Easy Pulled Pork

There are few foods out there that I love more than meat.  Ask my husband!  I usually start in the ‘steak’ section of the menu when we eat out.  I have a hard time eating a meal that doesn’t include meat in some form or another.  I mean I love beef, but chicken, pork, fish, duck-I’m really not picky.  I’ll eat it all.  I don’t know what it is, but just thinking about a nice rare prime rib, a golden roast turkey, the smell of bacon frying, the taste of just caught fresh walleye all golden and crispy on the outside, and my Dad’s roast duck about to come out of the oven…for me, this surpasses fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

Speaking of my Dad, I blame him for my obsession.  Its in my blood and I can’t control it.

And speaking of meat, as I type this, the smell of roasting pork is filling my house.  I am leaving for vacation in a few days and decided to bring a big batch of bbq pulled pork with me.  Hot or cold, spicy or sweet, its fantastic on a dollar bun no matter where you are when you eat it.  I plan on eating mine at the end of my parents’ dock with my legs hanging off the end and swirling my toes in the water.  I have never quite warmed up to the whole coleslaw-on-a-bbq-sandwich way of eating them as the slaw would detract from THE MEAT!  Heck who needs a bun?  This is a safe place, I can be honest!  In a few more hours when I take the pork out of the oven and its cool enough to handle (probably even before then) I will be stealing pieces.  Burned fingers and all, I am a world class snitcher.  A happy one.  So all that’s left to say is “Thanks, Dad.  Let me buy you a steak.”
BBQ Pulled Pork
No matter what kind of sauce I am putting on the pulled pork, or even if I am serving it plain, I use this dry rub on it while its cooking.  The meat itself needs to be seasoned and while I want it to have flavor, I don’t want the rub to compete with the flavors of the bbq sauce I might put on it later.  This is my rub recipe, but I cannot stress enough, EXPERIMENT!  I have never met a pork sandwich I didn’t like and there are infinite possibilities and ingredients to try.  Here is a jumping off point.  This serves about 8.

5-7 lb pork butt or pork shoulder
1 T paprika
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T kosher salt
2 T dry mustard
2 T brown sugar

Mix all spices and rub over every surface of the pork.  If desired, let sit in the fridge overnight.  Roast at 300 degrees for 5-6 hours or until pork easily falls apart and the internal temperature is 170 degrees.  When meat is cool enough to handle, pull apart, discarding fat and bone.  Mix with bbq sauce or leave plain.  Our favorite bottled sauce is Sweet Baby Rays.  Pulled pork freezes great.