Barbecued Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is a new food item for me since it is not something I grew up having and I find it a shame I have missed out on this yummy, melt in your mouth meat for so long.  You can use a pork loin roast but I really like using a pork shoulder (aka pork butt, even though it is the shoulder).  I also like to use the crock pot to let it simmer gently all day and then use two forks to simply shred the meat in big chunks.  Once the meat was shredded, I put it back in the crock pot with a homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce and let it simmer for another couple of hours.  I loved how easy this dish was to make.  This is a great way to build your appetite up all day while you smell the deliciousness scenting the house.  I served this with a cauliflower puree.

The next day, I served hot barbecued pulled pork on toast with a few pickle slices which was also fabulous.

Barbecued Pulled Pork
Makes 6-8 servings

For the rub:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

For the Barbecue Sauce:
3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons raw honey
6 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons rub mixture (from above)

For the pork:
2 pounds pork shoulder or pork loin
1 tablespoon organic turbinado sugar
3 cups organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 large sweet yellow onion, cut into slices
1/4 cup rub mixture
1 cup Barbecue Sauce (from above)

For the rub:
Whisk all the spices together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

For the pork:
Cut the pork meat into 3-inch pieces.  Mix the sugar with the spice mixture and rub all over the pork pieces.  Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the crock pot and top with the seasoned pork pieces.  Add enough chicken broth to just cover the pork and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

For the sauce:
Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat to a slow boil.  Simmer, partially covered, on low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This sauce will splatter quite a bit so I found frequent stirring to be helpful.

Remove the pork from the crock pot and shred with two forks.  Mix the shredded pork with 1 cup of the reserved barbecue sauce.  Drain the liquid from the crock pot, reserving 3/4 cup of the meat broth.  Stir the meat broth into the pork mixture and allow to cook on low for another 2 hours.


Slightly adapted from Sweet Potato Bun

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