I have zero barbeque street cred — first, I’m from New England, and, second, this pulled pork never saw the inside of a smoker. Never saw the outside, either, because we don’t own a smoker. Heck, we live in the city, we don’t even own a grill. Don’t be put-off by this pulled pork’s Connecticut/Netherlandian roots — as it so often does, the Dutch oven really kills it.
The below deliciousness is a hybridization and bastardization of recipes from Paula Dean, Tyler Florence, and Martha Stewart. On other words, Southern, not Southern, ohmygoodness not Southern. I know, I know. Do me a favor and just make it. It’s delicious. You need the better part of a day at home for this, but it’s largely hands off and quite easy.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches From the Dutch Oven
- 1 (3 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
- Loveless cafe BBQ Rub (or other brand, or make your own — basically paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons course kosher salt
- 1 can or bottle of beer, I used Boont Amber Ale
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (I use the healthy stuff with the mother)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 good soft white sandwich rolls
- 2 thinly sliced, naturally fermented dill pickles, we buy Bubbies
Barbecue Sauce
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar (healthy stuff with the mother again)
- 1/2 cup German-style mustard
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Broccoli Slaw
- Half package of organic broccoli slaw
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1/2 green onion, chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
1) Rub the BBQ rub, mustard, and salt all over the pork, being sure to get into the nooks so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight.
2) Set the oven racks to the lowest and highest positions, and preheat to 325.
3) Place beer, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce into your Dutch oven.
4) Place the pork, fat side up, into the Dutch oven, cover top with tinfoil, cover, and put on the lowest shelf in your oven. Set the timer for three hours.
5) While the pork is cooking, put all the barbeque sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Simmer and stir for 10 minutes and then set aside with cover on. This gives the base of the sauce time to come together.
6) When you are about an hour and a half into the pork’s cook time, combine all the ingredients for the slaw, toss, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. It needs this time to set.
7) After three hours, pull the pork out, place on a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
8) While the pork is resting, put the barbeque sauce back on the stove at medium low. Pour the pan juices from the pork into a Pyrex cup and pour/spoon off as much of the fat as you can. Pour what remains into the pan with the barbeque sauce and heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s hot.
9) Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with one fork and pulling it away with the other. This is a bit of a job, especially for me. I hate meat fat so much that my loved ones refer to me as “The Surgeon.” True to the name, very, very little fat makes it into my pulled pork, via a process that is time-consuming but worth it. (This is why 3 lbs of pork only yields four generous sandwiches plus a bit in our house.)
10) Open the buns, nestle the pork on them, cover generously with barbeque sauce, top with slaw and pickles, drape yourself in napkins, and dig in.
