slow cooker pulled pork

The Full Southern Plate: Pulled Pork, Biscuits & Garlicky Green Beans

Name: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Green Beans & Buttermilk Biscuits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb Pork Shoulder; 0.33 cup Apple Cider Vinegar; 0.5 cup Ketchup; 3 tbsp Brown Sugar; 1 tsp Mustard Powder; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 1 tsp Garlic Powder; 1 tsp Onion Powder; 1.5 tsp Kosher Salt; 0.75 tsp Black Pepper; 0.5 cup Water; 1 lb Fresh Green Beans; 2 tbsp Butter; 2 cloves Garlic; 0.5 tsp Kosher Salt; 0.25 tsp Black Pepper; 1.5 cup All-Purpose Flour; 2 tsp Baking Powder; 0.5 tsp Kosher Salt; ½ cup Butter; 0.75 cup Buttermilk; 2 tbsp Tomato Paste; 0.5 cup Water; 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 0.5 tsp Garlic Powder; 0.5 tsp Kosher Salt; 0.25 tsp Black Pepper; 0.75 cup Mayonnaise; 0.25 cup Buttermilk

Eight hours of low-and-slow magic in the slow cooker, two sauces worth fighting over, and homemade buttermilk biscuits that'll make the whole family go quiet at the table.

Dan CooksMay 4, 20267 min read Print this post

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Pulled pork piled high on a plate with golden buttermilk biscuits and garlicky green beans — the full Southern spread.

The best meals aren't measured by perfection, but by the memories made around the table.

Down here in Tampa, a Saturday with nowhere to be is a gift — and I don't waste it. This is the kind of cook I live for: pork shoulder in the slow cooker before the kids wake up, the whole house smelling like hickory and brown sugar by noon, and a plate that looks like something my grandmother Hellon would've set on the table without a word of explanation. Just food. Real food. The pulled pork does most of the work while you live your life — that's the beauty of low and slow. But the biscuits? Those need your hands and your attention, and they're worth every minute. Pair them with garlicky butter-sautéed green beans and two sauces — one creamy and tangy, one rich and red — and you've got a full Southern dinner that'll have everyone pulling up a chair and staying a while.

The Story Behind the Plate

My mother Barbara and my grandmother Hellon never made one thing for dinner — they made a whole table. There was always a main, always a vegetable, always something bready to sop up whatever was left on the plate. That's the tradition I'm carrying forward with this cook. The pulled pork is the anchor, but the biscuits and green beans aren't afterthoughts — they're part of the same conversation. In the South, a proper plate is a balanced plate, and balance means every bite tells you something different. The smoky, savory pork. The bright, garlicky snap of the beans. The soft, buttery pull of a biscuit. That's the meal. That's the memory.

Overhead view of Pork Shoulder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ketchup, Brown Sugar, Mustard Powder, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder arranged on a table — Pork shoulder, smoked paprika, buttermilk, fresh green beans, and the pantry staples that build this full Southern plate.

Mise en place

45 minutes, and you’re ready to cook.

Get your mise en place locked in the night before and this cook runs itself. The pork goes in early; everything else comes together in the final hour.

Gather EquipmentGather the following equipment: slow cooker, small bowl, paper towels, two forks, small saucepan, whisk, large mixing bowl, pastry cutter (or two knives or fingertips), fork, lightly floured surface, biscuit cutter or glass, baking sheet, cast iron skillet or saucepan, cutting board, and sharp knife.
Preheat OvenPreheat your oven to 400°F. This should be done about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the meal.
Prepare the Pork ShoulderPat the 2 lb pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Set aside on a cutting board.
2 min
Measure Slow Cooker Spices and SauceIn a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup ketchup, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1½ tsp kosher salt, and ¾ tsp black pepper. Stir well to combine.
2 min
Prepare Fresh Green BeansTrim the ends off 1 lb fresh green beans and cut into 2-inch pieces if desired. Place in a prep container.
3 min
Prepare Garlic for Green BeansMince 2 cloves garlic finely. Place in a small prep container.
1 min
Measure Green Bean SeasoningsMeasure out ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper for the green beans. Combine in a small prep container.
30s
Measure Biscuit Dry IngredientsIn a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Set aside.
1 min
Prepare Cold Butter for BiscuitsCut ½ cup cold butter into small cubes. Keep in a cold prep container or on a cold plate until ready to add to the flour mixture.
2 min
Measure Buttermilk for BiscuitsMeasure out ¾ cup buttermilk in a small prep container.
30s
Prepare Red Sauce IngredientsIn a small prep bowl, combine 2 tbsp tomato paste, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir well to combine.
2 min
Prepare White SauceIn a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until smooth. Transfer to a serving container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2 min
Measure Butter and Water for Green Beans and Slow CookerMeasure out 2 tbsp butter for the green beans in a small prep container. Separately, measure out ½ cup water for the slow cooker in a measuring cup.
30s
Stage IngredientsArrange all prepped ingredients near the stove and slow cooker in the order they will be used: (1) pork shoulder and slow cooker sauce mixture, (2) water for slow cooker, (3) red sauce mixture and saucepan, (4) biscuit dry ingredients, cold butter cubes, and buttermilk, (5) green beans, minced garlic, butter, and green bean seasonings. Keep the white sauce refrigerated until serving.

Active time~45 min · hands-on

What you’ll need

Tools for this recipe.

Nothing exotic here — a slow cooker does the heavy lifting. The cast-iron skillet for the green beans is worth pulling out if you have one.

slow cooker
small bowl
two forks
small saucepan
whisk
large mixing bowl
pastry cutter
biscuit cutter
baking sheet
cast-iron skillet
cutting board
chef's knife

Why You Bloom the Spices First

Here's the move most home cooks skip, and it's the one that makes the biggest difference: before your spices ever touch the slow cooker, bloom them in a little butter over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Smoked paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder — all of them carry their flavor through fat, not water. When you dump them in dry, you get spiced pork. When you wake them up in butter first, you get pork that's been seasoned all the way through. It's a 30-second step that changes the whole character of the dish. Same principle applies to the biscuit dough: once your buttermilk hits that flour, stir just until it comes together and stop. Overworking it builds structure you don't want — the goal is a tender, layered crumb, not a dinner roll.

Ketchup and tomato paste are the backbone of the red sauce — they reinforce each other's depth in a way that builds real complexity.

Pairs for Ketchup

KetchupTomato Paste

Score 100

Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.

KetchupGarlic

Score 78

Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.

Divide the pulled pork between serving plates while preparing Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Green Beans & Buttermilk Biscuits — Working cold butter into flour until it looks like rough crumbs — the key to a biscuit with flaky, distinct layers.

The Two Sauces — and Why Both Matter

I know it might seem like two sauces is one too many, but hear me out. The white sauce — mayo, buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic — is cool and creamy with just enough brightness to cut through the richness of the pork. It resets your palate between bites so you keep tasting the meat, not just the fat. The red sauce leans into the tomato paste and apple cider vinegar, building a deeper, more concentrated savory note that ketchup alone can't deliver. Together they give the table options, and options make people happy. Drizzle the red over the pork, dip the biscuit in the white — or do it the other way around. There's no wrong answer when the food is this good.

Smart swaps

Substitutions that still taste like the recipe.

Swap the pork for beef or lamb, use yogurt in place of buttermilk, or swap the green beans for zucchini — the plate holds up beautifully either way.

pork

beef
Shares pyrazine compounds with pork
lamb
Shares pyrazine compounds with pork
pork belly↑ fatty
Shares pyrazine compounds with pork — more fatty

buttermilk

yogurt
Shares acid compounds with buttermilk
sour cream
Shares acid compounds with buttermilk
creme fraiche↑ fatty
Shares lactone compounds with buttermilk — more fatty

ketchup

tonkatsu sauce
Shares maillard compounds with ketchup
BBQ sauce
Shares maillard compounds with ketchup
barbecue sauce
Shares maillard compounds with ketchup

green beans

zucchini
Shares aldehyde compounds with green beans
cucumber
Shares aldehyde compounds with green beans
celery
Shares terpene compounds with green beans

brown sugar

jaggery
Shares ketone compounds with brown sugar
honey
Shares aldehyde compounds with brown sugar
agave nectar
Shares aldehyde compounds with brown sugar

Common questions

Can I cook the pork on high instead of low to save time?

Yes — cook on high for about 5 hours instead of 8 on low. You'll still get tender, shreddable pork, but the low-and-slow method gives the collagen more time to fully break down, which means a slightly more silky, rich texture. If you're in a hurry, high works fine. If you have the time, low is worth it.

My biscuit dough looks shaggy and rough — did I do something wrong?

Nope, that's exactly right. A shaggy, rough biscuit dough is a sign you haven't overworked it, which is exactly what you want. Resist the urge to knead it smooth — once you see the flour disappear and the dough just barely hold together, stop. Those rough edges become flaky layers in the oven.

Can I make the pulled pork ahead of time?

Absolutely — this is one of the best make-ahead mains there is. Shred the pork and store it in the cooking liquid in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker on warm, adding a splash of water if it looks dry. The flavor actually deepens overnight.

When should I salt the pork for the best flavor?

Salt the shoulder at least 40 minutes before it goes into the slow cooker, or dry-brine it overnight in the fridge if you can plan ahead. The key is to avoid the 5–30 minute window after salting — that's when moisture is drawn to the surface but hasn't yet been reabsorbed. Salt early or salt right before cooking; just don't salt and immediately cook.

Do I really need both a red sauce and a white sauce?

You don't need both, but you'll want both once you try them together. The white sauce is creamy and bright — great for dipping biscuits or drizzling over the pork. The red sauce is deeper and more savory — better for spooning directly onto the pulled pork. Together they give the table options and make the meal feel more like an event.

This is the kind of dinner that earns its place in the rotation — not because it's fast or fancy, but because it's real. You put in the time, you season with soul, and you let the slow cooker do what it does best while you go be with your family. Then you pull it all together at the end: pork on the plate, biscuit on the side, green beans still sizzling from the skillet, two little bowls of sauce ready to go. That's a dinner worth sitting down for. Fire up the slow cooker, make the biscuits with your hands, and feed the ones you love. That's the Southern way — and that's my way.

Recipe

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Green Beans & Buttermilk Biscuits

Total: 8 hr 15 minPrep: 15 minCook: 8 hrServes 2easy

Ingredients

Pulled Pork

2 lb Pork Shoulder
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ cup Ketchup
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Mustard Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1½ tsp Kosher Salt
¾ tsp Black Pepper
½ cup Water

Green Beans

1 lb Fresh Green Beans
2 tbsp Butter
2 cloves Garlic
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper

Buttermilk Biscuits

1½ cup All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Kosher Salt
½ cup Butter
¾ cup Buttermilk

Red Sauce

2 tbsp Tomato Paste
½ cup Water
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper

White Sauce

¾ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Buttermilk
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

1.Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
2.Add the pork shoulder to your slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture over it. Add the water to the bottom of the slow cooker.
3.Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the pork shreds easily with a fork.
4.Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and stir to coat with the sauce. Keep warm on the warm setting.
5.For the white sauce: whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
6.For the red sauce: in a small saucepan, combine the tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
…and 10 more steps

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The Full Southern Plate: Pulled Pork, Biscuits & Garlicky Green Beans