5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Vintage Church Supper Pork Butt

This 5-ingredient slow cooker pork butt is an easy, old-fashioned comfort food dinner that requires very little hands-on work. A whole pork butt cooks slowly with barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

Serve the shredded pork on soft buns with coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans, or spoon it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles with some of the flavorful cooking juices.

 

Ingredients

• 1 whole pork butt (Boston butt), 4–6 pounds, bone-in or boneless, trimmed of thick excess fat
• 1 cup barbecue sauce (thick, tomato-based, store-bought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons table salt), plus more to taste

 

Directions

1. Add the pork: Place the pork butt in the slow cooker, fat-side up. Keep it whole so it cooks evenly and stays tender.
2. Make the sauce: Whisk together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt until well combined.
3. Coat the pork: Pour the sauce over the pork, making sure the top and sides are well covered.
4. Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. For a faster option, cook on HIGH for 5–6 hours.
5. Shred: Carefully remove the pork or shred it directly in the slow cooker using two forks. Discard the bone and any large pieces of excess fat.
6. Combine with the juices: Stir the shredded pork into the cooking juices until well coated. Taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Optional crisp finish: For darker, caramelized edges, transfer some of the pork to a baking dish and broil on HIGH for 3–5 minutes. Watch closely so it does not burn.
8. Rest and serve: Set the slow cooker to WARM and let the pork rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

 

Variations & Tips

• For a smokier flavor, use a smoky barbecue sauce and add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
• For more tang, increase the apple cider vinegar to 1/2 cup and reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup.
• If you like heat, add 1/2–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• For a less barbecue-style version, the original recipe also suggests replacing the barbecue sauce with 1 cup condensed tomato soup or tomato sauce plus 1 teaspoon onion powder.

 

Serving Suggestions

Pile the pulled pork onto sandwich buns and serve with coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, or green beans. It also works well over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles.

Leftover pork can be used in lunch bowls, quesadillas, grilled cheese, or sandwiches.

 

Storage & Food Safety

• Thaw frozen pork completely in the refrigerator before cooking. Do not start the roast on the WARM setting.
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and store them in shallow containers. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, or freeze them for longer storage.
• Reheat leftovers thoroughly before serving.

 

Final Thoughts

This slow cooker pork butt keeps dinner simple: a few pantry ingredients, one roast, and several hours of hands-off cooking. The result is tender shredded pork with a sweet, tangy sauce that works for family dinners, potlucks, and easy leftover meals.