“Oven Barbecued” Pulled Pork
A delicious way to enjoy the taste of barbecue pulled pork without the work in half the time.
I've already defended myself against the merits and demerits of calling something cooked in an oven "barbecued", when in fact it isn't. Read my arguments in the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for "Oven Barbecued" Beef Brisket.
This is really yet another braised pork should recipe from a website called SmartCarbCooking, and it was also the basis for the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Homemade Low Sugar Barbecue Sauce.
We've made this pork recipe many times, and most recently, I made some enhancements to the spice rub as well as the braising liquid. I've also become convinced that if you have a choice between bone-in or boneless, go with bone-in. A shoulder blade roast bone is very short and easily removed once the roast is cooked to the point that it literally is falling apart. But the bone roasting inside the meat imparts a greater depth of flavor that I miss in a boneless roast.
"Oven Barbecued" Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Alder Wood)
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire black pepper (like, McCormick)
- 1/8 cup Ancho chili powder
- 1 tbsp powdered oregano
- 1 tbsp powdered thyme
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 6-8 pound bone-in pork shoulder (or Boston Butt) roast
- 7 tbsp Spice Rub from the recipe above (about half)
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bottled beer (any kind will do)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 14.5 oz can chicken broth (like, Kitchen Basics or Swanson's)
- 2 tbsp liquid smoke (like, Stubb's)
Instructions
- Blend all the rub ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Liberally apply the rub on all sides of the roast, and do what you should as the name implies: rub it into the meat well. Get the spices into all the nooks and crannies.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F degrees (335°F degrees for high altitudes above 5,000 feet).
- Get a Dutch oven hot on the stove over medium heat with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, place the pork roast, fat side down into the hot grease and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Do this on all sides of the roast, ending with the fat side facing up.
- Pour in the beer, vinegar, chicken broth and liquid smoke.
- Put on the lid and put the Dutch oven in the middle of your oven. Cook it for 6 hours.
- When the pork is cooked, you will find you have very little braising liquid left. If you like your pulled pork dry, then remove the roast and discard what braising liquid is left. If you like your pulled pork on the wet side, like I do, leave it in the Dutch oven with the roast. With two forks, shred the meat which you'll find is remarkably easy to do, removing the pork shoulder bone.
- Serve with shredded pork on buttered toasted buns with barbecue sauce spooned over.