Easy, Delicious, Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork

In our house, the aroma of BBQ spice-encrusted pork roasting in the oven is better than potpourri. In fact, why hasn't Yankee Candle come up with that candle scent yet?!  Pumpkin pie - check.  Apple pie - check.  Cinnamon buns - check.  Surely there's a market for the savory scents of roasting pork or chicken...hey, remember when you see those candles on the shelves that you saw the idea here first!

This is so blasted easy it's almost criminal to call it cooking.  Too busy to cook while you're shopping, wrapping, baking cookies, running the kids to their holiday activities?  Yup, throw this in the oven and forget it for 6-8 hours.  Have company coming over and you STILL HAVE TO CLEAN?!  Yup, let this baby roast away and there's nothing else you have to do.  Really, you rub the spice mixture into the meat, slow roast it ALL day long, and many hours later....it's dinner, hon.

Make the BBQ sauce a day or two - or more - ahead of time and sauce it at the last minute.  Or make the pulled pork several days ahead, mix the sauce into it and refrigerate it until you need it...or freeze it.  It freezes perfectly!  There aren't many recipes as easy and forgiving as this one.  

When the family's ready to eat or company's almost coming through the door, mix up some coleslaw - pre-shredded stuff is just fine (use  Marzetti's slaw dressing for simple and delicious slaw), put out the buns, some nice dill or bread and butter pickle slices, extra sauce if anyone likes a little extra, maybe some good store bought potato salad and dinner is ready!

Pulled Pork

Rub:

• 3 tablespoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon dry mustard

• 3 tablespoons kosher salt

• 6 pounds pork roast, Boston butt or shoulder

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup yellow mustard

• 1/2 cup brown mustard

• 3/4 cup ketchup

• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• at least a teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - more is better!

Mix dry rub ingredients.  Rub all over the pork and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.  If you don't have time to start it the night before, go ahead and put it right in the oven.  Like I said above, this is a forgiving recipe!
 
Preheat oven to 300.
 
Put the pork in a roasting pan fat cap up and bake 6-8 hours or until it falls apart easily.  Pour off any fat in the bottom of the pan, but be sure to use all the pieces of the crusty brown crispy, crunchy fat on top when you pull the pork apart with two forks.
 
Sauce:   Do this while the pork is roasting or ahead of time.  Combine vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne & pepper in a saucepan.  Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
 
Pour 1/2 the sauce (or just enough to moisten the meat) over pork and mix gently, but well.  Serve rest of sauce on side.


Gluten-Free Note:  The pulled pork is naturally gluten-free.  Look for Udi's gluten-free hamburger buns - wonderful!  Hallelujah, its fantastic to enjoy this on a bun they way God intended!