Slow cooker boneless pork shoulder is the pulled-pork route without the all-day smoker — soft strands, rich gravy, and rolls for the table. Boneless Pork Shoulder 1.5kg is the classic pull-apart joint; Belly Pork Joint 1kg is the belly roast when you want more fat and crackling from the oven instead. Shop both in pork and pork joints.
Slow cooker method
Pat the shoulder dry and brown on all sides in a hot pan with a little oil if you have five minutes — it deepens the gravy. Sit in the slow cooker with onions, garlic, stock or cider, and a bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika or mustard. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours (or high 5 to 6 hours) until the meat shreds easily with two forks. Lift out, shred, and skim the cooking liquor; reduce in a pan if you want a stickier sauce, then fold the meat back through. Do not add too much liquid at the start — shoulder releases plenty. Taste for salt at the end. If the pack is still firm after eight hours on low, give it another hour rather than shredding early. Rest the shredded meat in the warm sauce so it stays moist.
Oven backup
No slow cooker: cover and roast at 160°C for 3.5 to 5 hours until probe-tender, then uncover for a short blast if you want bark. Browse pork joints for shoulder, loin and belly, and pork for everyday steaks and sausages.
What to serve
Soft rolls, coleslaw, and pickles, or mash and greens with gravy. Leftover pulled pork freezes well in sauce; thaw overnight and reheat until piping hot. Use spare meat in quesadillas, pies, or fried rice.
Times above are a guide for home ovens, air fryers and pans — always trust a probe over the clock, and rest meat before you carve so the juices stay in the slice, not on the board. British packs vary a little in thickness, so start checking a few minutes early the first time you cook a new size.
Write your own fridge note the first time you cook a new pack size — home ovens and pans vary, and a two-minute early check beats dry meat. Rest on a warm plate, not a cold board, so the juices stay put when you carve or plate up.
