This is my July Cookout Classic: four ingredients, a slow cooker, and an afternoon while the house stays nice and cool. These saucy pork tips remind me of the church potlucks and small-town celebrations we used to have out here in the Midwest—big roasters lined up on folding tables, steam rolling off glossy little meat chunks that nobody could quite identify, only that they were tender and tasted like summer. The beauty is that the slow cooker does the work, gently caramelizing the edges and turning a simple cut of pork into bite-sized, crowd-pleasing nibbles that practically cook themselves while you visit on the porch.
Serve these pork tips straight from the slow cooker on warm summer evenings, tucking the crock right onto the picnic table so folks can help themselves. They’re wonderful spooned over soft hamburger buns or split dinner rolls, or simply piled onto sturdy paper plates with classic cookout sides like creamy potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, or buttered corn on the cob. A bowl of crunchy dill pickles and a simple green salad balance the rich, glossy sauce, and a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade finishes the picture.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Celebration Pork TipsServings: 8-10
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or country-style ribs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce (thick, hickory or brown sugar style)
1/2 cup cola or root beer (not diet)
1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
Directions
Trim any thick, hard pieces of fat from the pork shoulder or country-style ribs, then cut the meat into bite-sized 1-inch chunks. This helps the pork cook evenly and gives you those little caramelized pieces everyone fights over.
Lightly spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray for easier cleanup. Scatter the pork chunks in an even layer in the bottom of the crock.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, cola or root beer, and dry onion soup mix until the soup mix is mostly dissolved and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the pork chunks, stirring gently with a spoon so that every piece is coated in the sauce. Spread the pork back out into an even layer so it cooks uniformly.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for about 3 to 4 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily breaks apart when pressed with a spoon. Do not lift the lid during the first couple of hours, or you’ll lose valuable heat and lengthen the cooking time.
Once the pork is tender, use a slotted spoon to gently stir and turn the chunks in the sauce. As you stir, some pieces will break slightly and expose new edges to the sauce, which helps them take on that caramelized look and flavor.
If you’d like a thicker, more caramelized glaze, turn the slow cooker to HIGH, prop the lid open slightly with a wooden spoon, and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. This lets some liquid evaporate so the sauce reduces and clings to the pork in a glossy coating.
Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed, depending on how salty your barbecue sauce and soup mix are. Once the pork tips are coated in a thick, shiny glaze and you can see little browned edges on some pieces, turn the slow cooker to WARM.
Serve the pork tips straight from the slow cooker, giving them a gentle stir right before people start dipping in so every spoonful has plenty of sauce and those succulent, caramelized chunks.
Variations & Tips
For a sweeter, more nostalgic flavor, use root beer instead of cola and a brown sugar–style barbecue sauce; for something smokier, choose a hickory or mesquite barbecue sauce and add a tiny pinch of smoked paprika (this would technically be a fifth ingredient, so only add if you don’t mind stretching the 4-ingredient idea). If you prefer beef, you can swap the pork for well-marbled beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks, and cook using the same times until very tender. To make these more like party appetizers, serve the pork tips with toothpicks and keep the slow cooker on WARM so guests can help themselves throughout the evening. If you want to reduce richness, trim extra surface fat from the pork before cooking and, once cooked, you can skim any pooled fat from the top of the sauce with a spoon. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh, cold pork kept refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below until you’re ready to cook. Do not cook frozen meat directly in the slow cooker; thaw it completely in the refrigerator first so it comes up to temperature quickly and evenly. Cook the pork until it reaches at least 145°F (63°C), though for this style of dish it will usually be closer to 190–200°F (88–93°C) for tenderness. Keep the slow cooker covered while cooking, and once done, keep on WARM for no more than about 2 hours if serving directly from the crock. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and reheat thoroughly until steaming before serving again.
