Slow Cooking Vs Smoking: Which Is Easier For Pulled Pork?

Pulled pork is a year-round finger-lickin' delight, especially in the summertime — we recently discussed how much pulled pork you need for your July 4th BBQ. We're all about nailing down the simplest way to make scrumptious eats, and things are no different when it comes to pulled pork. That begs the question: between smoking and slow cooking, which is easier for making pulled pork? It's not a direct 1:1 comparison, but we've determined that, for ease, slow cooking pulled pork is definitely the lower-effort way to go.

In an exclusive interview, celeb chef Katie Lee shared her secret for easy pulled pork, and the magic touch was a slow cooker. While smoked pulled pork requires a smoker, which is expensive and necessitates outdoor space, a slow cooker can sit in your kitchen, and most folks already have one. There's technique and culinary know-how involved in smoking, while most slow cooker pulled pork recipes merely involve seasoning your meat and immersing it in a flavorful liquid. 

Both types of pulled pork involve a lengthy cook, but it's easier to babysit a slow cooker than a smoker, we think — you can even slow-cook overnight for meat that's ready the next day. Various social media sources, like this thread on The BBQ Brethren forums, indicate that slow cooking is a sleeper hit for delicious, moist pulled pork. "Time for side-by-side taste test," wrote one commenter there. "Other [than] the "bark" the crock-pot version is WAY better [...] it was 10x more moist!! In fact it may have been the best pulled pork I have had in a long time!"

There's a caveat to cooking pork in the slow cooker. The all-important "bark" (the caramelized, textured exterior of the pork) doesn't appear when you slow-cook your meat. As such, some self-professed BBQ connoisseurs dislike the texture or taste of poorly executed slow cooker pulled pork. To all this, we argue the point that, regardless of results, slow cooking pulled pork is undeniably easier. Not everyone has the resources or spare hours to smoke a cut of meat every time they want pulled pork. And, even if you know the best way to clean a smoker and how often to do it, the maintenance on this appliance can be a pain. Your slow cooker, on the other hand, can be easily washed in the sink or dishwasher.

That said, there are some tips you can utilize to ensure that your slow cooker pulled pork comes out as delicious as possible. Don't use too much liquid, as the pork has plenty of moisture in it already and you want to avoid sogginess. A really good BBQ sauce is also mandatory. Splash out on your favorite recipe for homemade sauce, or doctor the bottled stuff to really make its flavors pop. Furthermore, don't commit the cardinal sin of overcooking your pork. While a long cook is required for tenderness, letting it go for too long (which can vary based on your cooker and the size of the pork butt, but which usually happens around 210 degrees) can break down proteins excessively, resulting in mealy, unappetizing pork.