Applesauce Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Print Version)

Slow-cooked pulled pork with applesauce and apple cider on soft buns for a sweet-savory meal.

# Components:

→ Pork

01 - 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed
02 - 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Sauce

06 - 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
07 - 1 cup apple cider
08 - ¼ cup brown sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
12 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ To Serve

13 - 6 sandwich buns
14 - 1 cup coleslaw, optional
15 - Extra applesauce or barbecue sauce, optional

# Directions:

01 - Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides generously with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cinnamon.
02 - Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
04 - Place the seasoned pork on top of the onions in the slow cooker. Pour the applesauce mixture evenly over the pork.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.
06 - Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
07 - Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid, then return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and mix well with the sauce.
08 - Serve the pulled pork warm on sandwich buns. Top with coleslaw and extra applesauce or barbecue sauce if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The meat gets impossibly tender while the sauce develops this sweet-savory depth that tastes like you've been tending it all day.
  • It's genuinely foolproof—your slow cooker does the heavy lifting while you forget about it completely.
  • Unlike typical pulled pork, the applesauce adds brightness instead of heat, catching people off guard in the best way.
02 -
  • Skimming the fat from the cooking liquid matters more than you'd think—too much grease coats your mouth and masks the delicate apple flavors you worked to build.
  • The sauce will be thinner than traditional barbecue sauce, which is exactly right because the pork releases moisture and thickens everything as it sits.
03 -
  • Room-temperature pork cooks more evenly than cold pork straight from the fridge—pull it out about an hour before you start cooking.
  • Save the cooking liquid even after serving—it freezes beautifully and becomes the foundation for soups or can be reduced into a glaze for roasted vegetables.
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