A luscious pulled pork is sweet, tangy, tasty, and tender. It’s a great “let it go” meal using slow cooking methods. The beauty of pulled pork lies in its versatility. Numerous spices work with pork, and you can mix and match them to your taste.For a base, most people begin with some type of barbecue sauce to which they may add:Brow sugar: for sweetness and caramelizationChili: brings up the heat (alternatively cayenne or chipotle)Coriander: for citrus undertonesCumin: nutty and earthGarlic powder is savoryMustard powder: tangyOnion powder actually has a slightly sweet edgePaprika brings color and warmthSome use a dry rub for the pork, and others still marinate it. When you customize your spice blend, stop and taste regularly. Go slow so you don’t overdo any flavor.Cut to Use for Pulled PorkBoth pork shoulder and pork butt work well for this recipe. They both have nice marbling, with pork, but they are a little fattier for a juicer result. What About the Rolls?You want something sturdy to withstand the damp nature of pulled pork. Kaiser rolls, potato rolls, brioche buns, Hawaiian rolls (sweet), Ciabatta, and sourdough are good choices.If you’re trying to avoid the carbs, try making your pulled pork into salad rolls.
Ingredients
2lbspork butt(boneless)
2tbsplight brown sugar
1/2tbspsalt
½tbspsmoked paprika(regular is fine, too)
½tspeach garlic powder and onion powder
½tspmustard seed
Cracked black pepper
1tbspvegetable or canola oil
12ozpale ale(Shiner Bock, Founders Dirty Bastard, or brown ale)
¾cupketchup
1/4cupstone ground mustard
¼cupapple cider vinegar
2tbsppacked brown sugar
1 ½tbspWorcestershire sauce
Instructions
Trim the pork, removing excess pieces
Cut up into 4-6 chunks so they will fit in your Dutch oven
Stir sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed and cracked pepper together
Rub these seasonings on each side of the pork
Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat your oven to 300F
Put your Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat
Toss a few pieces of pork at a time until they’re brown on all sides
Pour in the beer
Cover and bake for 3 hours
Remove the lid
Bake for 2 hours more until the pork is easily pulled apart using a fork.
Turn off the oven, leaving the Dutch oven inside
Mix ketchup, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce together. **
Pull out the Dutch oven, and pour this mix over the meat
Begin pulling the pork apart into shreds (this also mixes in the sauce)
Serve hot or cold.
Notes
You can make extra of this in case you’d like a dipping sauce.