This 4-ingredient slow cooker Flag Day feast is my go-to when I want dinner handled hours before the neighborhood block party. It’s basically a set-it-and-forget-it, heavily glazed dark-amber pulled pork that looks fancy but is wildly simple. The idea came from needing something I could start in the morning, ignore all afternoon, and then serve straight from the slow cooker while everyone wanders in with side dishes and lawn chairs.
Serve the glossy, dark-amber pork piled onto soft slider buns or sturdy sandwich rolls with a crunchy coleslaw on top or on the side. It’s also great over buttered corn, baked potatoes, or a simple rice pilaf if you want more of a plate dinner than a sandwich situation. Add a green salad or grilled veggies to brighten things up, and set out pickles and chips for easy nibbling while people gather around the slow cooker.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Flag Day FeastServings: 8-10
Ingredients
3–4 lb boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess hard fat
1 cup thick barbecue sauce, preferably a dark, molasses-forward style
1/2 cup cola or root beer (not diet)
1 packet (about 1 oz) dry onion soup mix
Directions
Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or lightly grease it with oil for easier cleanup.
Place the pork shoulder in the center of the slow cooker, fat side up if there is a clear fat cap. This helps baste the meat as it cooks.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, cola or root beer, and dry onion soup mix until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
Pour the dark sauce mixture all over the pork, turning the meat once or twice with tongs so it’s fully coated. The pork should be sitting in a shallow pool of sauce.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. For the most flavorful, fall-apart texture, LOW is best if you have the time.
Once cooked, use two forks to carefully shred the pork directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large pieces of fat. Toss the shredded meat thoroughly in the dark amber sauce so every strand is glossy and well coated.
If the sauce seems too thin after shredding, prop the lid slightly open with a wooden spoon and cook on HIGH for 15–30 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and clings to the meat.
Switch the slow cooker to WARM and serve the heavily glazed pork straight from the crock at your block party. Stir occasionally to keep everything evenly sauced, and keep the lid mostly on so it stays hot and safe for serving.
Variations & Tips
For a slightly sweeter, stickier glaze, use a brown sugar–based barbecue sauce and cola; for a smokier, deeper flavor, choose a hickory or mesquite barbecue sauce and use root beer. If you prefer chicken, substitute 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs and reduce the cook time to about 4–5 hours on LOW or 2.5–3.5 hours on HIGH, until the chicken shreds easily. You can also add a bit of heat by stirring 1–2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce into the sauce mixture before cooking (this would technically add an ingredient, so keep it optional if you’re sticking to the 4-ingredient promise). For a richer glaze at the end, remove some of the cooking liquid to a saucepan and simmer on the stove for 5–10 minutes to reduce, then stir it back into the shredded meat. Food safety tips: Always thaw pork completely in the refrigerator before adding it to the slow cooker; do not cook from frozen as it can stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Make sure the pork reaches at least 145°F internally, though for shredding you’ll typically be closer to 190–205°F. Keep the cooked pork on the WARM setting (above 140°F) if serving over a couple of hours, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot before serving.
