Crock Pot Barbecued Pork

This is a smart way to give leftover pork roast a second life, turning it into tender, saucy pulled-pork sandwiches. The cooked pork goes back into the slow cooker with a from-scratch barbecue sauce, no bottled stuff required.

That sauce is a simple sweet-and-tangy blend of tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and sauteed onion. A long, slow cook melds it all and makes the meat so tender it crushes into strings with a fork.

Skim the fat and season to taste, and you have classic barbecue pork ready to pile onto hamburger buns.

The make-ahead angle is the real win. Portion it into freezer containers, even bundling buns alongside, so a quick thaw and reheat gives you a hot sandwich dinner with almost no effort.

Pro Tips

• Cook it low and long, as directed. That slow heat is what makes the pork shred into tender strings.
• Chill the barbecue and lift off the solidified fat for a cleaner, less greasy sauce.
• Freeze in meal-sized portions, bundling buns with each, for grab-and-go sandwich dinners.

Variations

• Add a splash of liquid smoke, a spoonful of mustard, or some hot sauce to the barbecue sauce.
• Start with a fresh pork shoulder if you do not have leftovers, cooking it until shreddable.
• Serve on cornbread, over rice, or with coleslaw piled right on the sandwich.