Pulled Pork Bowl with Coleslaw (Printer-Friendly)

Slow-cooked pork over rice topped with tangy coleslaw and smoky BBQ sauce for a hearty, flavor-packed meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pork

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 tsp garlic powder
06 - 0.5 tsp onion powder
07 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 0.5 cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for serving

→ Rice or Grain

10 - 2 cups cooked white rice, brown rice, or quinoa

→ Coleslaw

11 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
12 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
13 - 1 medium carrot, grated
14 - 0.25 cup mayonnaise
15 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
16 - 1 tsp honey
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

18 - Sliced green onions, optional
19 - Fresh cilantro, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin. Rub the spice mixture thoroughly over all surfaces of the pork shoulder.
02 - Place the seasoned pork in a slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.
03 - Remove the cooked pork from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the cooker, stir in 0.5 cup BBQ sauce, and keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.
04 - In a large bowl, combine shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, and grated carrot. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat evenly.
05 - Refrigerate the coleslaw until ready to assemble and serve.
06 - Divide cooked rice or grain evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with generous amounts of pulled pork and coleslaw. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce and garnish with green onions or cilantro if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The pork does almost all the work while you go about your day, then falls apart with just two forks.
  • That coleslaw keeps everything from feeling heavy, cutting through the richness with acid and crunch.
  • You can make it once and eat it three different ways by changing the base or toppings.
02 -
  • Eight hours on low beats four hours on high every time; high heat makes the meat stringy instead of tender.
  • Don't skip chilling the coleslaw dressing for at least thirty minutes—the cabbage needs time to soften and the flavors need to marry.
03 -
  • If you forgot to plan ahead, you can use a boneless pork shoulder from the grocery store rotisserie section and just warm it through with BBQ sauce—not the same, but serviceable.
  • Make the coleslaw the day before so the flavors deepen and the cabbage softens; it actually gets better after sitting overnight.
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