By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 10
587 cal · 975 min
Root Beer Pulled Pork
Recipe GLPR3017f3f6b1efb6
This slow-cooked pulled pork is seasoned with kosher salt and cracked pepper, then braised in root beer for a tender, flavorful result. The two-day preparation begins with a dry brine overnight, followed by searing and low-and-slow oven braising that transforms tough pork shoulder into succulent shreds perfect for sandwiches.
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Ingredients
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2- to 3-inch cubes
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
8 cups root beer
Directions
Day 1: Place the pork cubes in a large casserole dish or baking sheet. Distribute the kosher salt and cracked black pepper evenly over the pork pieces, rubbing them gently to coat all sides. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or up to 24 hours) to allow the salt to penetrate the meat.
Day 2: Remove the pork from the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Pour the canola oil into a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, carefully place the seasoned pork cubes into the hot oil. Sear each batch for 3–4 minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms on all sides. Transfer the seared pork to a large, high-walled braising pan.
Pour the root beer over the seared pork in the braising pan, ensuring the liquid covers the meat as much as possible. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper and place it directly on top of the pork and liquid. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil, sealing the edges tightly.
Place the covered braising pan in the preheated 325-degree F oven. Set a timer for 1 hour.
When the 1-hour timer sounds, carefully remove the pan from the oven (the steam will be very hot). Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Return the covered pan to the oven and set a timer for 2 more hours.
After 2 hours, remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil and parchment. The pork should be very tender. Test the doneness by inserting a fork into a piece of pork and twisting—if the meat pulls apart easily into shreds, it is ready. If not completely tender, cover and return to the oven for another 15–30 minutes and recheck.
Allow the pork to rest in the braising liquid, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to cool slightly. Once cooled enough to handle, remove the pork pieces from the liquid using tongs and transfer to a clean cutting board or shallow pan. Using two forks or your hands (if the pork is cool enough), pull the meat apart into shreds along the grain. Serve warm, or store for later use.
Comments
This is a smart weeknight formula: pork shoulder and root beer are both genuinely cheap and available everywhere in Charlotte—Walmart, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Kroger, ALDI all stock both, so no special trips. At roughly $1.50 per pound for shoulder and $0.75 per two-liter bottle, you're looking at about $1.80 to $2.20 per serving, which is solid for a crowd pleaser. The 975-minute total time is honest for a slow-cooker braise (that's just over 16 hours), but the active prep is maybe 10 minutes, so it works fine for setting overnight or during a workday. The leftovers reheat beautifully and freeze well, making it genuinely useful for meal prep. The only reason this isn't a 5.0 is that root beer pulled pork, while reliable, lands a bit generic for Charlotte—local pitmasters do it better, and the recipe doesn't lean into regional pork traditions or add anything surprising that would make a repeat feel like a discovery rather than a repeat.
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