Pulled Pork w/Dr.P sauce

Dry Rub:

3 tablespoons your favourite chilli powder

2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon celery salt

2 tablespoons oregano

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

1 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients well. Put in spice grinder if you have one. Retain 1 tablespoon.

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston Butt

3 cups soaked wood chips (your choice but I prefer fruit woods, mesquite however is to strong)

Trim off skin if your butt came that way but leave a layer of fat. Score the fat without going into the flesh. Generously apply rub to the shoulder ensuring that you have it all covered. Wrap in plastic and let sit for 3 hours (overnight is better) in the fridge. When ready to smoke, let the shoulder come to room temperature before placing it in your smoker.

Dr P. Sauce:

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup sherry vinegar

1 500ml Dr. Pepper

1/2 cup molasses

2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 onion quartered

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cayenne

I tablespoon of rub

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 or 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons soya sauce

2 Bay leaves

Pan drippings from the pork (this comes later)

How to:

Preheat the smoker or prepare your grill for offset cooking with a smoke pack to 250/275 degrees F.  Best wood for smoking pork is fruit or sweet woods (apple, maple, cherry maybe mixed with some hickory). Presoak your chips for at least 4 hours before hand.  Spread soaked wood chips on hot coals. When your device is up to temp and showing smoke, place your shoulder in and roast it for about 6 to 8 hours depending on its size and the stability of your BBQ. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 190 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it’s falling apart. If your shoulder is bone-in, this is your natural thermometer. When it pulls out with no effort, it’s ready.

While the pork is roasting, prepare the barbecue sauce. Place all the ingredients into a sauce pan and simmer on low heat for at least an hour.  The longer you do, the darker and richer it will get. Taste while cooking and adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) if necessary. When it’s good for your taste buds, turn it off. It’s ready. Put aside till the shoulder is done. Strain it before you use it. If it reduces too much, add a little water or cider vinegar to bring it back up. Let rest in a nonreactive container while your shoulder is on.

When the pork is done, take it out of the smoker, wrap it in tin foil and place it on a rack instead of a flat surface.  This will retain more moisture in the shoulder. It’s a gravity thing.  Allow the meat to rest around 15 minutes.  While the pork is still warm, you want to “pull” your shoulder. Using 2 forks anchor the meat with one and pull or flake with the other to shred meat off the butt. If you have gloves, get in there with your hands. Take the drippings from inside the foil and add to your sauce. Warm up the sauce. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Mix it well so that the pork is coated with the sauce. Retain the rest for your guests to add themselves.

Serve warm with soft rolls and coleslaw. If you are assembling these, open bun, add pork, slaw on top, and finish with your sauce. Serve with your favourite dill pickles on the side.

Stand back and receive the praises.

Pulled pork is an effort of love. It takes time and patience but is worth the wait.