The warmer Spring weather has us thinking ahead to all the barbecue dinners we want to have this year. While burgers and hot dogs certainly have their place, sometimes we want something a little more substantial. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino has a very solid idea in mind, the good old pork shoulder.
Both pork butt and pork shoulder come from the pig's front shoulder, but they differ in fat content and location. Pork butt (upper shoulder) is more marbled and ideal for low-and-slow cooking like pulled pork. Pork shoulder (lower/picnic shoulder) is leaner, often has skin, and works well for roasting or slicing. The upper shoulder, which is what we most commonly use, is also known as the Boston Butt… although it’s about as far from the pig’s hindquarters as you can get.
The Boston Butt has no skin, and so it takes a rub or a glaze very well. Al’s favorite glaze is a blend of mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and garlic powder. Slather it on to your meat before a long slow cook for shredded pork. Jerry has a far more elaborate approach to the pulled pork process, and here it is.
Carolina Pulled Pork
Ingredients
5-8 lb. Pork Butt, bone in and fat pad on top
FOR THE BRINE
4 Cups Water
4 Cups Apple Cider
½ Cup Kosher Salt
½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3 Heaping Tablespoons Dry Rub
2 Bay Leaves
1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
FOR THE DRY RUB
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Heaping Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Pepper
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Powder
2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 Tablespoon Cumin
½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA VINEGAR SAUCE
½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Cup White Vinegar
½ Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes
Salt to taste
**This recipe should be started 2 days ahead of time as you need 24 hours in the fridge, 12-14 in the oven and 2 hours of resting.
PREPARE THE DRY RUB
Mix all the ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Set aside.
FOR THE BRINE
In a large stock pot, add the water, apple cider, salt, sugar, 3 tablespoons dry rub, pepper flakes and bay leaves. Rinse off the pork and add to the pot making sure it is completely covered in the brine and add the lid. Place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
FOR THE SAUCE
In a glass jar, add the ingredients and place the lid on then shake to combine. Set aside.
TO COOK
Heat the oven to 225°F. Remove the pork from the brine and place in a roasting dish or 9×13″ baking pan as long as the sides don’t touch the pan.
Pat very dry with paper towels. Remove 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to another ziploc and set aside for after it is cooked. Rub the remaining seasoning all over the pork and in any cracks or flaps. With the fat facing up, place the pork in the oven with a meat thermometer. Bake for 12-14 hours or until 200 degrees registers on the thickest part of the pork with a meat thermometer. *Remember to watch your oven, ours turns off automatically at 12 hours so I have to turn it back on. At this point you can turn off the oven and leave the pork in there to rest for two hours or if you have more baking to do place foil over the meat and allow to rest on the stove. Once the meat has rested, remove the fat from the top and using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone. Drain half of the juices out and add the remaining dry rub to taste, toss to coat and drizzle a little vinegar sauce over everything. Serve immediately as is or on buns with cole slaw.
