Tea Blog

With barbecue season in full swing, there isn’t always enough time to fire up the grill, wait for the charcoal, and tend a smoker all day. Fortunately, this slow cooker pulled pork recipe delivers plenty of rich barbecue flavor with far less effort. Better yet, it incorporates the distinctive flavors of young pu-erh tea for cooking and barbecue recipes and Golden Needle Yunnan black tea, adding subtle depth and complexity to the finished dish.

Ingredients for the Pulled Pork

• 4½ pounds pork shoulder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika

Season and Sear the Pork

Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Generously rub the seasoning mixture over all sides of the pork shoulder.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork for approximately 3 minutes per side, creating a flavorful crust on all surfaces.

Prepare the Tea Infusion

• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon Golden Needle black tea
• 1 tablespoon pu-erh tea

Steep the tea leaves in the boiling water for 6 minutes, then strain and discard the leaves.

Pour the tea-infused water into a slow cooker set to high heat. Once the pork has been seared on all sides, place it into the slow cooker.

Cook for 7–9 hours, or until the pork is tender enough to fall apart when lifted with a fork.

Prepare the Barbecue Pork

• 16 ounces barbecue sauce

Remove the cooked pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a cutting board.

Pour the remaining cooking liquid into a small saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors.

Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. If desired, chop the shredded pork slightly to create a finer texture.

Mix the shredded pork with the barbecue sauce. Return the meat to the slow cooker and keep warm on the low setting.

Add approximately ½ cup of the reduced tea cooking liquid back into the pork mixture. Depending on the thickness of your barbecue sauce, you may need slightly more or less. The goal is to add moisture without making the pork soggy.

Prepare the Sandwiches

• 1 package prepared coleslaw mix
• 12 hamburger buns

This recipe uses a prepared coleslaw kit with included dressing for convenience, but any homemade coleslaw recipe will work equally well.

To assemble, place a generous portion of the pulled pork onto the bottom half of each bun. Top with a serving of coleslaw and finish with the top bun.

Yield

Serves 12 people.

Serving Notes

The earthy character of pu-erh tea and the naturally sweet, honey-like notes of Golden Needle black tea complement the smoky flavors of barbecue surprisingly well. The result is a unique tea-infused pulled pork sandwich that’s perfect for summer gatherings, cookouts, game-day parties, or casual family dinners.

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