Happy Monday! This recipe is about as close as I’ve been able to get to “authentic” Carolina BBQ, indoors, in my slow cooker. This is a perfect weekday recipe, because you can start it in the morning and let it cook, all day, on low, while you’re busy with other things. I’ve changed the original ingredients of my sauce, just slightly, to make my BBQ lower in carbs.

This recipe involves making a simple sauce in your cooker, then a quick prep of your pork roast and in it goes, to cook all day. After I’ve seasoned my roast, I do a little trick I learned from my best friend. Basically, you just cut small slits and add minced garlic to the inside of the meat. This adds so much flavor, please don’t skip this step!

You’ll notice that at the very end, I chop my BBQ. This might seem strange to some, but in Carolina, this is how we eat barbecue! It really allows the flavor of the sauce to penetrate the meat, while using LESS sauce.

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KETO Slow-Cooker Carolina-Style Barbeque

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

5-6 lb Boston Butt Roast
1 tbsp Minced Garlic, I like Spice World, ORGANIC GARLIC
1 ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or more, to taste)
8 oz Low-Carb Beer (I used Michelob Ultra)
2 tbsp Liquid Smoke
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Black Pepper
4 tbsp Salted Butter


Instructions

Begin by adding to the slow-cooker, 1 cup of the Apple Cider Vinegar (reserving ½ cup for the sauce, later), the tomato paste, cayenne pepper, beer and ONE tbsp of the liquid smoke (reserving the second tbsp for later.) Turn the cooker on High, to pre-heat.

To prepare the Boston butt, liberally sprinkle Seasoned salt and pepper on all sides and rub the spices into the roast. Place the roast on a cutting board with the fat side up. Using a sharp knife, make 4-6 narrow slits in the roast, starting through the fat and going straight down into the roast meat. Fill these reservoirs with the minced garlic, distributing evenly. Once the slow cooker is pre-heated and the cooking liquids are hot, stir to combine the tomato paste into the sauce. Transfer the roast to the cooker, keeping the fat side up. Brush the top of the roast with the rest of the liquid smoke, letting some of it run into the slits. Dot the roast with small pads of the butter, placed over the cuts. Turn the slow cooker down to Low, cover with lid and cook for 6 hours. Then increase the heat to High, and cook an additional 2 hours. (8 hours total.) If you will not be home at the 6 hour mark, you may need to cook an additional hour or so, on low. (9 hours total) When the roast is done, it will tear apart easily. I do not recommend opening the cooker during the cooking time.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker, reserving the liquid, and transfer the roast to a large cutting board, carefully. Remove the top layer of fat (it should slip off easily now) and the bone, and discard. Shred the meat with 2 forks, or claws like these Grillaholics BBQ Meat Shredder Claws. Once shredded, chop the barbecue into small pieces. Transfer the meat to your serving dish. Add ¼ cup of the reserved cooking juices (more, if needed), along with the remaining apple cider vinegar and mix well. I recommend serving this with just a few pieces of sliced raw onion, over a helping of my Keto Coleslaw for a CAROLINA-Style Pulled Pork Barbecue and Cole Slaw plate! Click here for the slaw recipe: https://livingthejoneslife.com/2019/03/11/easy-keto-coleslaw-carolina-style-recipe/

ENJOY!

This recipe is approximately 542 calories per serving, 1.6g carbs, 38.9g fat, and 42.1g protein. 

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.