December 9, 2010

Pulled Pork

My brother found this recipe online. It's called Mean Chef's Pulled Pork. It's divine and super easy. Basically you rub a pork shoulder with a rub, let it sit overnight, and then slow cook it in the oven for 8 hours. The result is this:


Are you convinced yet? Probably not. After roasting for 8 hours, the rub forms a crunchy, burnt-looking crust. Don't be fooled - that crust is the secret. Next you shred the pork up, and the tasty crust is mixed in with the rest of the tender pork and the fat. Like this:


Then you can do whatever you'd like with the pork. Add barbeque sauce and eat it on buns, add it to tortillas with some cheese and salsa, or eat it plain. Here's mine served on homemade buns with barbeque sauce. So yummy...


Some tips: pork butt and pork shoulder are supposedly different names for the same cut of meat. It doesn't really make sense, but just go with it. I've used bone-in and boneless, and both work. Use your favorite barbeque sauce (homemade or store-bought). Since pork butt is a large piece of meat, feel free to cook it, shred it, and then freeze some for later. For me this amount of rub is enough for two pork butts. My mom claims she uses the whole amount on one.

Mean Chef's Pulled Pork
from Food

1 whole pork butt or pork shoulder
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

For rub: mix all ingredients except pork in a small bowl. Rub pork with rub. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

Take out pork and re-rub. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Roast on rack uncovered in oven at 250-275 degrees until falling apart tender. It will take 7-8 hours; the internal temperature of the pork when done should be between 195 and 200 degrees. Shred pork into pieces with two forks. Toss with barbeque sauce, if desired.

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