Pulled Pork or Beef Barbecue

• In most cases, add barbecue sauce near the end of the cooking time. Beef brisket, pork shoulder and Boston roast, the cuts used most often for barbecue, need long, slow cooking to become tender. Sauce added at the beginning of the cooking time can become diluted from steam or may burn. For the best results, slow-cook pork and beef roasts in a bit of apple juice or broth until the meat reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit and is fork tender, typically six to nine hours on low. Remove the meat from the slow-cooker and allow it to cool slightly on a cutting board. Shred it and return it to the slow- cooker. Add the barbecue sauce and cook the meat on high for 30 minutes uncovered.

Little Bits

• Boneless chicken breasts and thighs, as well as pre-cooked, smoked sausages and ribs, cook in just a few hours, so you can safely add barbecue sauce at any point without risk of burning. Place the meat in the slow-cooker and pour the sauce directly over it. Cover the meat and heat on the low setting for two to three hours, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 F. Stir the sauce occasionally and watch it so it doesn't burn. Because moisture doesn't evaporate from slow-cookers, sauces can sometimes become diluted. If the sauce seems watery, crank up the heat to high and leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors.

Sauce It Up

• Barbecue aficionados often have one special sauce they swear by, but don't let that intimidate you. There's no one way to make a delicious barbecue sauce. Feel free to use your favorite bottled sauce or whip up your own concoction. Barbecue sauce starts with a tomato base, such as ketchup. Add garlic or onion powder, and some brown sugar, honey or molasses for sweetness. Don't forget a bit of vinegar for bite. Throw in a chili pepper for a little kick or some soy sauce for an Asian theme. Or combine barbecue sauce with grape jelly, peach chutney or raspberry jelly.

Rub It In

• Look at barbecue sauce as the final layer of flavor for slow-cooked meats. Barbecue sauce doesn't permeate foods, so it's important to season foods well before you put them in the slow-cooker. Salt and pepper the meat generously, or rub the meat with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar and paprika. Taste the food before you add the barbecue sauce and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Food cooked in the slow-cooker may need a bit more seasoning, because long cooking times and condensation dilute flavors.