technique adapted from Sally Schneider, The Improvisational Chef
Pulled pork is magical for it's flavor, flexibility, cost and ease - you just need a little heat and time. The final product can be the base for indoor NC barbecue, quesadillas, or sandwiches. Pick your seasonings according to your final application, but just a generic pork rub will do for most recipes.
Ingredients
- about 3 1/2 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed of fat, cut or tied into a compact roast
- 2-3 Tbs spice rub (pick any you like compatible with pork)
Preheat oven to 275.
Set the roast in the middle of a large piece of heavy aluminum foil. Rub all sides of the roast. Close the meat tightly in the foil and place inside a large dutch oven with lid or in a baking dish, making sure to seal the seams well so rendered fat cannot leak out during cooking. Put the dutch oven or dish in the oven and cook for 3 or 4 hours.
Peak in the foil pack every hour (don't let the steam burn you) and check if the meat shreds easily with a fork. If the roast still doesn't want to give, put it back in the oven and try again in an hour. It is pretty difficult to overcook this meat, but it's also difficult to wait for it to get done.
When the meat is done, carefully move the pork to a large baking dish, leaving the cooking liquids in the foil packet. Shred the meat with a fork in the dish and discard the fatty bits and the bone, if there is one. Add 1/4 - 1/2 c of the cooking liquid back into the meat and return the dish to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve.