Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw

It was back to Sunday dinner as usual at Nan's after she enjoyed a few weeks off from hosting the family at her house.  She prepared us one of our family favorites, pulled pork sandwiches, but she also tried out a new recipe for BBQ sauce which was the best ever!  It was a recipe called "Sweet Hickory BBQ Sauce" from Bobby and Jamie Deen's magazine "The Deen Brother's Good Cooking - Easy Summer Recipes".  Our family, over the years, has tested out gallons of different sauces, some that have a million ingredients, other with just two or three, we have long cooked it and not heated it at all.  Still we never found one we all really loved...until now!  This was the perfect sauce for pulled pork with just enough smokey flavor and sweetness to cut through and enhance the richness of the pork.  

Sweet Hickory BBQ Sauce by Bobby and Jamie Deen   
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder

Combine all in a large bowl.  Store in refrigerator until ready for use.

To make the actual pork part of the pulled pork sandwiches, Nan rubbed a pork butt with Famous Dave's pork rub and chipotle chili powder.  She let it marinate in the refrigerator over night and then cooked in a crock pot for about 9 hours on low.  After letting it cool she shredded it with a fork and mixed it with the Sweet Hickory BBQ Sauce. 

In my opinion, you have got to have slaw with pulled pork.   I am particularly fond of this Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw recipe because it is cold and crisp and it goes so well with the flavors of the pork.  Combine 1 1/2 bags of prepared cabbage with carrots with 1 small diced onion, 1/2 cup canola oil, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed (which Nan leaves out because I despise celery seed), 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir well and refrigerate over night for best flavor.