain and dry, while a puddle of thick sauce stays behind in the pot.