Beef & Pork Barbeque

This slow cooker barbecue doubles down on meat with 1 ½ pounds each of beef stew meat and cubed pork, both braised until they fall apart into a tangy, sweet, smoky sauce built from brown sugar, chili powder, tomato paste, vinegar, and Worcestershire.

Everything goes into the crockpot at once. No browning, no pre-cooking, no fuss. An hour on high to get things moving, then 7 to 9 hours on low while you go about your day. By the time you come back, the meat is so tender it shreds with a fork right in the pot, and the sauce has thickened into a sticky, savory glaze.

The two-meat combination gives this barbecue more depth than beef or pork alone. The beef brings a bolder, meatier backbone while the pork adds richness and a slightly sweeter flavor. Mixed together and shredded, you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.

Pro Tips

• Don’t lift the lid during slow cooking. Every peek drops the temperature and adds 15 to 20 minutes of recovery time. Trust the process.
• Shred with two forks, not one. Pull the meat apart in the pot so it absorbs the sauce as you shred. One fork holds, the other pulls.
• The oven method works great too. A Dutch oven at 325°F (160°C) for 4 hours gives you the same result in half the time if you’re not leaving the house.

Variations

• Spicier version: Add a minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for a smoky heat that deepens the barbecue flavor.
• Carolina-style: Increase the vinegar to ½ cup and reduce the brown sugar for a tangier, Eastern Carolina-style pulled meat.