Pulled pork is one of those cooking projects that takes hours to complete, but requires little effort. Actually, the only effort involved is applying the spice rub and keeping an eye on it.
Whether you cook this in the oven or the outdoor grill, if you keep the heat constant, you’ll end up with moist and tender pork.
The past few times I’ve made it, I used a tip barbecue competition cooks do: partial cut away what is called the “money muscle.” It needs to be still attached, but as little as possible. Cutting this striped, tube-shaped muscle on the opposite side of the blade bone allows it to brown and get that crispy charred bark on all sides. It’s considered the tastiest part of the pork and what is often presented to judges in barbecue competitions.
For home cooks, consider it your secret weapon for producing the best melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork with crispy charred bits. If you do try this, sample a little bit of the meat from the money muscle first before shredding the entire pork butt. You will get a taste of that tenderness that will be a delight in every bite.
Pulled pork is a terrific make-ahead recipe. You can serve it at home or at a gathering where it has the potential to serve many. Today’s recipe makes enough for at least 12 to 14 generous sandwiches.
There are many, many versions of pulled pork from sweet to spicy to those doused in sauce and those on the dry side. And then there’s the option of topping them with slaw, which is my preference.
This pulled pork and the spicy slaw that goes with it is one of my favorites. You can use your favorite rub and use barbecue sauce of choice in place of the cider vinegar sauce.
PULLED PORK BARBECUE
Serves: 12 / Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time) / Total time: 6 hours 30 minutes (not active time)
This is a terrific make-ahead recipe; serve it at home or bring it to a party. The total time seems long but the pork doesn’t need much attention during roasting.
For the dry rub:
3 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
2 to 3 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 (5- to 7-lb.) pork butt
For the Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 to 14 hamburger buns
1 recipe Spicy Slaw (recipe follows)
Pickle spears, optional
In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard and sea salt. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time — as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees or prepare your outdoor grill for a constant 275 to 300 degrees. Put the pork in a roasting pan, cover and roast for about 6 hours.
About two-thirds of the way through cooking, remove the cover.
Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork registers 195 degrees. (Basically, you want to roast it until it’s falling apart.) If it’s reached 195 degrees, but still not tender, continue roasting another hour.
While the pork is roasting, prepare the barbecue sauce. In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.
When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. You will want to pull the meat apart while it’s still warm. Grab two forks. Using one to steady the roast, use the other to pull shreds of meat off. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over it. Stir it all up so that the pork is coated with the sauce.
To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side if desired.
Adapted from “Eat This Book: Cooking with Global Fresh Flavors” by Tyler Florence (Clarkson Potter, $32.50).
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
722 calories (57 percent from fat), 46 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 39 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 2,610 mg sodium, 129 mg cholesterol, 166 mg calcium, 5 g fiber.
Spicy Slaw
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling)
Serve this slaw recipe atop the pulled pork. It’s also terrific on its own as a potluck dish.
1 small to medium head of green cabbage
2 carrots, peeled, shredded
1 red onion, peeled, thinly sliced
2 green onions, washed, ends removed, chopped
1 fresh red chile, washed, stem removed, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Several dashes of hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions and chile.
In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar and stir to blend.
Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix.
Season the slaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt and black pepper. Cover and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Adapted from “Eat This Book: Cooking with Global Fresh Flavors” by Tyler Florence (Clarkson Potter, $32.50).
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
283 calories (86 percent from fat), 27 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 370 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol, 64 mg calcium, 3 g fiber.
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